' second stint with the Khalil Mack Jersey will end after just one season. Following a return to Foxborough last offseason to join the club that originally drafted him in 2013, Collins has now inked a deal to join the , according to . It's a three-year, $30 million contract that includes $18 million fully guaranteed.Collins, 30, is now reunited with Lions head coach Matt Patricia, who was his defensive coordinator during his first stint with the Patriots from 2013-16. Over that Buster Skrine Jersey stretch, Collins evolved into one of the more versatile linebackers in the . From 2014-15, Collins totaled 204 tackles, 9.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles and three interceptions for the Patricia-led defense. That 2014 season also featured Patricia and Collins being a part of New England's XLIX championship team. To simply put it, they have history, so it's no surprise that they came back together in free agency. After a so-so tenure Walter Payton Jersey with the from 2016-18, Collins returned to New England on a one-year deal and enjoyed a strong campaign. In 16 regular season games (15 starts), Collins totaled a career-high seven sacks to go along with 81 total tackles, three interceptions and three forced fumbles. This signing does come off the linebacker to the . It's noteworthy to point out this signing because it also comes Roquan Smith Jersey at the hands of a former Bill Belichick disciple in Brian Flores. While both Van Noy and Collins are almost house-hold names throughout the league, their departures do represent how much more difficult it is becoming for the likes of Belichick to keep some of Prince Amukamara Jersey his best talent in-house now that more of his former a sistants are out there making bids.

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- might be the embodiment of the quinte sential Patriot. Sure, it would be easy to point to -- the one constant in Bill Belichick's unreal period of sustained succe s in New England -- but the quarterback is a unicorn. He is a freak of nature, about to win the MVP award at age 40 and po sibly the MVP as well.Slater, to me, is more like the kind of uber-effort, try-harder-than-you, Patriot discovery who dots this roster, doing all the little things and excelling at all the dirty work that keep this machine humming along. He has certain attributes that Belichick is drawn to and knows that, if asked to do certain particular duties, he can do them more effectively than most on the planet. He is someone totally and completely willing to be largely namele s and facele s in the pursuit of Super Bowl after Super Bowl, knowing his chores will be streamlined and his chances for glory all but none. And year after year he will work his tail off and excel in every special teams role thrown at him and give of himself fully and completely, almost always with a smile on his face.He sets an example for younger players at every practice and meeting, and he is Adeiny Hechavarria Jersey perfectly able to out-smart you as well as out-work you. He won't make a bonehead play or mi s an a signment or fail to down a ball at the goal line. He'll study longer and harder than his opponent. He has earned the full trust of Belichick. He's named a team captain -- no small feat in New England -- for big game after big game. And, like his more well-known and glamorous teammates, he tends to save his best work for the biggest games of the year.In a Super Bowl which could end up being decided by people other than the multi-millionaires who are paid to throw and catch the ball for a living, Slater may end up New York Mets T-Shirts being a critical factor. Field position was at the heart of the ' win over the in the AFC Championship Game -- constantly forcing a more limited quarterback with little postseason experience to play on a long field starting drives deep in his own territory -- and Slater's work on those kicking and punting units has much to do with it. You can put him down for a critical tackle or two, for getting to a bouncing ball before anyone else. And the fervor with which he does his job -- in practice and on game day -- helps maintain Belichick's gospel year in and year out, continually demanding that a franchise that has already accomplished so much aspires for even more the following year."Every year is a new year with a new challenge," Slater told me, "and what has happened in the past has no bearing on what is happening in the current season ... It's really impre sive what Coach has been able to build here -- the culture he's been able to put in place, and how he's been able to have team after team pretty much buy into that says a lot of about his ability to lead men. And it's not just him -- there are a number of factors that play into that -- but Coach, he's one of a kind."Says here that Slater will end up being one of the Devin Mesoraco Jersey unsung heroes of Super Bowl 52. Here are four other under-the-radar players I believe could end up going a long way to dictating the outcome of the game: , DE, If Philadelphia wins this game, its "wide-9" will have much to do with it. The wide stance and acute angles its ends take to the quarterback can be very effective and allow defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to muster a fierce pa s rush without having to devote more than four or five bodies to do so. Everyone else plays coverage.Curry doesn't get quite as much pub as veteran ends and , but Sunday might be his day to shine. He hasn't registered a sack yet this postseason and had just New York Mets Jersey three this season, but he is the kind of guy who could get hot, and he'll get plenty of opportunities to hunt Brady on Sunday. I wouldn't discount him being a factor. , TE, PatriotsIt's been a disappointing first season for Allen in New England by all traditional individual metrics. He hasn't made an impact on offense, and hasn't come close to being the playmaker that he was at times with the . He's an able blocker, but his athleticism has yet to rise to the fore. But there's still one game to play, and the Patriots tend to pull guys out of the aby s and empty out the playbook this time of year. If gets doubled to no end, could there be some two tight-end packages in which Allen gets free to rumble down the field? I know he and Brady haven't really clicked, but no better time than now to do so. This is certainly a guy with some playmaking ability. , CB, PatriotsHe's been overshadowed this past season, especially after his trade to the fell through and Belichick signed corner to a ma sive deal last offseason. But it wasn't that long ago that he became one of the more memorable unknown Super Bowl heroes of all-time. He has a flare for the dramatic, and he has the kind of ball skills that make a difference.Could he bait into a mistake or two? Get a jump on a route and take something to the house. , K, EaglesGenerally, the Super Bowls have been close affairs, and especially with the Pats involved, win or lose. This one will likely be no different, and it may come down to someone's foot in the end.Elliott, who was alertly plucked from the practice squad back in September when was placed on IR, has been one Robinson Cano Jersey of the true finds of the this season. The kid has been a stud, ice cool in critical spots, sporting a big leg and plenty of guts.This, of course, is a very different stage on Sunday. He's already set NFL records for the longest field goal by a rookie in the regular season and the playoffs. Might a Super Bowl record be looming? Or a game-winning kick? It might be freezing outside, but the conditions inside the dome will be perfect, and this guy has a knack for crushing 50-plus yard field goals.

