UPDATE: In a video on ESPN.com, four-star WR Tacoi Sumler of Florida (the No. 6 WR in the country and No. 44 in the ESPNU 150) said that while he's still looking at some ACC and SEC schools, the Pac-10 will be hard to beat.

Considering this statement, along with the report below that Sumler is an Oregon lean, the Ducks certainly look to be the favorites for now. And as we wrote earlier, the Ducks will need some help at the position next year, so Sumler could have the opportunity to play early as a true freshman in 2011.

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Sumler turned in a blazing 4.24 40 this week at Nike's SPARQ national championships on the Nike campus in Beaverton, Ore., and JC Shurburtt of TheBigSpur.com reports that Sumler appears to be a strong lean to Nike's unofficial college of choice, Oregon.

Shurburtt writes: "Prior to his trip up to Portland, (Sumler) visited Oregon in Eugene and absolutely loved it. The Ducks have to be considered the odds-on favorite to land him at this point, and he was spotted wearing Oregon gear."

Shurburtt cautions that a few other West Coast schools remain in the mix; Sumler, who goes only 5-foot-8 and about 160 pounds, has been in California for about a month visiting relatives and took the opportunity to check out USC, UCLA, Cal and Stanford.

Scouts, Inc.

Tacoi Sumler evaluation

"Sumler can flat out run, has special quickness and is a nightmare in space. He is a scatback/slot receiver that can play on the outside due to his speed alone. Forget about his physical traits for a moment and focus on his hands -- he has terrific, quick hands. The ball never gets into his frame. He plucks and tucks with tremendous confidence and it is effortless for him. He can adjust on the move and is a deceptively good leaper on the high ball. He is very flexible so he can scoop the low ball and twist to snag throws behind him. His overall foot quickness gives him outstanding upside as a route runner because he can stop and start on a dime and does not have to gear down going into breaks and shows terrific burst coming out of the break."

Ben Wallace preformed well for the Pistons last season after flirting with retirement.

As such, the Associated Press is reporting that Wallace will be back on a two-year deal, and he'll make $1.9 million per season.

As TrueHoop's Henry Abbott writes on Monday, Wallace had been suggested by some as a nice, cheap option for the Heat as they look to fill out their roster after the big three of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James are soaking up much of the team's cap space.

TrueHoop's Henry Abbott

Randolph, who's on Miami's Summer League team, a roster option

"I had heard some some suggestion that Ben Wallace might be the kind of big man who would sign up with the Heat. Apparently not [as he's back in Detroit]. How aboutShavlik Randolph instead?"

 

Prior to the latest sad chapter in the JaMarcus Russell story, Kristian R. Dyer of the New York Times had word from famed QB coach Tom Martinez that if one presented Russell against all the QBs taken this year in the draft, the former No. 1 pick would be taken ahead of all of them.

After Russell's recent arrest? His stock probably slips out of this mock draft completely.

During an appearance on the NFL Network on July 5, Michael Lombardi opined that this was probably the end of Russell's comeback campaign in the NFL. Lombardi thinks that the CFL might be his best hopes for a career resuscitation. There has also been speculation from Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that the UFL might be an option.

In any case, the idea that the New York Jets would target Russell has gone from a small chance to no chance.

ESPN's John Clayton touched on the UFL possibility on Monday:

John Clayton

UFL probably the only option

"Sources I talked to this week said Russell still has an open invitation to sign with Omaha, which has his rights. He should consider it. With his problems on and off the field, Russell won't be on the radar of any NFL team. His arrest for possession of a controlled substance (codeine syrup) could hurt his chances to go to the CFL. Russell hasn't shown any desire to play in the UFL or CFL, but if he wants his football career to continue, he needs to look at the Omaha opportunity."

 

Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Carl Crawford is a free agent at season's end, and it appears as if the Rays are simply going to ride it out with him, see what they can do to get into October and get back to the World Series, and then say goodbye in November.

Crawford's probable asking price figures to rule out a return to the Rays, but while we're thinking that perhaps it's not out of the question that the Rays kick the tires on trading him this month, we learned that the Los Angeles Angels are planning on going after the All-Star this winter.

We've already assumed that the New York Yankees will have strong interest, and with the problems the Boston Red Sox have had in their outfield this season, perhaps GM Theo Epstein makes a play for Crawford, too.

If the Phillies are able to find a taker for Raul Ibanez -- unlikely, but an AL club might take a flier on him -- the Phillies could conceivably make a serious offer, but that would increase their payroll into the area where the Red Sox currently reside and we aren't sure GM Ruben Amaro will be allowed to do so.

If the Angels were to land Crawford, Bobby Abreu may become the team's full-time DH, with Juan Rivera playing right field.

The Chicago Blackhawks matched the offer sheet for Niklas Hjalmarsson, but that means they need to figure out where on their roster they'll save cap space.

One option is trading Patrick Sharp, according to ESPN Chicago's Jesse Rogers (as per Pierre LeBrun). Some thought Sharp was on the block earlier in the offseason, but the Hawks moved around Sharp to create cap space. But now they may have to go back to Sharp and dump his $3.9 million cap hit, which GM Stan Bowman really doesn't want to do.

The other fallout from his Hjlamarsson move is that the Hawks will probably go to arbitration with Antti Niemi. If they don't like the ruling, they could let Niemi walk and sign a goalie like Jose Theodore or Marty Turco.

Brian Campbell could also come into play, since he carries a $7.14 million cap hit. The Hawks may have trouble moving the contract, but they could call a team trying to reach the cap floor -- the New York Islanders? -- and see if they can dump the contract. Or they could waive Campbell and lose him for nothing.

The Boston Red Sox have one of the top few combinations of scouting and player development departments in all of baseball, and both may come into play this month as GM Theo Epstein and his staff decide which direction to take in order to get better.

If the Sox venture into the market for a big name such as Roy Oswalt or Dan Haren, we have to believe that almost any prospect is in play. Almost. Right-hander Casey Kelly, the club's 20-year-old future ace who is holding his own in Double-A, may very well be off limits, as might Jose Iglesias, said to be the next everyday shortstop in Beantown.

But there are certainly a few expendable talents that will draw interest from clubs, such as right-hander Stolmy Pimentel, who appeared in Sunday's Futures Game, and outfielder Ryan Kalish.

Kevin Goldstein writes Monday that "Kalish is a player who has been garnering considerable attention of late, going 19-for-40 in his last 10 games to raise his Triple-A numbers to .333/.407/.457. He's an above-average runner who has been successful in 19 of 20 stolen-base attempts this year, his power projects as average, he works the count well and is a decent center fielder to boot. In other words, he has few weaknesses and is nearly big-league-ready -- a combination that could make him the most coveted prospect in talks with the Red Sox."

A package including Kalish and/or Pimentel might be enough to land the Red Sox another late-inning bullpen arm, an outfielder that can hit, or both.

UPDATE: RB Demetrius Hart continues to be coy about the status of his recruitment, telling ESPN Recruiting's Corey Long that it wouldn't be safe to say that he's only down to Michigan and Auburn, as has been rumored recently. When asked if other teams might remain in the mix, however, Hart responded, "Not exactly." Hart is proving to be as elusive along the recruiting trail as he is on the field.

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Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix continues to work on getting Hart to commit to Alabama, but Hart has another teammate, three-star S LaQuentin Smith, who may have tipped Hart's hand. Although Hart plans to take officials to Auburn, Alabama and Michigan, along with Florida and Florida State, Smith tells Long, "You know we've always wanted to play together. I mean, if we get up to Michigan and everything is going well and we feel comfortable ... you never know."

Since the two are scheduled to be in Ann Arbor for the Wolverines' season opener against UConn, it sure sounds as if both could commit to Michigan before either gets around to another official.

Despite some talk a few weeks ago that four-star Hart of Florida might have warmed to the idea of following high school teammate four-star S Ha'Sean Clinton-Dix to Alabama, Hart told ESPN.com's Jamie Newberg that his longstanding favorites, Michigan and Auburn (he gave them in that order), remain atop his list.

Hart plans to take a second trip to Auburn at the end of the month, and then make an official visit to Ann Arbor -- the third time he will have been there -- in early fall.

"Michigan is in a rebuilding stage, and it's a good time for me there because I can help them through that. I would be a good piece in that offense because I always feel like no one can run with me," Hart said. "I like the Auburn offense. They are like a hybrid offense. They have some tricks on one play and then can run with three running backs on the next."

Scouts, Inc.

Demetrius Hart evaluation

"Hart is a short, stocky runner with great quickness and productivity. A small explosive package; utilizes his low center of gravity to his advantage as a runner; very difficult to get direct shot on him; hits the hole with great downhill burst and authority; a decisive runner; can slice back through the small cutback seams; shows good lateral quickness and vision stretching it outside as well. Between the tackles, he's difficult to wrap up cleanly. Runs with great lean and a powerful base; absorbs the hit, keeps his balance and downhill momentum as good as any; like a pinball off tacklers at times; runs hard and is a determined back who can move the pile and spin out of it. While he flashes good speed and burst through the second level, he is a short-strider and a bit quicker than fast."

Just like the other members of the "Core Four," New York Jets linebacker David Harris wants a new contract. But as one can tell from ESPN AFC East blogger Tim Graham's profile of the LB in June, Harris is a player that is likely to eschew the traditional means of securing a new deal, such as a holdout or public negative comments.

Rather, Harris has made his presence felt by putting in solid, if unspectactular, play during his career, especially in 2009, when he led the team with 142 tackles, even though Cedric Benson famously didn't know who Harris was leading into the two teams' matchup in Week 17.

So can a player who quietly and efficiently goes about his business get a new deal before players with a higher public profile? We'll find out this summer.

As for the specific price tag on retaining Harris, ESPN's John Clayton pegs Harris as an $8 million linebacker. The Professor also wonders if the team will be able to afford both Harris and Bart Scott, as the latter is already making that per season figure.

The Arizona Diamondbacks' first-round pick, right-hander Barret Loux out of Texas A&M, failed his physical, reported FoxSports.com's Tracy Ringolsby over the weekend.

There was some concern just before the draft that Loux was being overused -- he threw at least 123 pitches in four different starts during the final four weeks of the spring -- and Monday Jack MaGruder tells us that the physical revealed a shoulder problem.

The D-backs have a few options here, as does Loux. The club can decline to sign the pitcher and receive the No. 8 overall selection in next year's draft -- by rule, such a pick is awarded one slot below the original pick, and Loux went No. 7 overall -- or they try and sign him to a deal that pays him well below slot money for that particular pick.

Loux could try to return to school, though that did not work out this past year for Kentucky's James Paxton, who was ruled ineligible by the NCAA for having an agent, or he could sit out the year, rehab the shoulder and display his abilities via the independent leagues next spring before next year's draft.

There are issues with some of the above choices, however, and for more we turn to our MLB Draft experts.

ESPN MLB Draft

Tough situation for both sides

"The Diamondbacks may not want to simply take a pick in next year's draft because that selection would be unprotected, which means if they do not sign the player they choose with that pick, they do not get further compensation, which puts the player in a great situation as he can hold them hostage somewhat. Typically, clubs will draft the most signable player possible with these kinds of compensation picks, which means Arizona may not get a player with Loux's upside, and certainly won't get them into their system and on the way to the majors for another year. Loux's best bet is to rehab, see what Arizona may be willing to offer in August after another exam, and weigh that versus his prospects in next year's strong college class." -- Jason A. Churchill

 

Despite the fact that he has three years left on his contract (effectively two, because the final year is likely to be voided, according to Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star Tribune), Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson might be the next superstar NFL player to push for a shiny new deal.

Within a column on Sunday for NFL.com, Michael Lombardi wrote, "The next player to complain about his contract will be Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who missed the mandatory minicamp due to a scheduling conflict."

As Zulgad notes, Peterson will make around $7 million in 2010 because he's reached most of the incentives laid out in his contract. In 2011, he'll make at least $10 million, and if he hits certain additional escalators that number could eclipse $13 million. It's unclear at this point what numbers Peterson is looking for in per-year salary, but the guaranteed portion is always the most important part.

Well, since we're already debating who should be the No. 1 pick in fantasy between Peterson and Chris Johnson, we suppose it's fitting that they're both after big new contracts.

According to the Associated Press, the city of Indianapolis will pay $10 million a year for Conseco Fieldhouse for the next three seasons.

What this means?

Well, it will keep the team in town for at least three more seasons.

There had been talks the Pacers could leave town because their operating costs for Conseco Fieldhouse -- which are reportedly at least $15 million a year --- were too much to bear.

But the city offsetting part of the costs should help quell such talks a bit.

With Oregon taking a double-hit at receiver losing Tyrece Gaines and Diante Jackson because of academics, the focus for 2011 should certainly shift to nabbing more than a few WRs.

The Ducks do have all three of their top receivers -- Jeff Maehl, D.J. Davis and Lavasier Tuinei -- returning for 2010, but two are seniors and one is a junior. Oregon didn't sign a single receiver in 2010 and are still blanking at the position for 2011.

Four-star Antoine Arnold is the team's top uncommitted target, but it's a crowded race for the Chaparral (Calif.) High prospect. And most of the athletes on the Ducks' board are more the RB/LB-type. Chip Kelly may have to get in the race for some lesser-known prospects, like David Richards, a three-star out of Palmdale (Calif.) High, who has rival Oregon State on his list.