Days after in relief of an injured C.J. Beathard, Adeiny Hechavarria Jersey is set to make his first start for the Niners on Sunday.San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan that Garoppolo will be the starting quarterback when the 49ers travel to Chicago to take on the this week, marking the first time the former backup will open under center for his new team. Head Coach Kyle Shanahan met with the Yoenis Cespedes Jersey teams quarterbacks today and informed them that Jimmy Garoppolo will start this Sunday in Chicago. Shanahan will meet with the media next on Wednesday afternoon. San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) Acquired from the Patriots for a Nolan Ryan Jersey second-round pick a day before the in-season trade deadline in late October, Garoppolo threw a touchdown for the Niners in his debut, finding Louis Murphyfor a score in San Francisco's 24-13 lo s to the . He arrives in the Keon Broxton Jersey starting lineup at a good time for the Niners, who are 1-10 and officially eliminated from playoff contention but could use a good look at the man they landed from New England, especially considering Garoppolo is set to become a free agent after the season. There's also the fact that he'll get to start against the Wilson Ramos Jersey Bears, who allowed 24 first-half points to the in Week 12 and managed just six first downs of their own on Sunday.

Weeks before the draft, the traded up to the No. 3 Tarvarius Moore Jersey pick : They desperately needed a franchise quarterback. So it was no surprise why they took former star , who could have a real chance to earn the starting job. We know this because Jets offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates as the team takes part in mandatory minicamp practices. "We're throwing everything at him," Bates said, via the . "If he can handle it, if he can prove that he's the starter, then Jordan Matthews Jersey that will take place when the time comes. We're here to play the best football players that give us a chance to win on Sunday." More on the NFL , the 2016 second-round pick, never saw the field in two years and the Jets . And 38-year-old can't play forever (we think). There's also , the ' former first-round pick who suffered a serious knee injury before the 2016 season and appeared in just one game since. And while Bridgewater has earned positive reviews during offseason workouts, Darnold has too and he has the added benefit of being the future of the franchise. "If you watch Darnold's college tape, he has the ability to make plays off schedule," Bates continued. Ronnie Lott Jersey "He's just very sudden. If he sees a guy open, the ball is out now. I kind of describe him as a very sudden player. There's not a lot of wasted thought proce s, as you go from him thinking to releasing the ball. At the same time, he has a true pa sion, Jerick McKinnon Jersey a true love for the game. He's all ball. ... "I've been around some rookies that took a whole year to be able to get in a huddle and have confidence and call those plays. Ever since rookie minicamp, he hasn't flinched. Everything we've thrown at him, Joshua Garnett Jersey he's been able to handle." We're in an era where first-round quarterbacks often see the field as rookies. The Jets are coming off a five-win season and it's fair to say that Todd Bowles is coaching for his job. If Darnold is the best quarterback, there's no reason to keep him on the bench.

Late during the ' narrow lo s to the on Sunday, a fracas broke out when Bears quarterback took a late hit from 49ers safety near the Bears' sideline. The end result? The ejection of Bears receivers and , and 49ers cornerback .After the game, Sherman"These are my guys," Sherman said, per ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner. "I don't care at the end of the day what the deal is -- you're gonna do all that and you let him go. And it took too long for them to let him go. So I went Patrick Mahomes II Jersey in there to grab him, and they continued to pull and jerk and grab on me. And I'm a grown man with kids; I don't care about any of that. And at the end of the day, they're gonna get punished for it. I'm a grown man; you don't grab, pull on me -- I don't put my hands on you, you don't put your hands on me. You put your hands on me, you're gonna feel me."I felt like they went over the top, and I responded with over-the-top."Take a look: Dieter Kurtenbach (@dkurtenbach) Meanwhile, Harris defended the hit that sparked the fight, saying he tried to pull up."I wasn't going out for him," Harris said. "I knew what comes with penalties and I wasn't trying to give my team a big penalty in that moment of the game. Obviously, you can Len Dawson Jersey see what happened. I felt like I laid up on him." There's no doubt the hit warranted the flag regardle s of Harris' intent. Trubisky clearly gave himself up. And Harris clearly hit him late. Christian Okoye Jersey In slow motion, however, you can kinda, maybe, sorta see what Harris is talking about? Again, there's no doubt the hit is late. He shouldn't even have initiated the hit. But he might've been trying to pull his body back as he went to the ground. It's hard to tell, because judging intent is always difficult.After the game, some Bears players insisted the hit was dirty, but It's easy to understand both sides. The hit happened right in front of the Bears. They're already guaranteed a playoff spot, so the absolute one thing they can't afford in the final weeks of the season is an an injury to a key player. Despite Trubisky's inconsistencies this season, he's still one of their most important players -- if not their most important player. Earlier this season, the Bears saw Trubisky suffer a shoulder injury on an illegal hit that forced him to mi s two games. Most teams would respond the way the Bears did.Sherman was also defending his teammate, who Damien Wilson Jersey was mostly surrounded by Bears. Was he supposed to just stand there and watch as the Bears went after his teammate? That said, it probably would've been better if Sherman hadn't gone so far as to get ejected, but you can say the same about Miller and Bellamy for the Bears.Kyle Shanahan didn't sound like he entirely disapproved of Sherman's actions."It was very clear to me he was trying to get his brother's back and I love for guys to do that as much as they can," Shanahan said. "It's definitely better when they do as much as they can and they don't get ejected." Here's the good news: Trubisky escaped an injury as the Bears try to steal the No. 2 seed away from the and mount a deep postseason run. Also good news: During the skirmish, you can see Bears guard spring into action. Long Daniel Sorensen Jersey , who hasn't played since Week 8, . Long, a three-time Pro Bowler, would be a huge addition ahead of the playoffs for the Bears.

It's the offseason, which means it's that time of year again -- when we widely proclaim that this upcoming season will actually be the year the break their playoff drought. On Thursday, defensive end 's turn to jump onto the Jaguars' playoff bandwagon.According to Campbell, the Jaguars have "every piece to the puzzle.""I truly believe this team has every piece to the puzzle," "We don't need anything else."Obviously Bashaud Breeland Jersey , Campbell wasn't going to trash his own teammates. He was never going to say anything negative about the team he Khalen Saunders Jersey just joined. So, let's evaluate his statement.The Jaguars certainly have a ton of nice, playoff-caliber pieces on their roster. Their defense is stacked and might be ready to transition from a unit with potential to a unit that cashes in on that potential. A year ago, they signed and drafted and . This year, they signed Campbell and A.J. Bouye. And don't forget about 2015 first-round pick . So, most -- if not all -- of the pieces are in place on defense.On offense, the Jaguars secured their running back of the future by drafting Leonard Fournette last month. They also drafted their new left tackle, Cam Robinson. They already Patrick Mahomes II Jersey boast two worthy receiver in and . So, the weapons are in place for a succe sful offensive breakout. And that's it, right? We're not mi sing a position or anyone else, right?Oh right, and then there's the quarterback position, which brings us to . The Jaguars' decision to give Bortles another chance -- after three underwhelming years -- is probably going Chad Henne Jersey to be the reason why they mi s out on the playoffs yet again. Unle s Bortles suddenly and drastically improves in 2017, the Jaguars can expect their playoff drought to linger on. In Bortles' career, he's completed 58.8 percent of his pa ses, averaged 6.6 yards per attempt, and accumulated a 79.6 pa ser rating.Here's the good news for the Jaguars: To a degree, Campbell is right. The Jaguars are loaded at a ton of important positions. And that should set them up to win in the future, especially if they experience yet another lackluster season. Because if that happens, the Jaguars will be in a position to take a quarterback in next year's draft -- and next year's quarterback cla s is supposedly loaded.If a year seems Reggie Ragland Jersey like too long a wait, well, they've been waiting since 2007. Why not one more year? In the meantime, maybe Tom Coughlin can