UPDATE: Scout.com's Brandon Huffman tweets that blue-chip quarterback prospect Brett Hundley is believed to be down to two schools, Washington and UCLA, and that his decision could be coming soon. The Bruins are thought to be tough to beat for Hundley's services, but the longer the Huskies stay in the race, the better their chances become. Texas A&M is the third team in Hundley's top three that now appears to be out of the running.

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The Washington Huskies have a great quarterback situation heading into the 2010 season, with potential No. 1 NFL Draft pick Jake Locker under center to kick off the year.

However, in 2011, things could get a little thin. The team currently only has Nick Montana and Keith Price on the roster for that year, which means the Huskies will be looking to add one or two quarterbacks to their 2011 recruiting class.

Luckily for coach Steve Sarkisian, Pac-10 rivals Oregon are making things easier for them. As we wrote June 28, the Ducks signed QB Johnny Manziel recently, adding him to a class that already contained blue-chip QB Jerrard Randall (who, according to ESPN Recruiting's Tom Luginbill, could have the strongest arm of any 2011 QB). According to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, that means Oregon verbal QB Marcus Mariota may now be headed to Washington.

The Huskies also still have a chance to land Hundley, one of the nation's top unsigned prospects, but as we mentioned earlier, UCLA could be tough to beat for Hundley's services. If UW can grab both players, however, the team will gladly do so.

The feud between Darnell Dockett and Kerry Rhodes -- such as it was -- appears to be over, for all intents and purposes. On Monday, Rhodes and Dockett shared a few good-natured tweets back and forth.

Rhodes: "@ddockett lol I know we are boys and when I bring it I want u to bring it! Deal?"

Dockett: "That's all I know how to do HIT EVERTHING."

During the 2009 season, there was a report that Rhodes' "Hollywood persona" was rubbing his New York Jets teammates the wrong way, but he is getting a fresh start with his new 'mates with the Arizona Cardinals. It will be interesting to see how this relationship develops in training camp and into the season.

We know the Philadelphia Phillies would like to add a starting pitcher, a reliever and an infielder before July 31, and while accomplishing all three might be far fetched, adding one or two isn't. The problem is, Philly wants no part in trading top prospects Domonic Brown and Jarred Cosart, limiting their trade assets.

But as Kevin Goldstein wrote Monday the Phillies do have an outfield prospect not named Brown that scouts tend to like quite a bit in Anthony Gose.

"When looking at lower-level players," says Goldstein, "tools are more important than numbers, and Gose is a player who thrills scouts, despite a unimpressive line of .266/.324/.393 in 88 Florida State League games. He's a plus-plus runner who many think will develop some power, although he certainly comes with some risk."

Could Gose help land the Phillies what they need this month? We'll have to wait and see, but with Jayson Werth also a potential trade chip, we have to believe the Phillies will remain in play for major pieces on the trade market.

For more on Gose, we turn to ESPN Insider's Keith Law.

Keith Law

Anthony Gose has upside

"Gose is one of their most valuable guys after Brown and Cosart. He has big tools, but is still raw and developing as a hitter. He was a two-way guy in high school -- up to 97 mph on mound."

 

UPDATE: Ken Berger of CBS Sports adds clarity on just how this three-team trade is working, and who's involved.

He writes: "The Raptors unloaded [Hedo Turkoglu] in a trade with Phoenix that yielded, among other things, Leandro Barbosa and his $7.1 million expiring contract. The trade expanded into a three-team arrangement Monday, with the Raptors also getting Tyson Chandler and Boris Diaw from Charlotte and sending Jose Calderon to the Bobcats, a person with knowledge of the deal told CBSSports.com. The framework is pending a trade call with the NBA office later Monday, the source said."

The Toronto Sun reports that Reggie Evans will also head to Charlotte along with Calderon.

Tyson Chandler debated opting out of his contract to test the free-agent market this summer, but decided against.

But looks like he's on the move anyway.

According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer the Raptors are close to sending Jose Calderon -- who has been rumored in trade talks for a while now -- to Charlotte for Boris Diaw and "possibly" Tyson Chandler.

But according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, "Tyson Chandler confirms to Yahoo! Sports he was traded to the Toronto Raptors." So Chandler is indeed a part of this deal.

Chandler doesn't offer the offensive game that Chris Bosh does, but he'll bring a defensive mindset and rebounding to the Raptors' frontcourt.

Additionally, the Bobcats receiving Calderon means they'll fill in the point guard void left by Raymond Felton, who's now a member of the Knicks via free agency.

Diaw is also somewhat expendable now because of Charlotte bringing back Tyrus Thomas on a five-year, $40 million deal.

As we noted earlier on Monday, and as Bonnell notes, this is a three-team deal.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently signed Keydrick Vincent, a 32-year-old guard who they know quite well from playing him as a member of the Carolina Panthers twice a season in recent years. At first glance, it was thought that it was a move to bolster the depth and provide competition for the penciled-in starters.

But as has been the case in other situations, perhaps it's best to take a step back and look at the financials for a clue. Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times did just that in a short addendum to his post that described how the team is getting a little older with the signing of Vincent and trade for Reggie Brown. In Holder's eyes, the two-year, $4.5 million deal that the Bucs gave Vincent is pricey for a backup guard; therefore, it could be the case that the starting job is what they have in mind.

Currently, Jeremy Zuttah is in line to start at left guard, but that could be the job Vincent earns this training camp.

The Toronto Blue Jays have had a solid season, bu with three elite clubs ahead of them in their own division, it might be time to put up the "For Sale" sign and plan for 2011. Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun wrote Saturday that the Jays have multiple intriguing pieces that may be on the block as the trade deadline nears.

Elliott tweeted late Sunday that the Jays have put closer Kevin Gregg on the block as well as Scott Downs and Jason Frasor.

Elliott adds that outfielder Jose Bautista, who leads the league in home runs, could draw heavy interest from clubs such as the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. Shortstop Alex Gonzalez should garner some interest as well, and the Jays bullpen might be on its way to a large and quick turnover.

For the Blue Jays to deal Gregg, however, the deal will have to be convincing, one would think. Gregg is headed for free agency and looks to be a Type-A player, which would net the club two draft picks should he leave to sign with another club. But Frasor and Downs could be moved easily, and Elliott reports that one scout believes the Red Sox are in heavily on the southpaw.

UPDATE: T. Boone Pickens denied to his pal Dave Sittler of the Tulsa World that he met with Mike Leach in January, or has any interest in replacing current Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy with Leach after the season (in the event that the Cowboys have a subpar year in 2010). However, the logic for why Pickens might want to go with Leach still remains (plenty more on this below), so we're not ready to write off this possibility just yet.

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Sittler had previously provided a little more background on Kirk Bohls' "semi-outrageous" prediction, saying that several sources insist that Pickens flew Leach to Oklahoma in January so he could pick Leach's brain about how to improve the Cowboys' offense.

Sittler writes: "Pickens genuinely admires how Leach turned Texas Tech into a consistent winner. That included some victories over Oklahoma and Texas, schools that [Cowboys coach Mike] Gundy has gone a combined 0-10 against in his five seasons at OSU. ... If OSU slips to 6-6 or 5-7 in 2010, Kirk Bohls' 'semi-outrageous' July prediction might look dead, solid perfect in December."

Bohls had written that Gundy could be fired by Oklahoma State if the team underachieves again (which seems possible given that the team lost a lot of weapons from the 2009 unit), and that new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen or, gasp, his mentor, Mike Leach, could end up succeeding Gundy.

Leach's landing in Stillwater actually makes more sense than his landing in Colorado, since he served a stint in Norman as Bob Stoops' OC and he could continue to recruit the same places he did at Texas Tech. Moreover, he wouldn't have to completely overhaul the OSU offense since Holgorsen is already doing it for him this year. Plus, he could keep Holgorsen as his OC.

Most important, with sugar daddy Pickens' wallet, the Cowboys would be able to pay Leach what the Pirate thinks he deserves. (According to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, many insiders believe Leach's tenure in Lubbock went downhill after contentious contract negotiations.)

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Quentin Richardson has agreed to a multi-year deal with the Magic.

If that's the case, it could mean that Matt Barnes, a free agent this summer, will not return to the team.

The same could be said for J.J. Redick, who currently has signed an offer sheet to play for the Bulls next season. The Magic are currently deciding whether to match the offer on the restricted free agent or not.

Richardson was also a member of the Heat last season, so that's one less guy the team could have tried to bring back on the cheap.

UPDATE: Seantrel Henderson and his father confirmed to Thayer Evans of the New York Times that Henderson will attend Miami this fall. Sean Henderson said that Seantrel would arrive on campus on Aug. 3, and that he is already academically qualified. (There had been rumors that he hadn't been cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse.)

Chris Bosh, LeBron James and now Seantrel Henderson? What a great week it's been for South Florida. Now the world waits to see what kind of impact all three can make.

Henderson's impact could come sooner rather than later. His father told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that he is expecting his son to play right away, and as we detailed below, the Canes have some holes to fill along their offensive line. As we'd written earlier this offseason, Henderson was going to have a very good chance to start right away for USC, provided his conditioning was right, and it looks like the same could be true for him at Miami.

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Although there are still some I's to dot and T's to cross, all indications are that five-star OT Seantrel Henderson will enroll at Miami in another week or so. Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald called Henderson "a player most expect could at least contribute right away if not start at left tackle and keep Jacory Harris' jersey free of grass and blood stains for the next couple years."

The Canes lost 2009 starting LT Jason Fox and starting RT Matt Pipho; senior Orlando Franklin was slated to move to LT, but he could simply return to his original LG position or possibly even move to RT. (Alternatively, Henderson could start off at RT.) That would give the other two OTs in the rotation -- redshirt freshman Jermaine Johnson and sophomore Ben Jones -- time to grow into their roles rather than be forced to shoulder significant responsibility right away -- though in this scenario Henderson is the one who would have to take on that responsibility.

Northwestern landed their first recruit of the 2011 class over the weekend as David Sobolewski committed to the Big Ten school (per Scott Powers of ESPN Chicago). In Bill Carmody's Princeton-esque system, Sobolewski brings versatility that is needed for a point guard running Carmody's offense.

We have noted that over the past year and a half, Northwestern -- through the work of assistant Tavaras Hardy -- has tried to cultivate a Chicago-to-Atlanta area pipeline. However, Joe Henricksen of the City/Suburban Hoops Report notes that Hardy was the lead recruiter of Sobolewski and since the 6-foot-1 guard is an Illinois prospect, Hardy is helping Northwestern an Illinois pipeline. Henricksen writes that NU is on the verge of enjoying success in 2011 with a roster chock full of players from the Prairie State.

NU still has five open scholarships for the 2011 class. If the Wildcats can build on the success they enjoyed in 2010 and jump out of the Big Ten gate fast, NU could make a good case for the program's first ever NCAA tournament bid. And as more and more recruits see Carmody's teams enjoy success, it will become easier to land the type of recruits needed to stay around the top of the Big Ten. Luckily for Hardy, Carmody and the rest of NU's coaches, the talent contained in Illinois' 2011 class is scary good. Combined with Sobolewski, maybe Dai-Jon Parker or Julian Royal and some '11 Illinois kids and it's possible to see NU in the tournament for the next few seasons.

Boston Red Sox All-Star third baseman Adrian Beltre strained his left hamstring running out a ground ball Sunday and will not play in Tuesday's All-Star game in Anaheim.

If it's just a simple strain or a cramp, as manager Terry Francona hoped, it's unlikely Beltre will miss any time at all for the Red Sox, thanks to the three days off this week.

But if it lingers or proves to be more than a strain, Beltre's absence could be a big problem for the Red Sox, and the timing of such an injury couldn't be much worse.

Kevin Youkilis could slide over to play third, but that leaves first base wide open, which could force the club's hand in making a trade they'd otherwise prefer not to, or promoting a prospect, such as Lars Anderson, who may not be ready to step into the big leagues.

Mike Carmin of the Journal and Courier writes that coach Danny Hope and his staff are not looking to pull in a large 2011 recruiting class, instead targeting a final number of 12-14 players.

Going after a smaller class leaves the team less margin for error, as Hope acknowledged, but also gives Hope and his assistants more time to focus on a more select group of prospects. This would also indicate that the Boilermakers are high on the five prospects they already have verbal commitments from, including three-star dual threat quarterback Russell Bellomy.

The Los Angeles Angels have not put Mike Napoli on the trade block -- at least we have not confirmed any such news -- but Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register chimed in Sunday with the thought that perhaps Napoli is more valuable to the Halos as a trade chip.

We're not sure that's the case, however, since the rest of the league is aware of Napoli's defensive deficiencies behind the plate and that his bat, while solid, isn't exactly the profile at first base or DH that clubs look for when they are seeking upgrades to what they currently have.

If a club is OK with his below-average defense, he could certainly net the Angels something in return, but whether that piece could help the club this year remains to be seen.

The Red Sox are without catchers Jason Varitek and Victor Martinez, so there's a possible match there, but as a bat Napoli is behind other potential trade-availables such as Josh Willingham, Lance Berkman, Adam Dunn, Corey Hart and perhaps Prince Fielder.

We wrote yesterday that former UConn decommit Maurice Harkless had dropped the Huskies from the list of colleges he was considering. One of the schools that is recruiting the swingman is St. John's, which under new coach Steve Lavin, has tried to strengthen the connections already formed during the Norm Roberts era.