running back is more than just one of the 's best young Paul Coffey Jersey talents. He'll also verify whether your official Ezekiel Elliott autograph is officially counterfeit. Counterfeit autographs have been a problem for as long as we've had celebrities, but in this social-media age, Elliott is doing his part to thwart the efforts of ne'er-do-wells and scoundrels Patrick Maroon Jersey . Behold:Ezekiel Elliott Autographed Signed Ohio State Dallas Cowboys Mini Helmet COA & Hologram by.. kittenbargain #fb (@kittenbargain) So, Zeke, what's the verdict?So fake Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) Moving on ...What about this?Ezekiel Elliott Autographed Signed Ohio State 8 Jean-Francois Jacques Jersey x 10 Photo - Near Mint Condition - COA by Nostalgic.. resultminutes1 (@resultminutes1) Survey says! Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) But this is legit, right? It was a Christmas present for crying out loud! hey, saw Edmonton Oilers Jersey you call out Wayne Gretzky Jersey that account for a fake autographed helmet, received this one for xmas, please tell me real! Blake Nelsen (@Bliz2DaIz) Welp.Nahhhhh Ezekiel Elliott (@EzekielElliott) To recap:Counterfeiters, you've been put on notice.

owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on Sunday that, "Any player who disrespects the flag or does not stand for the anthem ." On Wednesday, Louis Lipps Jersey Jones , which is in when Jones joined Cowboys players in kneeling before the anthem ahead of a nationally televised game against the . So why the about face? For starters, Jones said that President Donald Trump, who certainly has more important things to concern himself with, reminded him of the Game Operations Manual, which explains how players should behave during the anthem and failure to do so could result in fines, suspensions and even lost draft picks. But the manual is an old document and the league has already stated that players won't Alejandro Villanueva Jersey be fined or suspended for demonstrating. But more than that, Jones told his players in their Wednesday meeting that his stance on the anthem is because from the rest of the team, reports ESPN.com's Todd Archer. More from Archer: In the meeting, Jones sought to ensure that players also saw the bigger picture regarding the busine s side of the Anthony Chickillo Jersey situation, including concerns over TV ratings and sponsors, the source said. ... One player said Jones expected the Cowboys will continue to stand during the anthem. Another said the players had a better feeling for Jones' comments, because at first he wondered if Jones had turned against them, according to the source. Afterwards, Cowboys quarerback said the meeting "went well," adding that "we ironed out everything that we needed to at this time." Meanwhile, Jones told CBS Sports Radio's 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday Greg Lloyd Jersey that players are still free to expre s themselves, : "If we're going to have any recognition, it needs to be before the anthem."Jones added that while he feels the Cowboys have been sensitive to social i sues, he's also wary of alienating his fanbase. "There is a debate about standing for the flag, being disrespectful, so I am removing us from that debate," he said. It has been almost a month since Trump's remarks at an Alabama rally created this latest firestorm. "Wouldn't you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, 'Get that son of a bitch off the field right now," the president said to a cheering crowd. "Out. He's fired. He's fired!" Days later, more Xavier Grimble Jersey than 200 NFL players demonstrated during the anthem in protest. a 20-fold increase over the number of players who demonstrated in Week 1.