Harkless -- who before deciding to play next season st South Kent, played at Forest Hills HS in Queens -- has been impressed by Lavin and Company's recruiting efforts and told Zach Braziller of the NY Post that he is intrigued by the Red Storm. SJU is also trying to recruit a teamate of Harkless's, and by teammate, we mean a future teammate at South Kent. There have been rumors Kadeem Jack was first going to Tucson and then Chapel Hill but the 6-foot-9 big shined this past week (along with Harkless) at the Hoop Group Elite Camp at Albright College.

The Red Storm are trying hard to make an impression on both top 2011 prospects and the signing of one or both would be a major score in what is Lavin's first true recruiting class. The chance to bring both to the Big East is also exciting for Jack: "He's [Harkless] a great player. And it's great to play with those players."

We will keep you informed on any recruiting news from either Harkless or Jack but Jack did say he wanted to make a decision by the late summer or early fall.

DaShaun Wiggins committed to Seton Hall way back in October but since the coaching change, the 6-foot-3 guard had a change of heart and reclassified for the 2011 class.

Wiggins recently spoke with Zach Braziller of the NY Post and claimed Seton Hall under Kevin Willard still plans to recruit him. However, there is another school on the recruiting scene for Wiggins: Rice University.

If Rice continues to aggressively recruit Wiggins and manage to land the guard originally from the Bronx, it would continue a recent trend of NYC prospects making their way to Conference USA. In past seasons, Southern Miss, Houston and Rice has done a decent job of recruiting the Tri-State area and bringing solid players down south; Kenneth Ortiz and Desmond Wade are just two of the recent examples.

There has been some buzz building in Norman lately about freshman wide receiver Justin McCay. Austin American-Statesman columnist Kirk Bohls had this to say: "Keep an eye out for Oklahoma's 6-3, 200-pound freshman receiver Justin McCay out of Shawnee, Kan. He's really put a charge into the Sooners coaching staff, who think he's in the same mold as Malcolm Kelly."

Mike Baldwin of the Oklahoman writes that McCay played under a system in high school that is very similar to the Sooners' offense, which should give the true freshman a leg up on knowing where to be on the field at all times. McCay's high school coach also compared McCay from an athletic perspective to Arizona Cardinals star Larry Fitzgerald, which must be music to OU quarterback Landry Jones' ears.

Oklahoma suffered from a lack of reliable pass-catchers last season after Ryan Broyles went down to injury, so McCay could be a welcome addition -- and a player who could have a major impact in the Big 12 as a freshman.

UPDATE: Bedard's return was canceled last week, and now we learn that his weekend bullpen session was canceled, though he did play catch Sunday.

Bedard could throw a bullpen session after the all-star break next weekend, but he may need at least one rehab start to put him in position to return to the mound for the Mariners.

Erik Bedard was originally scheduled to make his 2010 debut Tuesday against Kansas City, but his start was scratched due to stiffness and discomfort in his throwing shoulder.

Bedard felt the discomfort after a bullpen session Saturday and the left-hander will be re-evaluated later this week. The Seattle Times says Bedard's first start will not come until after the All-Star break.

The 31-year-old last threw in the majors on July 15, 2009, after suffering a torn labrum in his shoulder that required surgery.

The Mariners' original plan for Bedard had him pitching in the middle of a pennant race, but Seattle's slow start has changed all that. If Bedard were to prove himself healthy in a few July starts, he could be shopped by GM Jack Zduriencik. Bedard also could stay put and fill a rotation void if and when Cliff Lee is traded.

With Cliff Lee reportedly landing in the Bronx rather than Queens, the New York Mets will have to look elsewhere for starting pitching help. It's a good thing we're here to help.

It appears that the Mets do not have enough to land Dan Haren from the Arizona Diamondbacks without gutting their farm system, and there are no indications that GM Omar Minaya is willing to include Wilmer Flores in any deal. Without such a return, it's unclear whether Arizona will part with Haren, so the Mets, again, will likely have to look for an alternative.

Steve Popper of the Bergen Record warned Sunday that lefty Oliver Perez is rehabbing in Triple-A Buffalo and if the Mets can't land a better option soon, Perez, who appears to be the club's last resort, may become their only one.

The Chicago Cubs have left-hander Ted Lilly and the Cleveland Indians could be open to dealing Fausto Carmona. Roy Oswalt's guaranteed money may scare even the Mets away, not to mention the rumored asking price in trade cost.

Outside of the same old rumors, perhaps the Mets can pry a better arm away from Cubs such as Ryan Dempster or even get the Marlins to field offers for Ricky Nolasco. There have been no signs that either player would be available, but without Lee, Haren or Oswalt, the Mets are left without a frontline option on the trade market.

With Rod Thorn leaving the Nets and Kiki Vandeweghe out of the picture, the team is looking for a new GM.

And according to Sam Amick of FanHouse, former Philadelphia GM Billy King is expected to interview for the position.

With King being familiar with Allen Iverson during his time in Philly, some have suggested such a hire could potentially land A.I. in New Jersey if King gets the gig.

But their signing of Jordan Farmar makes that less likely.

Ex-Portland GM Kevin Pritchard has also been mentioned as a potential candidate for the GM job in New Jersey.

Butch Davis' team may have the most stacked defense in the country this fall (in terms of NFL talent), but the coach is starting to pull in more skill on the offensive side of the ball as well. Despite North Carolina's already having one QB committed for the class of 2011, four-star QB Marquise Williams of North Carolina announced on Saturday that he will also become a Tar Heel.

Williams' other finalists were LSU, Michigan and Virginia Tech. As we've written before, the Tigers are in need of another signal caller, but both the Wolverines and Hokies have some depth at the position.

The commitment leaves UNC with three QBs spread among just two classes, as this year's potential starter Bryn Renner is a redshirt freshman. However, Williams and/or four-star ATH Everett Golson of South Carolina (No. 136 in the ESPNU 150) will likely redshirt, and there is also the possibility that one or both could change positions. (Scouts, Inc., says that Williams would make an excellent TE prospect, and that Golson could be a WR or S.)

One would imagine that Williams (who, despite his position-switching potential, is one of the top passers in his class) feels fairly confident in his future starting chances, seeing as how he made his commitment already knowing that Golson was on board. That makes Golson the more likely of the two to be moving elsewhere -- either on the field for the Heels or to another school (Duke, Va. Tech, Clemson and East Carolina were among those interested) before recruiting season is over.

ESPNU college football recruiting

North Carolina's verbal commitments for the class of 2011

The San Diego Padres aren't going away, which means the surprise team of the year could avoid selling off pieces such as closer Heath Bell and instead add to the roster and make a run at October. Tim Sullivan wrote Sunday, however, that the Friars will likely eye smaller deals.

But Sullivan also mentions that the Padres have considered Lance Berkman, the first baseman in Houston, wondering if he can still play some outfield. The name of Jermaine Dye is still being mulled over as well, but we wonder if Cleveland's Austin Kearns isn't an ideal target.

Kearns knows the National League, is having a solid year with a .355 on-base percentage and isn't likely to cost much in trade. He's also earning just $750,000 this year, about half of which the Padres would assume should they acquire him this month.

Kansas City's David DeJesus might bring more to the table, as might Washington's Josh Willingham, Philadelphia's Jayson Werth and Cubs right fielder Kosuke Fukudome, but they all come with hefty price tags, either in salary, trade cost, or both.

The Cincinnati Reds are leading the National League Central, but are far from a juggernaut. The St. Louis Cardinals are hot on their trail, and any general manager in that position looks to get better before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. Reds GM Walt Jocketty is no different, but he's not going to add a player just to add a player.

""I will say this, Jocketty told the Engquirer, "we're looking at any way we can to improve the club. To improve the club, it would have to be a pretty significant player to do that. We have a lot of good things going. We don't want to disrupt that."

If the Reds stay true to that statement, the likes of Jake Westbrook and Ted Lilly may not appeal much to Jocketty, which may result in the club standing pat. With one of the top offenses in the league, one would think any additions would be to the pitching staff. With Cliff Lee off the table and Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren appearing too pricey, the chances the Reds make a significant trade appear slim.

They could use a boost to the bullpen, however, which isn't likely to come at a prohibitive cost, and Aroldis Chapman could be called up soon to help out in relief, too.

If they venture into such a sweepstakes, it may take awhile, as the market for relievers has yet to be set.

It's long been known the Pacers are in the market for a point guard. The team was even offering its No. 10 pick in last month's draft in an effort to land someone.

Free agency was another option, but Jordan Farmar, who seemed like a fit for the team, is now of the market.

So is a trade the best option if they're still after someone before training camp begins?

That's what Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star suggests.

"The Pacers' best option at finding a point guard appears to be through a trade at the moment because they currently have 15 players on the roster (counting the non-guaranteed contracts of A.J. Price, Lance Stephenson and Magnum Rolle)," he writes. "The Pacers are only $2.6 million under the $70 million luxury tax."

If the Pacers are unable to land anyone by the start of the season, Price could be kept on to play point.

The Florida Marlins may be 42-46 and 10 games behind first-place Atlanta in the National League East, but they are just seven back in the Wildcard hunt and haven't given up on the season just yet, writes Joe Capozzi.

Whether that means trading away the priciest of players and giving young players a chance or adding veterans to the mix in attempt to make a run at it remains to be seen, but the club's president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest hinted that changes are probably coming in one form or another.

"I don't know about tweaking (the roster), but if things aren't working the way you'd like them to work, tweaking is obviously an option," Beinfest said.

The Marlins could theoretically improve their mediocre bullpen without sacrificing the future, and even though their rotation and lineup rank near the middle of the pack with solid numbers, adding an impact player could push them over the top.

There's been talk about moving right-hander Ricky Nolasco this summer, but if the Fish believe they are still in it right now, any move they make with Nolasco will likely wait until they feel they are truly out of it, unless they can deal him for immediate help in other areas such as the bullpen and outfield.

We know that Cubs right-hander Carlos Zambrano is doing his best Adam Sandler impersonation by attending an anger management program.

It's been more than two weeks since Big-Z's dugout tirade at U.S. Cellular Field, and according to the Sun-Times, the Cubs still don't have anything close to a firm timetable on his return from the restricted list, assuming they can't trade him before that time.

Gordon Wittenmyer wrote Monday that the way things look right now, Zambrano may not return before the end of the month, if at all, since the longer he's out the more rehab time he will need.

Within the Sun-Times piece, Wittenmyer reports that the club has yet to receive permission from Zambrano's doctors to contact him and discuss throwing program that might get him back on the field sooner.

Obviously, the prime obstacle to any Zambrano deal is the more than $40 million left on his contract. But assuming the Mariners deal Cliff Lee in the near future, that could put the teams left out of the deal in more need of pitching help.

Zambrano could be traded, but it would depend on how much money the Cubs are willing to absorb. The Sun-Times lists the White Sox (who lost Jake Peavy) and the Dodgers as possible candidates.

Meanwhile, a Chicago Tribune report says the Cubs are looking to dump some big salaries.

Carlos Boozer and Kyle Korver are now members of the Chicago Bulls. Wesley Matthews has inked an offer sheet from the Blazers, and if the Jazz don't match, he could be in Portland next season.

As such, Deron Williams admitted over the weekend that he was somewhat "frustrated" with how the Jazz's summer has played out.

"It was tough to see Booz (Carlos Boozer) and Kyle (Korver) go," Williams told the Deseret News. "But they made business decisions and you have to live with them."

Williams also told the paper that the team needs "some depth in the frontcourt," now that Boozer is gone and Mehmet Okur's Achilles tendon injury could have him out to start the season.

With so many teams having money to sign players this summer, keeping Boozer and Korver was going to be a challenge.

And Williams' statements are not without merit.

But it'll be worth keeping an eye on how the Jazz perform next season and how Williams reacts.

Boston Red Sox right-hander Josh Beckett received positive grades for his first rehab outing Sunday for Triple-A Pawtucket, lasting four innings and throwing 42 of his 68 pitches for strikes. He threw all of his pitches -- fastball, curveball, changeup, cutters and sinkers alike -- and touched 96 mph on the Stadium's radar gun.

Beckett's control was OK but he did go deep into the count more often than is ideal, but Pawsox pitching coach Rich Sauveur recognized the ace's extension, meaning he was able to stretch his back and finish his pitches, which might be the most important aspect of Beckett's first rehab start.

It is expected that he will make at least one more rehab start in five or six days with normal reevaluation periods.

West Virginia's quarterback position belongs to sophomore Geno Smith, but whether or not he can remain healthy after just being cleared to play in June following an injury remains to be seen.

If Smith goes down again, the Mountaineers could be counting on four-star recruit Barry Brunetti. He is the second four-star QB in the past two years coach Bill Stewart has coaxed to Morgantown, which is why WVU may be settling for QBs like Brian Athey in the 2011 class.

Athey, of Eden Prairie (Minn.) High, is a no-star commit who also plays baseball. Teams wouldn't admit it to a recruit, but they love to get backups in place who are capable of coming in to play solid snaps in instances of early-season injury, even if they don't ever measure up as a starting-caliber signal-caller (in other words, blue-chip QBs who are forced to hold clipboards could become headaches). No other QB is even on the radar for the Mountaineers, who have yet to land a four-star prospect. We're also trying to figure out the last time a player from Minnesota chose to go to West Virginia. You'd at least have to go back before the 2006 season.

Most of the talk on Buffalo Bills first-round draft pick C.J. Spiller this offseason has focused on either how his diverse set of talents will help out Chan Gailey's offense, or how the Bills made a mistake by not taking a player at a position of greater need.

But there's also the not-so-trivial matter of the negotiation of his rookie contract, and based on what he told Clifton Brown of Sporting News, there might be cause for concern.

Asked whether it was important to sign a contract before training camp (avoiding a holdout), Spiller responded, "I let my agent handle all of that. We're not going to rush. We're going to make sure we cross our T's and dot our I's, however long the process takes. I just have to be patient."

Possibly more concerning was the fact that he's already spoken with veteran players, who essentially have told him they won't begrudge him for a holdout. "You have to do what's best for your family," as Spiller says.

As a point of reference, last year's No. 9 overall pick, Green Bay Packers DT B.J. Raji, signed a five-year, $28.5 million deal ($18 million guaranteed) after a holdout that lasted until Aug. 13. The Bills didn't get their first-round pick last offseason (Aaron Maybin) signed until Aug. 21.

While LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were plotting their takeover of South Beach, there were rumblings last week that Amare Stoudemire was hoping for his own Big Three in New York: him, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony.

And it's being reported by New York Post's Marc Berman that Paul made such an overture to that notion at Anthony's wedding over the weekend in New York.

He writes: "According to a person who spoke with wedding attendee Stoudemire, Paul made the reference during a speech of a potential union of himself, Stoudemire and Anthony, saying, 'We'll form our own Big 3,' Paul allegedly said."

Of course, an alleged statement from a wedding speech is a far cry from the Knicks pulling off such a trio.

After all, the Hornets, despite lots of inquires, aren't interested in trading Paul. And Anthony could be the top free agent next summer with the Knicks as a possible destination.

But as has been reported by several outlets, Anthony is expected to sign a contract extension with the Nuggets.

So this isn't exactly practical right now.

Yet, as we've learned this summer, three top talents teaming up on one team during their primes isn't out of the realm of possibility anymore.

The Baltimore Ravens may wind up having one of the best tandems of bookend offensive tackles in the NFL in the near future with Michael Oher and Jared Gaither. So that's the good news.

The bad news is that behind those two, there's not a lot of experience, and should a serious injury befall either Gaither or Oher, they could be in trouble.

As Mike Duffy of BaltimoreRavens.com wrote recently, it's believed that Oniel Cousins would again function as the primary backup tackle. Cousins has loads of athletic ability, but is still somewhat of a project at tackle, and the team suffered when he was in the lineup in place of Gaither last season. Another option is Marshal Yanda, although he fits in better at guard.

In spite of this, we haven't heard anything about the Ravens targeting an addition to the roster at tackle; instead it appears they'll hope that Cousins can continue to improve in his third NFL season.

As a former NFL safety, Matt Bowen brings a lot to the table as a columnist. This offseason he's provided in-depth X's and O's primers on a variety of schemes, including the Cover-2, a defensive orientation currently employed by the Chicago Bears.

On Monday, Bowen provided an update on who he thinks will be the key player for the Bears if their defense is going to return to its previous dominance. That man is middle linebacker Brian Urlacher.

Bowen: "We have to understand that to play in Lovie Smith's or Rod Marinelli's version of the Tampa 2 defense, there has to be a playmaker at the MLB position. Someone who can run with any inside vertical scheme, show up on tape in the run front and make plays behind the line of scrimmage."

According to KRQE, Urlacher appeared healthy and optimistic at his recent youth camp in New Mexico after missing the majority of the 2009 season with a wrist injury. He also noted that he wants to play for three or four more seasons, which is a good sign for his returning to old form in 2010.

Jake Locker is arguably the top quarterback heading into the 2010 season -- you could also go with Andrew Luck, Ryan Mallett, or Christian Ponder.

He's certainly a favorite to win the Heisman, although we know that a player's candidacy is often judged by how successful his team does during the season. Seattle Times football reporter Bob Condotta was asked by a reader on Sunday how many wins the Huskies will need in order to get their QB to the top of the ballot. Condotta thinks nine is the magic number.

Here's why: Every winner since 1987 has played for a team that won nine or more games, dating back to Tim Brown, who was on an eight-win Notre Dame team. Two games that will be season-changers in Condotta's mind are the Nebraska and BYU tilts. If the Huskies lose one of those, Locker could be out of contention.

Tom Crean has been hitting the regional AAU tournaments pretty hard the past couple of weeks. That's because the 17U Indiana team could instantly resurrect the program if the roster could be transferred en masse to Bloomington.

That's not a likely scenario, but IU could come away with a couple of the local luminaries, and that would be a step in the right direction. IE Team Indiana features Jeremiah Davis, Yogi Ferrell, Austin Etherington, Cody Zeller and Marshall Plumlee -- all players Crean would love to land.

Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, one of those big names will be leaving the state of Indiana to play college ball. Marshall Plumlee is headed to Duke to join his older brothers.

Etherington has already verbaled -- repeatedly, and to great local amazement -- his firm intention to be a Hoosier. According to The Hoosier Scoop, Branden Dawson still has IU on his list, despite the fact that he's considered a lock to choose Purdue. The 6-foot-6 wing has said he'll take all five of his official visits and make a final decision in the spring of 2011. 2012 prospect Gary Harris is also keeping Indiana on his list along with Notre Dame, Xavier, Cincy and Ohio State.

The question is: how will you keep them down on the farm, once they've seen West Lafayette?

Paris-born forward Remi Barry has surfaced at the NorCal Summer Tip Off event this week, and he's finally talking about his delay in choosing between three big-time suitors.

It comes down to eligibility.

"Barry said he has yet to decide in part to avoid a personal letdown and disappointing others should the NCAA not rule in his favor, especially coaches from the programs he's considering," wrote ESPN.com blogger Diamond Leung.

Barry missed his senior year of high school ball due to transfer rules, and now seems to be on the verge of suffering the same fate in what should be his first season of collegiate hoops.

Up until a few months ago, Barry was a severely under-the-radar 6-foot-7 small forward. However, late into the spring period, Barry has become one of the hottest uncommitted prospects. After taking a visit to St. John's recently, Barry has narrowed his choices down to three: UCLA, Arizona State and St. John's. With a decision likely to come within the next couple of days, is Barry hinting at who could be the favorite?

Barry acknowledged his uncertainty in a June 22 interview with DevilsDigest.com. "It wasn't my first time in New York but I really liked it there," Barry said of his visit to St. John's. "It's very different than Arizona State and even from UCLA. You can't compare it. I liked all the visits and the only difference was that Arizona State is more of a college town and the other two schools are in big cities." We wonder if this might be a situation where Barry would be better off going to prep school. That way, the small forward can reclassify and possibly play ball while still keeping all his college options open.

Barry seems like a great kid. Whichever program he picks will be getting a good guy on the court and off. Let's hope it's all settled in his favor, and soon.

UPDATE: Sam Farmer of the L.A. Times profiled ten players that he expects to have breakout seasons, and Baltimore Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb made the list.

While we haven't heard anything definitive as to whether Webb or Fabian Washington will be the team's starter opposite Domonique Foxworth -- rather that whoever is healthy, or at least healthier, will get the nod -- Farmer writes that Webb "probably will get the starting nod" over Washington.

If that winds up being the case, part of the reason could be linked to his work ethic in recovering from his knee injury, as we heard about recently.

---

Unlike many other NFL players, coaches and media members, Webb will not get a vacation this summer, according to Edward Lee of the Baltimore Sun. Webb is still recovering from ACL surgery, and will be hanging out with the team's medical staff in Owings Mills, MD.

"They have six weeks off," Webb said, referring to his teammates. "I'll be here. I wish I could vacation. I really do."

By all accounts, Webb remains "ahead of schedule" in his rehabilitation.

According to Alan Hahn of Newsday, Wilson Chandler "expects to be cleared to play full-contact basketball by the end of the week," after having surgery on his ankle in April, followed by surgery on a sports hernia in May.

A healthy Chandler will be welcomed by the Knicks heading into next season.

Chandler and Danilo Gallinari are often cited as the Knicks' best young talents, so coupling them with a host of free-agent and trade pickups -- Amare Stoudemire and Raymond Felton chief among them -- during training camp will give the team more experience with each other heading into next season.

Our past update on the Washington Redskins' RB depth chart included some bad news for Willie Parker: even if the Skins don't land Brian Westbrook, his job is in serious jeopardy.

Rich Tandler of CSN Washington took a "point-counterpoint" look at Clinton Portis on Sunday, noting that the 29-year-old is indeed the primary back heading into camp. Portis was called out publicly by new coach Mike Shanahan and responded by being an almost full participant in offseason activities thus far.

Previously, Tandler discussed the possibility of a rotation where Larry Johnson would work on first and second down and Portis would be the third-down back. Obviously, adding Westbrook could change that rotation.

The big wild card is Ryan Torain, who was originally drafted by then-Denver Broncos coach Shanahan. Torain has had some injury issues, but it's believed that he'll have a good opportunity in camp. And let's face it, he's got significantly less wear and tear on him than the other gentlemen, so he could be an option to keep the veteran legs fresh.

Any faint hopes of Jake Peavy pitching again this season for the White Sox were dashed last week when an MRI revealed a detched muscle in his shoulder.

The White Sox are hoping that Daniel Hudson can pick up some of the slack, but the right-hander could not make it through five innings Sunday, even with a seven-run lead. Manager Ozzie Guillen plans to have Hudson make his next start on July 19, but another shaky outing could accelerate Cicago's plans to shop for a starter.

Jon Heyman of SI.com reported via Twitter that the White Sox might consider a deal for Roy Oswalt, but GM Kenny Williams could be leery of acquiring a pitcher from the National League.

Mark Gonzalez of the Chicago Tribune wrote Thursday that the White Sox have every reason to be extra cautious with Peavy's health since they owe the right-hander a guaranteed $34.5 million through 2012.

UPDATE: For those interested in John Chick's intriguing history of overcoming adversity, Phillip B. Wilson of the Indianapolis Star provided a nice profile of the D-lineman on Monday.

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With all the attention being paid to Peyton Manning's contract extension, a retooling of the offensive line and the health status of Adam Vinatieri this offseason, some other happenings for the Indianapolis Colts may have slid under the radar a bit. Luckily, we have ESPN AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky, who contributed his part for the NFL Nation blog's "On the Radar" series Thursday and listed a player that is unfamiliar to many.

The man's name is John Chick, and he is a veteran of the CFL, earning the league's defensive MVP award for his exploits with the Saskatchewan Roughriders this past season. Much like the Miami Dolphins' experiment with Cameron Wake, the Colts are hoping that he can translate some of his vast success north of the border into NFL production.

According to Kuharsky, a realistic goal would be for Chick to compete with Ervin Baldwin for the fifth defensive end spot. He's certainly not a threat to Dwight Freeney, Robert Mathis or even rookie Jerry Hughes, but he could possibly be a solid contributor nevertheless.

It's a good thing Thad Matta is such a dynamite recruiter, because he's lost some frontcourt depth today. Nikola Kecman, a rising junior forward from Belgrade, will miss an indefinite amount of time following his second knee surgery since joining the Buckeyes.

Kecman has shown a great deal of promise, averaging six points and five rebounds in his freshman season in Columbus, but ACL issues severely limited his time last season, and may force a medical redshirt this season.

With Kecman down, only Dallas Lauderdale and Zisis Sarikopoulos are the only experienced frontcourt players on the current roster. That means we'll probably see even more of Jared Sullinger than we originally thought.

Sullinger was already going to be a major piece of this year's puzzle at Ohio State. He has been projected as a one-and-done anyway, so he was likely to get plenty of time, but now it's imperative that he play up to the hype.

ESPN's Andy Katz spoke to former Buckeye Evan Turner and the guard is already predicting greatness for the big man: "Jared Sullinger will be a double-double player and Big Ten player of the year. You heard here first."

ESPN's Doug Gottlieb chimed in on Sullinger's draft prospects Wednesday, and came away agreeing that he belongs in the conversation because of his immense talent. However, Gottlieb also notes that while Sullinger is clearly skilled enough to play in the league, his size might be an issue:

Doug Gottlieb

Sullinger might not be lottery material

"Although Sullinger should have a very good year in Columbus, his NBA value will come down to how big he really is (my guess is 6-foot-7), how long his arms are, how much lift he has, and his ability to face up and hit a 15-footer. Look for Sullinger to be really productive, but a bit of an acquired taste at the top of the draft."

 

There have been rumblings for a while now that Team USA's roster for the World Championships in Turkey later this summer will look much different from the team that won the gold medal in Beijing during the 2008 Olympics.

Free agency, family issues and injuries have played a role.

And now there is official confirmation that eight core players -- LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams -- along with the 11th and 12th men on the team -- Tayshaun Prince and Carlos Boozer -- have withdrawn, according to ESPN's Chris Sheridan.

So who will play for the team?