Conventional wisdom said all along that the Broncos starting quarterback job would come down to whoever made the fewest mistakes between Martavis Bryant Jersey Mark Sanchez and Trevor Siemian. Sanchez was the heavy favorite before the preseason, but , especially after . , though, you better not rule out rookie Paxton Lynch. Gary Kubiak confirmed as much Sunday, telling reporters Lynch has "always been in the mix" even though he's inherently behind because he's a rookie."He's always been in the mix," Kubiak said. "I just told you guys that he's behind the other two from a knowledge standpoint, but we've been out there competing every day. Everybody is in competition to play."In his immediate postgame interview on television, Kubiak only referenced "two" different quarterbacks, appearing to indicate the starting gig would come down to Siemian and Sanchez.But once he got in front of the podium, Kubiak continued to reference three different players and said the guy Justin Hunter Jersey who is best for the team will start at quarterback. "I'm going to play the guy that I think is best for our team. We have three guys out there battling. Obviously Lynch is a young kid. He did some really good stuff tonight. He made some mistakes, too," Kubiak said. "I think I've continued to tell you guys that he is behind the others from a knowledge standpoint as far as running the group. Obviously we need to keep coming, keep bringing him along. "We're going to keep working here, find the guy that we think is best for our football team and Dan McCullers Jersey go from there."The trickiest part for the Broncos is determining how to handle the reps for Week 3. It would be lovely for Denver to give Merril Hoge Jersey Lynch some run as the starting quarterback in Week 3 to see how he fares against the best defensive players po sible and with the best offensive players po sible (multiple times on Saturday night he threw pa ses that were incomplete but probably would've been caught by the likes of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders). Snaps against defensive starters are precious in the preseason, however. Siemian needs those. So does Sanchez. Testing out Lynch in the preseason would be a gamble, and it would also potentially create false expectations for starting him moving forward Dermontti Dawson Jersey if he's the starter for Week 3. The likely path seems like a Siemian/Sanchez nod to start the season followed by a mid-season transition to Lynch. But it wouldn't be stunning to see Lynch win the job outright. Take the over on his total number of starts -- he's fully capable of winning the gig and surprising people out of the gates as a rookie.

During the lead up to his presumptive nomination by the Republican party, Donald Trump has repeatedly mentioned his good friend Tom Brady. The , called the treatment of Brady "terrible," gotten , and . He was and Boston Red Sox Custom Jersey Ben Roethlisberger speak for him at the Republican National Convention.Brady has gotten Trump's back -- " -- but he Craig Kimbrel Jersey won't be going so far as stepping to the podium in Cleveland for Trump. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Brady has no plans to even attend the convention. Despite speculation to contrary, Pats QB Tom Brady will not be attending Republican National Convention in Cleveland this month, per source. Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) For a guy who spent the last two years directly in the spotlight, even in the Roger Clemens Jersey offseason, it would be understandable Fred Lynn Jersey if Brady didn't want to get in the middle of the fray when it comes to choosing the Republican party's nominee for the Presidency.Trump should get the selection regardle s of whether or not Brady is there to speak, but given the rhetoric surrounding the whole proce s, it's entirely po sible things get heated . Brady will instead get to spend the end of July Blake Swihart Jersey soaking in his family vacation, now that he's not spending a ton of time .

It was thought that would evolve into the ' franchise quarterback once he was Brad Hand Jersey traded before the deadline. What wasn't expected, however, was for Garoppolo to replace an injured C.J. Beathard and lead the 49ers to four straight wins -- the most recent of which came against the AFC's third-seeded .The 49ers hung 44 on the Jags. , the player that Garoppolo was once thought to eventually replace, has of his former backup's succe s."He's done a great job," Brady said, Eric Hosmer Jersey via . "You go in there and get the opportunity to play and win games, that is what we are all here for. It was good to see and good for them to beat Jacksonville, that really helped us. I am really happy for Jimmy and he's worked really hard. It shows up when he goes out Tony Gwynn Jersey there and plays really well." Perhaps Garoppolo was a sleeper agent after all. By beating the Jaguars, Garoppolo clinched the a first-round bye in the playoffs. It's just all part of Bill Belichick's plan.Since getting the starting gig, Garoppolo has thrown for 312.5 yards per game, four touchdowns, and three interceptions. He's been helped out by a galvanized effort from the 49ers' defense, and the 49ers aren't done just yet. In 2018, the 49ers now have the ' second-round pick (in lieu of their own Rollie Fingers Jersey ) and the ' third rounder. Now that they don't have to worry about a quarterback, John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan can shore up other parts of the roster. If the 49ers get Garoppolo some weapons, the 49ers could Johnny Manziel Jersey spring back into playoff contention as early as next season. Garoppolo has clearly shown that he'll be able to his part. Tom Brady knows a little something about quarterback play, and if he thinks a guy is doing well, it stands to reason he's doing just fine.