Sheridan lists some names:

ESPN's Chris Sheridan

What players to expect in Turkey

"The Athens Olympians expected to participate are Amare Stoudemire and Lamar Odom. Others expected to be top contenders for the roster in Turkey include Kevin Durant, David Lee, Chauncey Billups, Rudy Gay, Danny Granger, Brook Lopez and Andre Iguodala. The strongest competition will be at point guard. Aside from Billups, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo (who has flip-flopped again and now plans to play), Tyreke Evans and Stephen Curry are on the preliminary national roster. Versatility will again be a key factor, with the coaching staff led by Duke's Mike Krzyzewski looking for players who can fill multiple positions. Bubble players could include LaMarcus Aldridge, Robin Lopez, Eric Gordon, O.J. Mayo, Jeff Green, Kevin Love, Gerald Wallace and Al Jefferson."

 

We talked Sunday how the New York Yankees lost out on left-hander Cliff Lee, seemingly at the last second, and while they aren't happy about the way that all went down, they could still be on the market to add a starting pitcher.

But the difference between the defending champs and most clubs is that the Jake Westbrook's of the world don't make them better -- only a front line arm could possibly do that -- so the only two potential names that may make sense for the Yankees include Roy Oswalt and Dan Haren.

Jon Heyman of SI.com reported via Twitter that the White Sox might consider a deal for Oswalt, but GM Kenny Williams might be leery of acquiring a pitcher from the National League.

That brings us back to the Yankees, who have to weigh whether Oswalt or Haren would be enough of an upgrade over Javier Vazquez or Phil Hughes for them to even consider pulling the trigger, especially considering Oswalt's salaries through 2011.

Haren makes a lot more sense since he's under club control through at least 2012, but he's also expected to cost more in terms of the trade package. The Yankees were reportedly willing to spend top prospect Jesus Montero to get Lee, so perhaps they'd be willing to do so for Haren, too.

We should consider the Yankees interest in protecting Hughes from a worrisome workload, too, and in that case some other arms could come into play, such as Cleveland's Fausto Carmona, Ben Sheets in Oakland or the Cubs' Ted Lilly.

Wayne Lyons, the No. 7 safety in the 2011 class, knows he's a coveted recruit. That's why he sent out extensive questionnaires to all schools that have offered him.

He's decided that 14 have made the cut: Auburn, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Stanford, Vanderbilt, UCLA, and South Florida. The 5-11, 190-pound Dillard (Fla.) High product has made unofficials to several schools including Florida State twice. He's also been to Notre Dame (he was impressed with their answers to his "quiz"), Florida, where his mom attended school, Stanford, Miami, USF, Ohio State and Maryland, although the final two didn't make the cut.

We have no doubt he'll take all five official visits, and Lyons says he plans to narrow down his list again during the season.

It was just a little over a year ago and Josh Willingham was a spare part in the Washington outfield behind Lastings Milledge and Elijah Dukes. Times have changed in D.C. and Willingham now appears to be part of the franchise's future.

GM Mike Rizzo said Sunday that he wants Willingham around for the long term, but his agent, Matt Sosnick, told the Washington Post he has not been approached about any long-term deal.

Willingham will be eligible for arbitration next season, his final year before free agency, so it appears he will have at least one more year in D.C. He already has three seasons of 20 or more homers and has 15 at the break this year.

Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had big recruiting news for Panther fans on Friday. The entirety of his article follows here:

"Pitt coach Jamie Dixon received a verbal commitment Friday night from 6-foot-11 center Steve Adams from Miramar, New Zealand. Adams is part of the recruiting class of 2012."

Well, at least we know he's tall.

According to the NBE Basketball Report, he may just get taller. "'He's about 6-foot-10, 6-foot-11, and about 225 or 230 pounds,'" says Kenny McFadden, Adams' coach in Wellington. 'But I think he's going to eventually be over 7 feet. He's only sixteen. He's one of eighteen kids, and all the boys are around 6-foot-10 or 6-foot-11 and all the girls are 6-foot-5 or 6-foot-6.'"

McFadden also stated that Adams has a nice vertical, huge hands and the coordination to bring the ball up the floor on his own. How all that will translate to the Big East is still very much up in the air, and Adams has a couple of years to work on what Dixon wants from him. Current center Gary McGhee will be gone by the time Adams comes to campus, and right now, Jamie Dixon has nobody to replace him. He does, however, still have his eye on Desmond Hubert who is a tad undersized at 6-foot-8, but is nonetheless rated as the No. 7 center in the class of 2012. Whether Adams is a starter or a backup depends on how much he can learn (and grow) between now and 2012.

Ekpe Udoh, the Warriors' selection at No. 6 in the first round of the draft, injured his left wrist during a workout recently.

And it looks like he could be out for some time.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Udoh will get a second opinion on Monday, but that early indications have him needing surgery and missing four to six months.

It's a bad break for the Warriors. Ronny Turiaf and Anthony Randolph went to the Knicks in a sign-and-trade deal for David Lee, so Udoh's injury will leave them with even less depth in the frontcourt to start the season.

UPDATE: Amongst a long list of other "convenient truths" around the NFL, Michael Lombardi of NFL.com includes this question: "Do the Cowboys really believe David Buehler can make a pressure kick in December?"

As noted below, there could be a switch if things don't work out well even in September and October.

---

We've had a lot of updates on the Dallas Cowboys' kicking situation, the latest being that Buehler appeared to be in the clear following the team's release of Conor Hughes.

But now there's word from Calvin Watkins of ESPNDallas.com that "the Cowboys will move quickly to replace [Buehler] if he has problems." Watkins notes that both John Carney and Matt Stover are currently on the street, but we also know that there are preseason kicker battles going on, and the loser will also be an option should Buehler struggle.

Don't look for Bronson Arroyo to give the Cincinnati Reds a hometown discount.

There is plenty of positive karma surrounding the Reds, even after four straight losses in Philadelphia over the weekend. Dusty Baker's club is in first place in the NL Central and our Buster Olney says the Reds have a favorable schedule in the second half.

Arroyo (9-4) is happy to part of the Reds revival, but told John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer that he would not consider extending his contract at a discount rate like Scott Rolen did. "Not in a million years," said Arroyo, who has an $11 million option for next season. "Scott's in a different position than I'm in."

With that in mind, Fay writes that the Reds might consider trading Arroyo since they will have a surplus of starting pitching with Edinson Volquez and Aaron Harang about to come off the disabled list. If the Reds could land a quality reliever, that would make sense. Cincinnati's bullpen ERA of 4.41 ranks 20th in the majors.

Ever heard of Russian center Timofey Mozgov?

Well, he's about to be a New York Knick.

According to Johnathan Givony of DraftExpress, the team will sign him to a three-year, $9.7 million deal. The Knicks will have to pay his current team, Khimki, $500,000 for a buyout.

Givony adds this on Mozgov: "Mozgov can play. He's a big body and super athletic guy who rebounds, block shots and finishes really well around the rim. Mozgov has been rated DraftExpress' No. 1 International Free Agent prospect for the past two years."

The New York Posts reports, via a source, that "the Knicks are still waiting for clearance papers from FIBA and his Russian team."

The Knicks may not have landed LeBron James, but the team has picked up some solid talent in free agency this summer in addition to Mozgov.

Amare Stoudemire was the lead name, but the team also nabbed Raymond Felton, arguably the top free agent at the position this summer. The Knicks need some more stability at the PG spot, and Felton could provide it.

In a sign-and-trade deal that sent David Lee to the Warriors, the team received Anthony Randolph, whose athleticism is a nice fit for Mike D'Antoni's system.

Ronny Turiaf and Kelenna Azubuike also come over in that deal and will provide some depth.

ESPN's John Hollinger

Knicks made out well with Lee trade

"New York now has a nice three-man frontcourt rotation and a potential star in Randolph, and the best part is the Knicks were able to 'park' their cap space for a year rather than committing to Lee and taking themselves out of next summer's market. By replacing Lee with Randolph they've filled the spot with a $3 million player (in 2011-12 salary); after the season, Azubuike's contract expires and Turiaf will likely opt out of his $4.5 million salary to become a free agent too, leaving New York enough room to pursue a maximum-contract player again next summer."

 

Christian Ponder will be one of the top five quarterbacks in the country, and Florida State is campaigning for Heisman consideration, setting up a web site to get the ball rolling.

Ponder isn't going to hold anything back for his senior season. Not even if that means hurting Bobby Bowden's feelings. In a Q&A with the Sporting News posted on Sunday, Ponder tells SN's Ryan Fagan that new coach Jimbo Fisher "has a lot more control with what goes on" than Bowden did in the waning years of his career.

That seems to echo much of the reasoning for sending Bobby on his way. "Coach Bowden believed that you were only going to be as good as your assistant coaches...he gave a lot of control to the assistants," Ponder said.

The senior signal caller likens Fisher's approach to Nick Saban, much more hands on. He also says "the little things, the discipline" that weren't there before are now. But will the wins be there?

UPDATE: Although the reports coming in from Utah were that a Chicago Bears scout ran the workout for RB Harvey Unga, the team might not even place a bid on him in the supplemental draft, in the opinion of Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

Biggs: "While Unga would be the kind of powerful back the Bears don't have on their roster, they seem unlikely to draft him because they paid big money for Chester Taylor to combine with Matt Forte this season."

Biggs also points out that in addition to the financial commitment to Taylor, there simply might not be enough room on the roster with all the running backs and tight ends expected to make the final cut.

---

According to Jay Drew of the Salt Lake Tribune, the agent for Unga is confident that his client will be taken in the supplemental draft, given the massive attendance at his recent workout and other interest.

Eric Metz, who also represents Unga's former BYU teammate Max Hall, said, "Absolutely, he will get drafted somewhere. It is just a matter of where, and what team. I think more than what round, you just hope it is a good fit. You don't want him going to the wrong team, where it is not going to fit well."

From the information Drew was able to glean from his own observations at the workout last week, the Eagles, Buccaneers, Saints and Seahawks appear the most interested in Unga. From his talk with a Packers scout, the Panthers, Titans, 49ers, Vikings and Texans were among the teams not in attendance, and that dovetails nicely with the whole "not a good fit" idea, since those teams seem to already have a player in the "between-the-tackles bruiser" mold.

The Cubs are 10.5 games out of first place, leading to speculation as to when and if they will wave the white flag. If they decide to cut some costs and unload left-hander Ted Lilly, the Mets would be interested.

Ken Davidoff of Newsday says via Twitter that the Cubs are getting more serious about making a deal and that the Mets "like the idea of getting Lilly" for his $6 million remaining salary and giving up fewer prospects than they would have in a deal for Cliff Lee.

Nick Cafardo reported in Sunday's Boston Globe that the Rays have some interest in Lilly, but he would also become a target for teams such as Texas, Minnesota, and perhaps Detroit. Lilly would likely be less expensive than Arizona's Dan Haren and has pitched in both leagues.

The 34-year-old Lilly is a flyball pitcher who would fit in well at spacious Citi Field. There also would be no salary commitment beyond this season.

Buster Olney

Settling on Lilly?

"Ted Lilly, in the last year of his deal, is shaping up to be a primary consolation prize for one of the losers of the Cliff Lee sweepstakes. You'd have to figure that there's a good chance the veteran lefty lands with the Mets or some other contender."

 

Jahii Carson is an ESPNU 100 recruit at point guard. He hails from Arizona. Apparently, he wants no part of crossing the Rocky Mountains to go to school.

Carson is the 10th-ranked point guard in his class, per ESPN Recruiting. The 5-foot-11 Phoenix native has all the tools to make a nationwide fuss as programs fight over him, but he seems to be focused on staying near home.

Carson's list of suitors currently includes four Pac-10 schools (Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Oregon State) and UNLV. He showcased his talent for those programs in a recent round of the AAU all-star games. "Carson was very impressive Saturday morning, as he knocked down a couple threes and showed off his considerable athleticism," wrote Scout.com's Greg Hicks. "He's made great strides in the past year with his decision-making. He has very good vision and passing ability, with the quickness and strength to eventually be a good defender."

Carson actually committed to Oregon State at one point, then opened things back up again, so it's tough to say whether Craig Robinson will be able to talk him back down to Corvallis. Oregon could use him the most, but have little to pitch other than a tough rebuilding job. ASU is pretty well stocked with recruits at this point, so it would seem that Arizona has the best chance out of the current crop of suitors. Kyle Fogg will be a senior in 2011, which will give Carson a nice window in which to gain experience before taking over at point. We'll keep an eye on things and let you know when/if Carson cuts down his list.

ESPN Recruiting

Recruiting Profile: Jahii Carson

"Carson, a former Oregon State commit, is one of the better looking point guards in the country. He has a stocky frame with solid length and his athleticism is off the charts-had an alley-oop finish in the semi-finals that was a jaw-dropper. He has that highly coveted 2nd gear and he can knock down the 3-point shot with regularity. He has a tendency to palm the ball while scoping the court, but his one-handed passes in traffic are high-level. Defensively, he has very quick hands and he slides his feet very well-making him a possible lock-down defender at the next level. Two seasons ago, Carson was an electrifying guard with an extraordinaire amount of quickness and explosion. However, today he has evolved into a top-flight Division I point guard. His decision making has improved, but he still needs to do a better job of managing the game-he has too much flash and style in his game instead of playing with purpose in mind."

More off-the-field news that college football coaches don't want to hear about. North Carolina's Quan Sturdivant has been charged with possession of marijuana following an arrest Saturday morning, according to the News & Observer. He's scheduled to appear in court Aug. 2.

Sturdivant is projected as the nation's top inside linebacker by ESPN's draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. And next to him is the nation's top outside linebacker, Bruce Carter, who is No. 18 on Kiper's early 2011 Big Board.

What a blow losing Sturdivant for any amount of time would be to a defense that also includes the top defensive end in the country, Robert Quinn, and the nation's best defensive tackle, Marvin Austin. Carter and Sturdivant are the only upperclassmen at the position on the UNC roster, meaning a freshman or sophomore would have to step in for Sturdivant, who was the team's leading tackler last season.

Last week, we wondered why free-agent PG Luke Ridnour had met with the Timberwolves.

After all, the team has Jonny Flynn and Ramon Sessions. It's possible Spaniard Ricky Rubio could play for the team in the near future, as well.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports provided some more clarity on the subject on Sunday.

He reports that GM David Kahn is "trying to unload [Sessions] to teams able to absorb his salary, league executives told Yahoo! Sports."

The plan would then be to sign Ridnour to an identical four-year, $16 million deal, according to Wojnarowski.

Wojnarowski also writes that Ridnour "has shown little interest" in Minnesota, so the team could also target Shaun Livingston, whom they've also shown interest in.

Buck Showalter is the heavy favoite to be the next manager of the Baltimore Orioles, reports ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

Buster reports that Showalter, currently an analyst for ESPN, has spoken with Orioles owner Peter Angelos multiple times since the team fired Dave Trembley on June 4. The most recent of the meetings took place over the weekend.

While the Orioles have been in no rush to name a replacement, the All-Star break would be a convenient time to make the move. Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, however, reports that interim manager Juan Samuel will still be running the Orioles when the second half begins Friday.

Bobby Valentine also interviewed for the job, but pulled himself out of consideration.

Buster Olney

The odds in Baltimore

"Right now, it appears as if Buck Showalter is the heavy, heavy favorite to get the Orioles job. If this were a horse race, I'd place the pre-race odds this way: Showalter 1-2, Eric Wedge 6-1, Rick Dempsey 50-1, others 100-1."

 

UPDATE: Previous reports this offseason (like the one below, for instance) have focused on what Detroit Lions rookie running back Jahvid Best will bring to the table this season. But there is an incumbent in town, a player who produced a fair amount in seasons past, and he's not altogether ready to concede his starting job just yet.

"I mean, I'm a competitor," Kevin Smith said recently, per Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. "It's not just Best. It's any back that's been in the backfield. I think he's a good addition to the backfield, and I think he'll be able to do some things to help us win games."

Given the tough road Smith will tread in coming back from a torn ACL, Best likely has the upper hand for now, but there could be big roles for both once the season gets rolling.

---

From all that we've been hearing, the Kansas City Chiefs are going to keep Dexter McCluster quite busy with many different roles this season.

But McCluster isn't the only rookie to be faced with such a task. According to Monarrez, the Detroit Lions are expecting quite a lot out of Best, the No. 30 overall draft pick.

"We haven't spoon fed it," said coach Jim Schwartz, who had some interesting remarks about Best's YouTube highlights earlier this offseason. "It's been throw it all at him right away. We've used him as a wide receiver. We've used him in the slot. We've used him as a running back. We've ran the ball, thrown the ball. He's been exposed to everything. He's a good, smart player. That's why we drafted him."

Given that Best is expected to be the Lions' lead RB (McCluster is behind Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones in that regard), it makes sense that he'll be used less in those other spots. But a little versatility never hurt anyone.

According to NBA sources speaking to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, the Mavs are close to signing center Ian Mahinmi, who played for the Spurs last season.

As Sefko writes, this could signal the end of Erick Dampier in Dallas. It's long been rumored that the Mavs could either waive of trade Dampier, whose contract of $13 milion for next season is non-guaranteed.

It's likely Mahinmi will get Dallas' biennial exception of about $1.9 million, according to Sefko.

With Brendan Haywood back in the fold and the Mavericks also after Udonis Haslem, Dampier could be the odd man out.

If the Mavs have Haywood, Haslem and Mahinmi heading into next season, such a frontcourt could battle the Spurs' and Lakers' admirably.

OK, so the Astros think that Sean Berry is a key reason they are about 15 games under .500. Berry was dismissed as hitting coach Sunday and replaced by franchise icon Jeff Bagwell, who has not coached before.

The hiring amounts to a trial run for Bagwell, who can learn on the job without any pressure of a pennant race.

You have to wonder if the Astros are trying to give Bagwell some experience in preparation for a more important job down the road. We're not saying that Bagwell will be managing the team next season, but remember that owner Drayton McLane plucked another fan favorite, Larry Dierker, right out of the broadcast booth and made him his skipper back in 1997.

The New Jersey Devils are chasing hard after Ilya Kovalchuk and, if they do sign him, it could impact their ability to re-sign Zach Parise next offseason.

Parise told the Bergen County Record's Tom Gulitti, "A guy like (Kovalchuk) will help us. I guess we'll see what happens after that."

But we'll tell you what will happen: Parise will be a restricted free agent next season. But he won't sign a long-term deal unless it's worth it for him to forego unrestricted free agency in 2013. And since Parise will make $5 million next season, he'll look for at least that much in his new deal, which might be tough if Kovalchuk comes to New Jersey.

The Devils do have several veterans carrying big cap hits -- Brian Rolston ($5.062 million) and Patrik Elias ($6 million) among them -- so perhaps they can dump those commitments to pay Parise. But they still have a lot of money committed for two more years, so when Parise is a restricted free agent, negotiations might get complicated and they might have to get creative to pay their star winger.

Ever since the season ended for the Spurs, it's been known the team was angling to bring Tiago Splitter, their 2007 first-round draft pick, over from his Spanish club -- Caja Laboral.

And according to Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News, that day is near.

Monroe reports that Splitter arrived in San Antonio on Saturday night, and he'll take a physical on Monday morning. Depending on buyout detail with Caja Laboral, he could be introduced as a member of the team by Monday afternoon.

So what sort of contract will Splitter likely nab? Well, the Timberwolves signed Nikola Pekovic, their 2008 first-round draft pick, for three years and $13 million. Such a move should give Splitter some leverage in negotiations, as we noted at the time.

Splitter will give the Spurs a solid body in the frontcourt and will likely be ready to provide an immediate impact, but it could come at the cost of most of the team's midlevel exception.

UPDATE: ESPN.com recruiting blogger Corey Long was in Beaverton, Ore., for the Nike 7-on-7 championships and spoke with Plant Senior (Fla.) High athlete James Wilder II, who says he's had a change of heart about making his announcement before the start of his senior season.

Wilder, the No. 1 athlete in the 2011 class, told Long he wants to take all five of his visits, and will be traveling to LSU and Miami in the next few weeks, while also heading to Florida's Friday Night Lights camp. At 6-2, 220-pounds, the five-star ATH played mostly linebacker at the tournament, but projects as a top pass rusher from the end position.

Wilder says he will announce after the season is over, and may wait all the way up until signing day to make his decision, which will likely be to remain in the Southeast.

...

Five-star ATH James Wilder II (No. 8 in the ESPNU 150) tells Justin Wells of ESPN affiliate GatorCountry.com that he will pick a college before the season. "I've seen the schools I like quite a bit," he said. "But Coach (Robert Weiner, his high school coach) and I want to see the schools I like this summer. I want to visit them all, compare them, and start eliminating them. By the end of the summer, I'll make my choice."

Though many have Wilder focusing on Florida, Florida State, Georgia and Alabama, he tells Wells that Miami, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Tennessee and USC are still in the mix. The Gators are generally thought to be the team to beat, as we told you in May.

Wilder's talent is such that looking at the RB depth chart of the nine finalists doesn't really mean much. Whoever gets Wilder will land a guy who can be a difference-maker on either side of the ball.

Scouts, Inc.

James Wilder II evaluation

"He is deceptively quick through the hole and can change direction sharply and slice through smaller creases for a bigger back. Sees the cutback open quickly. A one-cut and go, stick his foot in the ground and explode north type of back and a complete load to take down when he breaks free into the second level. Gains momentum and power quickly through second level. Not going to tackle this guy high as he powers through arm/tackles and is simply a nightmare for smaller DBs to come up and hit when breaks through the second level. A real finisher who will fight for every last yard, keep his legs driving through contact and earn a ton of yards after contact. Type of back you feed the rock to and watch him get stronger as the game progresses and wear down a defense."

There are plenty of teams still looking for starting pitching even after Cliff Lee came off the board over the weekend.

The Cleveland Indians may have two right-handers available this month in Jake Westbrook and Fausto Carmona, though the club said last week they are not simply looking to dump salary. Carmona could be a fit for clubs not willing to rent a player, since he's signed at a reasonable rate through 2011.

Nick Cafardo wrote in Sunday's Boston Globe that the Rangers were among the teams interested in Carmona before they landed Lee. Carmona has pounced back from a dismal 5-12 season in 2009, so his value has taken a notable rise.

The Edmonton Oilers are trying to bring in Arron Asham, according to TSN's Ryan Rishaug.

Previously, Chris Botta tweeted that several teams have contacted Asham, including the San Jose Sharks, Phoenix Coyotes, Los Angeles Kings, Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks. In addition, CSN reported that the Philadelphia Flyers could re-open talks, although that might've changed since they signed Nikolai Zherdev. So this may not be a home run for the Oilers, but Edmonton may have the most money to offer since all the other teams have some financial restraints.

As the New England Patriots continue to turn their roster over from the teams that were perennial contenders to the next group hoping to get back to that level, one position that's up for grabs this summer is the starting safety spot opposite Pro Bowl reserve Brandon Meriweather.

According to Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe, three men are vying for the job: 2009 second-round draftee Patrick Chung, veteran James Sanders and Brandon McGowan, who took over in the starting lineup for a while last season.

In Young's opinion, Sanders has the early lead to retain his starting spot, but Chung will mount a serious challenge in camp and the preseason.

We've heard for weeks that Nationals first baseman Adam Dunn is on the radar of a host of teams. If those clubs needed any reminder of Dunn's impact, it came Wednesday against the Padres when he exploded for his first career three-homer game.

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote Sunday that the Nats may be forced to deal Dunn unless they decide to commit to a multi-year, big-money contract.

Nats GM Mike Rizzo, perhaps looking to up the ante, told MLB.com's Bill Ladson that it would take an "extraordinary deal" to trade Dunn, a free agent after this season.

Our Buster Olney thinks Dunn could cash in on free agency:

Buster Olney

Dunn in line for big deal

"Because he's headed to another season of 40 homers and 100 RBI and a .400 on-base percentage, Dunn is going to get significant offers if he hits the market. The interest in him will be mitigated somewhat by the fact that his best position is generally perceived to be designated hitter, but remember this - at a time when home run production is down, somebody may step up to give Dunn a Jason Bay-like deal."

 

Dallas has offered Haslem a three-year, $20 million deal. Such a deal has Dallas offering Haslem its full midlevel exception of $5.765 million.

Udonis Haslem reportedly has a three-year, $20 million offer from the Nets and has interest from other teams, too. He can come back to the Heat, but it would likely be at a major salary loss because of the money already invested in LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

His agent, Henry Thomas, who also represents Wade and Bosh, said Haslem would take the weekend to consider his options.

"This is a tough decision for [Haslem] because this is home both from the standpoint of growing up and from the standpoint of his NBA career, the only team he has played for," Thomas told The Miami Herald. "But he is a free agent and has interest from other teams. He is evaluating his options very seriously and hopes to have clarity early next week."

It doesn't look like there's any active discussion of a deal that would send Marc Savard to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tomas Kaberle to the Boston Bruins. But as Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe writes, "The trade makes too much sense not to happen."

There's also some speculation that Savard could be placed on waivers so the Bruins get the cap relieve, but GM Peter Chiarelli probably wants to get something in return for a top center like Savard.

Meanwhile, the Leafs are seeking a top-line center because, currently, Tyler Bozak and rookie Nazem Kadri are holding down the top two lines. They would love to move Bozak to the second line and let Kadri come along slowly on the third. In addition, they acquired d-man Brett Lebda to perhaps absorb the loss of Kaberle.

If all goes well, the Philies could be getting back one of their injured infielders right after the All-Star break.

Third baseman Placido Polanco, out since June 25 with left triceps tendinitis, said Sunday he still has a chance of returning to the lineup during the Phils' four-game series at Wrigley Field, which starts Thursday.

The Phillies also are without second baseman Chase Utley, who hopes to return from a thumb injury in six weeks.

Though Josh Howard tore the ACL in his left knee in March, teams are still showing interest.

According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the Bulls and Celtics are both interested in Howard -- who was an All-Star as a member of the Mavericks.

He writes: "While the Bulls could have the salary-cap space to sign Howard, depending on what happens with their offer sheet to J.J. Redick, the Celtics would need a sign-and-trade to arrange a deal because they have already used their midlevel exception on Jermaine O'Neal."

Neither team has offered a contract yet. Howard's timetable for his injury was six to eight months, but he told Yahoo! he's ahead of schedule and hoping to be back at the start of next season.

Howard missed several games in the 2008-09 season due to injury as well and there were disciplinary issues with him in Dallas, so he does come with some risk for either of these teams, should they extend him an offer.

It's been a while since we updated you on the No. 1 tight end in the 2011 class, Jay Rome. Well, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution followed up with Rome and his father Stan on Sunday, but there doesn't appear to be anything new to offer.

The speculation has long been that Jay will follow in the footsteps of his father, who was a two-sport star for Clemson in the 1970s. However, Stan told the AJC he wants his son to commit where he feels comfortable. That list is down to a final four of Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Clemson. The Romes have visited all of those schools, although the younger Rome isn't in a hurry to make a decision.

The Valdosta (Ga.) High product had wanted to decide before his senior season, but he now says he might wait until after the season, airing his announcement at the Under Armour All-Star Game in January, which has become common practice among high-star players. One interesting note is that the AJC reports Stan was cooking burgers for Jay and fellow Valdosta teammate Malcolm Mitchell, the No. 5 wide receiver in the class. Mitchell appears to be considering three of the four schools on Rome's list with the glaring omission being Clemson.

The Yankees nearly made a big splash over the weekend, but a deal with the Mariners for Cliff Lee fell apart and the left-hander ended up in Texas. Could the Yankees now be looking for relief help after Joba Chamberlain had another forgettable outing Saturday night?

Yankees manager Joe Girardi insists that he plans to stick with Chamberlain as his set-up man after Joba served up a grand slam to Jose Lopez of the Mariners. Chamberlain has had five outings in which he gave up three or more runs.

For now, Girardi does not have a viable candidate to serve as the bridge to Mariano Rivera. Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News writes that Jonathan Albaladejo has had outstanding season as the closer for Triple-A Scranton, giving the Yankees "something to consider" after the All-Star break.

UPDATE: Brian Westbrook doesn't appear to be in any rush to sign with a team, keeping suitors like the St. Louis Rams and Washington Redskins at bay. (Admittedly, it's a bit less than the feeling of nervous energy in several cities during LeBronocalypse Week). While Westbrook could be taking his time for any number of reasons, there's a chance he might be waiting for a team with more championship potential to get in the mix.

Matt Bowen of National Football Post recommends that contenders consider bringing Westbrook on board. He suggests a pair of NFC North teams -- the Minnesota Vikings (more on their potential interest below) and the Green Bay Packers (to whom he was speculatively linked quite extensively earlier this offseason) -- as possibilities that would make sense for No. 36, and there's been some buzz that perhaps the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints should give Westbrook a look as well. The Saints probably make the least sense of these potential contenders, given that they already have a much younger version of Westbrook in Reggie Bush. On the other hand, offensive guru Sean Payton could probably find some way to use the vet.

Again, this is all just speculation -- and given that prior buzz was that Westbrook wouldn't play for a team whose home field had artificial turf, two of these "new" teams might not be real considerations -- but it would make much more sense sense for Westbrook to sign with a team that has a legit shot at winning a ring this year, if indeed any are interested.

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There aren't many high-profile free agents left in the NFL, but Westbrook certainly fits the bill. Previous visits to the Rams and Redskins linked him to those franchises, and previous speculation had him linked to teams like the Vikings and New York Giants.

Speaking of the Vikings, Westbrook has been working out recently with Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe (among others) in Maryland. Stirring the pot a bit, Shiancoe told NFL.com that Westbrook said he'd have "no problem" playing for the Vikes. Shiancoe also told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that Westbrook's "route running would [definitely] help our offense."

In addition to taking over the Chester Taylor role, we know there is a link between Westbrook and Vikes coach Brad Childress from their time together in Philly.

Derek Fisher flew to Miami on Saturday to meet with Pat Riley about the prospects of playing for the Heat next season.

The team needs cheaper role players to fill in around their trio of stars -- Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh -- and Fisher's verteran savvy, championship experience and shooting ability would certainly be an ideal fit.

But don't expect him to leave L.A.

From Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports: "A source close to Derek Fisher said he's confident the free-agent guard will re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers instead of going to the Miami Heat."

Though the Heat are a tantalizing option with the Super Friends now on board, Fisher has a lot of loyalty to the Lakers.

At issue seems to be pay and contract length. The Lakers reportedly offered him $2.5 million for next season, but he's seeking a two-year deal around $5 million per -- which is what he made this past season.

Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles

Never say never on Fisher leaving

"What are the chances he actually leaves? Slim. But if James could change the entire scope of his career by choosing Miami, don't put it past Fisher to do the same for his final act."

 

Lateek Townsend, the No. 5 overall outside linebacker in the 2011 class, will have no problem choosing where he wants to sign in February. USC, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia and in-state Clemson are hard after the ESPNU 150 prospect, but he hasn't declared a leader.

It's interesting though that Sammy Merriman, an under-the-radar 6-3, 195-pound OLB, will be joining Townsend at Marlboro County (S.C.) High this fall after transferring from Cheraw High. Merriman prefers Clemson over South Carolina right now, telling Phil Kornblut on GoGamecocks.com that the Tigers "show me a lot more love." A lesser recruit doesn't often sway a top recruit, but if Townsend and Merriman become quick friends, maybe they both stay with Clemson, a team that has yet to pick up a LB for 2011.

This also could mean more attention for Merriman with tons of schools coming in to see Townsend. Merriman also tells Kornblut he would love to get an offer from the Oregon Ducks.

According to ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher, Jordan Farmar has agreed to a three-year, $12 million deal with the Nets.

It was likely he wasn't going to be back with the Lakers, so such a deal isn't that big of a surprise.

Yet, there are rumblings Farmar had interest in starting for a team, and the Nets already have Devin Harris in the starting PG spot.

A team like the Pacers could have acquired Farmar, and he likely could have got more opportunity to start in Indiana.

Brian Kamenetzky of ESPN Los Angeles has more on this:

Brian Kamenetzky of ESPN Los Angeles

New Jersey a curious pick for Farmar

"I must admit, New Jersey strikes me as a curious destination ... Harris happens to be the Nets' starting point guard and happens to be a better player than Farmar. The 2009 All-Star was a 35 mpg player last season and I doubt there are plans to decrease his run, meaning the time left over for Farmar would be limited. It would be tough to play the two together, as they'd form a very small backcourt. Beyond that, there's not much natural incentive for playing extended minutes undersized. I'd personally rather have Courtney Lee or Anthony Morrow (should he end up a Net) on the floor than Farmar. I'd read a few reports of interest in Farmar from the Pacers. Considering Jordan's well-stated desire to run a starting five and Indiana's nearly bare cupboard at the point, I expected the now ex-Laker to play next season in Conseco. Whether those rumors were overblown, the money wasn't as good or Farmar just likes the overall setup better in Jersey, I have no idea. But it is ironic to see him on paper in a situation no better than the one he left. (Arguably worse if you're a stickler for wins.) Who knows? Harris could always get moved. Farmar could perhaps beat him out. And according to Turner, the contract has an opt-out clause after the second season. Farmar may think New Jersey's system will showcase him well enough as a sixth man for a new deal as a starter in due time. Or maybe this was the best offer he got, and he took it. In any event, it's not a team I pegged Farmar to join, but I'm curious to see how the new digs work out."

 

UPDATE: Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reported Friday that Darrelle Revis is poised to hold out if he doesn't have a contract extension before training camp begins Aug. 1. In addition, he is prepared to hold out beyond Aug. 10, meaning he doesn't mind the risk of losing an accrued year of NFL service towards unrestricted free agency.

As Mehta puts it, "Revis isn't bluffing."

Or is he? Sources have told Michael Lombardi of NFL.com that he won't hold out. Part of the reason might be that if he does, he'd jeopardize a guaranteed $20 million in 2011 and 2012.

It's enough to make one's head spin. We'll keep our ears to the ground until Aug. 1, when the Jets are scheduled to report for training camp.

---

After the news of D'Brickashaw Ferguson's record-breaking deal with the New York Jets, speculation turned to which Jet would be next. The consensus seems to be that it will be Revis.

That may well end up being the case, but for now, there's been no development within the past few weeks on that front, according to a report from Dan Graziano of NFL Fanhouse. Graziano wrote that it's still uncertain whether Revis will have a shiny new deal before Jets training camp.

It should make for a nice early storyline on "Hard Knocks."

Jane McManus

Actions speak louder than words

"Woody Johnson says that the Jets are a business, and that he has to run it like a business. On Wall Street that would mean bonuses for your top producers after a banner year, but the Jets seem to be following a different business model."

 

There is some speculation that the Chicago Blackhawks will match the San Jose Sharks' offer sheet for Niklas Hjalmarsson, and then go to arbitration with Antti Niemi. At that point, they could see how much Niemi fetches and, if it's too much, they'll let him go.

So as the Chicago Daily Herald writes, two options for the Hawks are Marty Turco and Jose Theodore -- both goalies who would solidify the crease, while carrying inexpensive contracts. Although it seems crazy to let go of a young goalie who led them to a Stanley Cup, Hawks GM Stan Bowman has said that the Hawks' defense of Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Brian Campbell and Hjalmarsson was "the strength of the team," the Daily Herald writes.

However, if Niemi leaves Chicago, he's in a tough situation; there are few crease slots remaining in the NHL and surely no team that will give him a big chunk of money. So it's also possible he signs a short one-year deal and tries to cash in next summer as an unrestricted free agent.

Whether Lou Piniella ends up as manager of the Chicago Cubs next season remains an open question. The same may be said for general manager Jim Hendry.

A dreadful first half for the Cubs (39-50) came to a close with a 7-0 loss to the Dodgers on Sunday night. Before the game, team chairman Tom Ricketts gave Hendry a vote of confidence but stopped far short of clarifying whether ownership plans to retain Hendry beyond this season.

"I support him. I think he does a great job. And after that, we'll just take it one day at a time," Ricketts said via the Sun-Times.

We all know about the Cubs' century of futility, but they are losing now with a payroll of $146 million, the highest in the National League. Hendry is a product of a previous ownership group, and Ricketts could look to make a clean break.

We noted at the start of the free-agency period that Josh Childress, who played in Greece with Olympiakos this past season and whose rights are owned by the Hawks, was drawing interest from a good amount of teams.

But it looks like he's near off the market.

From Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic: "Phoenix will send a 2012 second-round pick to Atlanta in a sign-and-trade deal for Childress, who will leave Greece for a five-year, $33 million contract to play for the Suns."

Some have surmised Childress would likely catch $7-$8 million in the open market, so the Suns won't be greatly overpaying for his services.

Since the Hawks gave Joe Johnson a max deal, most thought it'd be unlikely they'd be able to keep Childress.

The Suns are using part of their trade expemption from the Amare Stoudemire sign-and-trade with the Knicks to acquire Childress, so they're getting value back from the loss of their star big man.

With Hedo Turkoglu nearing a move to the Suns as well, the team has acquired two shooters with size, a brand of player that fits in the Suns' system.

Clemson had been quiet on the trail for some time until Cortez Davis surprised everyone by recommitting to the Tigers.

Davis, the No. 11 safety in the class, originally committed to Clemson in October, but decommitted for Florida State after a trip to Tallahassee in February. But the Mainland (Fla.) High product posted on his Facebook page a graphic with a picture of him on a Clemson background with the words "Death Valley Bound," according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Davis is Clemson's fourth ESPNU 150 recruit, joining Mainland teammate Marlin Lane, the 11th overall running back for 2011. And Dabo Swinney's certainly not done. He has a very legitimate shot at gaining at least two more ESPNU 150s, in-state five-star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and No. 1 overall tight end Jay Rome, who's dad was a Tiger.

Former Tampa Bay Lightning GM Jay Feaster is now the right-hand man to Calgary Flames GM Darryl Sutter. But if the Flames struggle, Feaster might take over Sutter's job, the Boston Globe writes.

Many feel its just a matter of time before Sutter loses his job. First off, he got his team into a situation in which they have little financial flexibility. But with the little money he had this offseason, he brought back Olli Jokinen and Alex Tanguay -- moves that puzzled many onlookers.

So it's possible Feaster takes over soon, but he'll inherit a tough situation and his first order of business might be to find new homes for several expensive veterans.

It's been known for some time that Hedo Turkoglu wants out of Toronto.

And it looks like he may be getting his wish.

According to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, the team is "on the verge" of acquiring Turkoglu.

He writes: "The Suns would send seven-year veteran guard Leandro Barbosa and late-season addition Dwayne Jones to Toronto for Turkoglu ... Toronto would then move Jones and its trade exception from the Chris Bosh sign-and-trade deal to Charlotte for former Suns forward Boris Diaw."

Turkoglu is a shooter with size, so the Suns could use him as another option for Steve Nash to kick to. Turkoglu also can create with the ball in his hands, but he may have less opportunity to do so with Nash now on his team.

The wait for Carlos Beltran is finally over -- when the Mets return from the All-Star break Thursday in San Francisco, Beltran will be the starting center fielder and will bat fourth.

Angel Pagan, who has started in center field while Beltran recovered from knee surgery, will play right field on Thursday and Jeff Francoeur, who is just 5-for-31 in his last 10 games, will sit. Manager Jerry Manuel indicated that he would platoon Pagan and Fancoeur, playing Pagan primarily against right-handed pitchers.

It will be a tricky situation for Manuel, especially since Pagan has shown that he is at his best as a regular and not as a platoon player. The problem will be eased since Beltran will be given occasional days off, allowing for more at-bats for Pagan and Francoeur.

UPDATE: Even though Michael Vick appears to be out of harm's way when it comes to the U.S. justice system, his continued employment with the Philadelphia Eagles is tenuous.

Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports had a couple of interesting tweets on Sunday morning. First, he noted that while the Eagles continue to deny that they're considering cutting Vick, a high-ranking source told Robinson that the option is "absolutely" on the table. Furthermore, Robinson noted that Vick's continued ties with Quanis Phillips -- one of his co-conspirators in the dogfighting enterprise -- has "ruffled feathers amongst some Eagles executives."

Robinson is clearly after the coveted "Best NFL-related pun of July" award.

---

We've been following the current Vick saga pretty closely, particularly because behind Vick, there's not much NFL experience. If Vick is not retained by the Eagles for some reason, relatively unproven starter Kevin Kolb would be backed up by unproven rookie QB Mike Kafka.

As for Vick, it appears that he's in the clear for now from a criminal standpoint.

Although the Eagles thus far have maintained that Vick's standing with the team is not in peril, it's likely that it has come up with some contingency plans, and those could include taking a look at some of the street free agents, such as Jeff Garcia. The Eagles spoke with Garcia's representation in April, although nothing progressed at that time. Another option that we've speculated upon -- and has been reported by Howard Eskin of Philly radio station WIP -- is that the team would trade for Troy Smith should Vick be sent packing.

ESPN Recruiting is reporting that Enosch Wolf, a 7-foot-1 center from Germany, has committed to play at UConn this season. He joins Berlin-born small forward Niels Giffey in what is now a seven-member Class of 2010 for the Huskies.

The Hartford Courant has found video of Enosch Wolf in action with his German club, and recently added film of Niels Giffey as well. Both look good on the internets, but it'll be a whole new world when they get to the Big East.

"Wolf will essentially replace center Jonathan Mandeldove, who did not play last season for academic reasons and was to be welcomed back for a fifth year if he solidified his academic standing," reported the Hartford Courant. "But with Wolf, six other freshmen and six returning players (not including Mandeldove), the Huskies are using the limit of 13 scholarships."

Little is known about either German recruit, which should make UConn's first public practice a must-see event for Huskies fans. If the quality of Wolf's play can be judged by the caliber of the teams that wanted him, consider this: aside from UConn, Wolf had offers from Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Boston College and Oklahoma on the table when he chose to move to Storrs.

Wolf has a decent shot at a starting job this season, assuming he can adjust to Big East banging. Neither Ater Majok (Sudan via Australia) or Charles Okwandu (Nigeria) has been able to make that leap yet. With the addition of 6-foot-10 freshman Michael Bradley (Chattanoogastan), the Huskies have definitively cornered the market on big men who would rather not be in the paint.

UPDATE: Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote Saturday that talks between the Rams and QB Sam Bradford's agent, Tom Condon, "will likely get under way next week." Bradford's deal will be a massive one and might start a bit of domino effect at the top end among this year's draft picks once it is sealed.

---

In recent years, the team selecting first overall has signed its choice before the draft even started, removing some sense of mystery to the No. 1 overall pick but also ensuring that it could get the young man to agree to a deal.

The St. Louis Rams chose to buck that trend this offseason, selecting Bradford first overall without first sorting out the business side of things.

It's early July, and there hasn't been all that much progress on Bradford's rookie deal, according to what the QB said on "The Dan Patrick Show."

"To be honest, my agent and the team haven't even started talks yet," Bradford said. "But it should happen within the next few weeks."

Given that Bradford is technically still fighting to be the team's starter, any time missed due to a holdout may hurt him in the competition to start against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1.

During his chat Wednesday on ESPN.com, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter gave his opinion on how this offseason's moves will affect the Rams (see below). On Friday, ESPN NFC West blogger Mike Sando came through with his take on the Bradford negotiations:

Mike Sando

Agent has experience with big deals

"Condon has lots of experience representing highly drafted quarterbacks. Seems to me he and the Rams will find a way to get Bradford into camp on time or close to it. Having Bradford there from Day 1 benefits all parties. Everything we've seen from Bradford suggests he'll be eager to get into camp on time. And it's the player who can ultimately determine when he gets into camp."

 

Adam Schefter

They're getting there

"I believe the Rams are on their way. They've done the right things. They drafted a franchise quarterback who is going to be tremendous in this league. They went for OT Rodger Saffold in Round 2 to protect Bradford. And they have the right coaches and management in place. It's going to take a little time there, but the Rams are on their way back."

 

NIklas Hjalmarsson was the first restricted free agent to receive an offer sheet this offseason, but there may be more to come. The Dallas Morning News wonders if young Dallas Stars' forward James Neal could be vulnerable as the Stars continue to negotiate an extension with him.

Neal made $822,000 last season but after scoring 55 point last season, the 22-year-old will likely get a significant raise. If a team comes in with an offer sheet between $1.545 million and $3.091 million, the compensation would only be a second-round pick. So it's possible an offer sheet comes in around that range. Anything above that amount -- and up to $4.637 million -- would boost the compensation to a first- and third-round pick.

But what makes this hard for the Stars is that they're on a tight $45 million budget, so there's even been some buzz that they could trade Neal. So if an offer sheet comes in near $3 million, they may be unable to match it and they could just take the compensation.

UPDATE: Oliver Purnell will need to look even harder at the local talent. DePaul granted a release to their best recruit of the Class of 2010 this weekend. Walter Pitchford, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, has sought a release from his LOI ever since Purnell was hired. The NCAA had denied Pitchford's request, but Purnell seems to have decided not to forge ahead with an unwilling crew member.

Purnell's team is still sizable, though they'll miss Pitchford's athleticism. Rising juniors Krys Faber and Kene Obi will battle for the starting center spot, with Faber looking to have the edge.

#######################

Are we aware that it's a little bit crazy to look at high school freshmen as prospects? Yes, yes we are. But kids are flashing serious ability at younger and younger ages, and coaches are taking notice.

John Stovall of ESPN Recruiting identified four impressive prospects from Chicago at the Fab Frosh All-American Camp, which is the nation's premiere event for incoming high schoolers. Most impressive was Jahlil Okafor, a younger cousin of the NBA's Emeka Okafor. The Demons' interim coach, Tracy Webster, caused a stir when he offered Okafor a scholarship last season, while the kid was still in eighth grade.

Not content to look that far ahead, Oliver Purnell has been spotted in attendance at the biggest AAU events in the state of Illinois, according to WeAreDePaul.com.

"The past two days, Oliver Purnell was seen in Indianapolis at the Adidas Invitational with assistant coach Brian Ellerbe as they made it a point to see all of the Illinois programs play and get a feel for the talent that the state has to offer," the website reported. "Full Package, Illinois Magic, Illinois Old School, Illinois Titans, Illinois Blue Demons, Meanstreets Blue, and PrymeTyme were the Illinois programs taking part in the prestigious event, while other Illinois players such as Aaron and Aaric Armstead and Tyrone Sherman played with Indiana Elite."

Something has to be done if DePaul is to save the reputation of the school and, by extension, college hoops in the city of Chicago. Letting the top local kids see his face, early and often, is a good start for Purnell.

ESPN Recruiting: John Stovall

Eighth-grade event showcases Chicago stars.

"There were 11 players from the Chicago area. Besides O'Mara and Okafor, a couple of the other standouts from Chicago were 6-foot scoring PG Larry Austin (Springfield, Ill./Lanphier) and 6-7 skilled combo forward Paul White (Chicago/Whitney Young)."

 

The shaky ownership situation of the Texas Rangers prompted speculation over the weekend that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban could enter the baseball business.

The Dallas Morning News, however, cites a source close to former sports agent Dennis Gilbert said that a report linking him to Cuban and Dallas businessman Jeff Beck in a bid for the Rangers is unsubstantiated. The New York Post reported Saturday that Cuban had joined Beck and Gilbert in a bid for the AL West club.

Rangers president Nolan Ryan acknowledged last week that his group, which includes Pittsburgh attorney Chuck Greenberg, might not end up owning the team. He added that he wasn't sure what he might do after this season should Houston businessman Jim Crane, who is trying to get back in the bidding, ends up owning the team.

While the ownersip situation may be a mess, Friday's trade for Cliff Lee shows that Ryan and GM Daniels still have the ability to deal.

There was a little note in the Pioneer Press that says the Anaheim Ducks are also in on Mike Modano. Also, the reports, from a "little birdie," says the Minnesota Wild are Modano's last choice.

Meanwhile, there was previously some speculation tat Modano first reached out to the San Jose Sharks, and now we might know why. As the Dallas Morning News points out, "He has some personal issues in that his wife Mandy (who goes by the stage name Willa Ford) is working a lot in California. She's been out there a bunch, and the couple will probably call Dallas home eventually, so a long-term relationship from Dallas to California to Detroit (or Minnesota) could be complicated."

So that might make the Sharks and Ducks a front-runner on this because both are in Southern California, but the Wings are offering Modano a chance at one last Cup run with their legendary franchise.

Making the transition from high school to college basketball is one of the most difficult challenges a young player can face. After committing to a school, most kids must spend the summer daydreaming about their first game.

Syracuse recruit Trevor Cooney, on the other hand, has already practiced and played under Jim Boeheim as a member of the U.S. U18 team. Boeheim is a member of the selection committee for USA Basketball, and served as an assistant to U18 head coach Jeff Capel.

It might not sound like much, but Boeheim is going to know a lot more about what Cooney can and can't do when official practices begin in the fall; and what Cooney can do is shoot.

According to recent tweets from Dave Telep of Scout.com, winning gold in San Antonio has given Cooney a new vibe. ""I like Trevor Cooney's swagger," Telep tweeted earlier this week. "Honestly, he looks like a different guy. Confidence level is sky high after u18's. We have him ranked too low and its my fault. It will be fixed."

Excited yet, Orange fans? Cooney could be just what the doctor ordered in 2011, when Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine will be seniors. A hot shooter like Cooney could take a lot of pressure off the two upperclassmen in any number of offensive sets, including a three-guard lineup.

ESPN Recruiting

Recruiting Profile: Trevor Cooney

"Cooney is a true shooting guard and one of the elite shooters in the class of 2011. He can hit shots by spotting up, spacing to open area and coming off screens. He is ready to pull the trigger as soon as the ball hits his hands. He has good size and strength for a wing and can make plays off the dribble when he is made to put the ball on the floor. Cooney is a skilled enough ball handler and passer to find an open teammate when he draws a crowd. He is a better than advertised athlete and will be able defend both wing positions. He is a decent rebounder but could be better especially when the ball comes off the rim in his area. A great fit for Syracuse because he will thrive in their transition game receiving kick out passes for open shots and has the basketball IQ to be affective in their zone defense."

The Columbus Blue Jackets brought in former coach Ken Hitchcock in an unspecified role, and GM Scott Howson tells the Columbus Dispatch that the role is still to be determined.

However, it's no secret Hitchcock wants to coach again, so Howson said he is "open to letting him stay connected to the game, if that's what he wants to do."

Although Howson won't admit that it would be awkward, new coach Scott Arniel is in his first NHL gig and having a long-time NHL coach looking over his back might not be the best situation. But, for Hitchcock, it might be an ideal situation to stay involved with the game in case a coaching gig opens up in the middle of the season.

There were previously reports that Simon Gagne may not have waived his no-trade clause, but the Philadelphia Flyers say otherwise, The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta tweets.

That's a bit odd, since we would think Gagne would know if he waived it or not. So it looks like there was miscommunication somewhere.

Meanwhile, there was some speculation the Los Angles Kings would be interested in Gagne, but they are back in for Ilya Kovalchuk so that deal probably won't happen soon, if at all. Other teams that might be interested are the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers, but this is all speculation at this point.

If the Flyers can't find a proper trade, some NHL execs think he could be put on waivers because they need to clear cap space.

The Los Angeles Kings are considering Ilya Kovalchuk -- again. After dropping out of the runing twice, GM Deam Lombardi tells ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun that he's meeting with Kovalchuk today in hopes of figuring out a deal that works for both sides.

The New York Post reports that the previous deal on a table was a 12-year pact worth $63.3 million, which won't get it done. However, Kovy obviously wants to go to Los Angeles because he keeps coming back to the Kings so maybe he's willing to take a discount for the Kings. The New Jersey Devils and the KHL's SKA St. Petersburg are still in on Kovy, and both teams have offered more than the Kings.

While Kovalchuk prefers a long-term deal, it's possible the Kings have some short-term deals on the table, Yahoo Sports' Greg Wyshynski tweets. Also, LeBrun reports that there may be other teams interested in offering Kovy short-term deals, but he's hesitant to take any deal that doesn't take him through the CBA's expiration in two years.

For those clubs that lost out on Cliff Lee -- we're talking about you New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Minnesota Twins -- and those who could not get into the bidding for him for various reasons -- that's you Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox -- there are still options on the trade market, and Florida's Ricky Nolasco may be the best idea.

Sure, Dan Haren and Roy Oswalt are proven top of the rotation starting pitchers with a better and longer track record, but Oswalt's salary is a problem and The Diamondbacks would be trading three-plus years of Haren, so they are likely to ask for the moon in return for the right-hander.

Nolasco has been better this season than Ted Lilly and Indians sinker baller Jake Westbrook and has better overall stuff than Cleveland's Fausto Carmona. Lilly and Oakland's Ben Sheets have concerning medical histories, Nolasco does not.

He's arbitration eligible for the second time this coming winter and after making $3.8 million in 2010, is probably slated to make a salary north of $5 million next season. The Marlins could see value in trading the 27-year-old for a package of young players, and Nolasco knows his time in Miami could be over soon.