North Carolina

2024 NFL mock draft roundup: Where is North Carolina QB Drake Maye predicted to go?

Published

2 weeks ago

April 16, 2024

2024 NFL mock draft roundup: Where is North Carolina QB Drake Maye predicted to go?

The 2024 NFL Draft kicks off next week. Hundreds of college players will hope to hear their names called in Campus Martius Park in Detroit during the three days of the draft. One of those players who will likely hear their name called early in the draft is North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

Which teams need a QB in NFL draft? Ranking all 32 based on outlook at position

The son of former World League of America Football (WLAF) quarterback Mark Maye and younger brother of Tar Heels basketball star Luke Maye, Drake Maye started at quarterback for two years at North Carolina. He earned ACC Player of the Year honors in 2022, led the conference in passing in 2023 and finished the 2023 season third in the FBS in total offense per game.

As a prospect, Maye’s prototypical size at 6 feet, 4 inches tall and 223 lbs. and arm strength at just 21 years old makes him one of the more enticing prospects in the draft. He has reliable mobility outside of the pocket, too, evidenced by his collegiate 42 rushing first downs on third and fourth down. In a draft without USC quarterback Caleb Williams, he’d likely be in consideration for the first overall pick.

2024 NFL draft rankings: Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrison Jr. lead top 50 players

2024 NFL mock draft: J.J. McCarthy or Drake Maye for Patriots at No. 3?

But with Williams the consensus top pick, where will Maye go? Here’s what experts from USA Today, NFL.com, ESPN, The Ringer and The Athletic predict:

Drake Maye 2024 NFL draft predictions

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY: No. 5 to the Minnesota Vikings (via trade with the Los Angeles Chargers)

Middlehurst-Schwartz: “[Vikings] Quarterbacks coach Josh McCown coached Maye at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, and it’s easy to see why Minnesota would be excited about adding a rocket-armed signal-caller comfortable operating on the move, especially as the franchise turns the page from the Kirk Cousins era. For Maye, there might be no better situation for his development than learning under McCown and Kevin O’Connell while having Justin Jefferson on the receiving end of his deep bombs and Christian Darrisaw keeping him clean.”

Peter Schrager, NFL.com: No. 3 to the New England Patriots

Schrager: “Despite lots of smoke that New England could trade down, I believe this new Patriots regime will be comfortable with either Jayden Daniels or Maye. Pats brass took Maye out for steaks the night before his Foxborough visit earlier this month, and those guys loved the Charlotte native. That said, they also loved their top-30 visit with Daniels. I think they’re fine with whichever one falls to them.”

Field Yates, ESPN: No. 3 to the New England Patriots

Yates: “I am firmly of the belief that the Patriots should not trade down from this pick and should take a quarterback, regardless whether it is Maye or Daniels… While he had a lesser year in 2023 compared to 2022, I still see all the traits for him to be a franchise quarterback. And New England needs one after finishing 30th in yards per attempt last season (6.1). The Patriots must use the rest of this draft to surround Maye with wide receiver and offensive line help.”

Danny Heifetz, The Ringer: No. 3 to the New England Patriots

Heifetz: “With Williams and Daniels off the board, Maye falls into the Patriots’ lap. He is a prototypical NFL quarterback who doubles as a playmaker from the pocket and on the run. New England already has Jacoby Brissett on board for 2024 and can let Maye sit and learn the NFL game on the bench.”

Nick Baumgardner, The Athletic: No. 2 to the Washington Commanders

Baumgardner: “Maye is still growing as a passer, particularly in his consistency processing from the pocket. When you stack him up next to Jayden Daniels, though, Maye’s strengths are stronger and the weaknesses are similar. This will be a preference decision for Adam Peters and the Washington front office. For me, Maye is QB2.”

‘I’ve persevered through’: Once a five-star recruit, Xavier Thomas navigated depression to get back on NFL draft path

2024 NFL Draft odds: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

According to latest NFL Draft odds from BetMGM, Maye’s the favorite to be the third overall pick. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024.

Maye’s the favorite for the third overall pick (-130). He’s second in odds for the second overall pick (+175) behind LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels.

When is the 2024 NFL Draft?

Where: Campus Marius Park at Hart Plaza in Detroit, Michigan

When: April 25-27, 2024

Cable TV: ESPN, ABC, NFL Network

Streaming: NFL+; ESPN+; fuboTV

How to watch: Catch the NFL Draft this year with a subscription to fuboTV

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North Carolina

Multiple officers killed while serving warrant in North Carolina

Published

7 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Press Room

Multiple officers killed while serving warrant in North Carolina – CBS News

Watch CBS News

At least three law enforcement officers were killed Monday in a shooting in Charlotte, North Carolina, while executing a fugitive warrant. Chief investigative reporter Nick Ochsner of CBS affiliate WBTV reports.

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North Carolina

West Virginia and North Carolina’s transgender care coverage policies discriminate, judges rule – The Boston Globe

Published

14 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Press Room

West Virginia and North Carolina’s transgender care coverage policies discriminate, judges rule – The Boston Globe

CHARLESTON, West Virginia (AP) — West Virginia and North Carolina’s refusal to cover certain health care for transgender people with government-sponsored insurance is discriminatory, a federal appeals court ruled Monday in a case likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Richmond-based 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 8-6 in the case involving coverage of gender-affirming care by North Carolina’s state employee health plan and the coverage of gender-affirming surgery by West Virginia Medicaid.

After the ruling, West Virginia plaintiff Shauntae Anderson, a Black transgender woman and West Virginia Medicaid participant, called her state’s refusal to cover her care “deeply dehumanizing.”

“I am so relieved that this court ruling puts us one step closer to the day when Medicaid can no longer deny transgender West Virginians access to the essential healthcare that our doctors say is necessary for us,” Anderson said in a statement.

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey immediately released a statement announcing his office’s intention to appeal.

“Decisions like this one, from a court dominated by Obama- and Biden-appointees, cannot stand: we’ll take this up to the Supreme Court and win,” Morrisey said.

During oral arguments in September, at least two judges said it’s likely the case will eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court. Both states appealed separate lower court rulings that found the denial of gender-affirming care to be discriminatory and unconstitutional. Two panels of three Fourth Circuit judges heard arguments in both cases last year before deciding to intertwine the two cases and see them presented before the full court of 15.

In June 2022, a North Carolina trial court demanded the state plan pay for “medically necessary services,” including hormone therapy and some surgeries, for transgender employees and their children. The judge had ruled in favor of the employees and their dependents, who said in a 2019 lawsuit that they were denied coverage for gender-affirming care under the plan.

The North Carolina state insurance plan provides medical coverage for more than 750,000 teachers, state employees, retirees, lawmakers and their dependents. While it provides counseling for gender dysphoria and other diagnosed mental health conditions, it does not cover treatment “in connection with sex changes or modifications and related care.”

In August 2022, a federal judge ruled West Virginia’s Medicaid program must provide coverage for gender-affirming care for transgender residents.

An original lawsuit filed in 2020 also named state employee health plans. A settlement with The Health Plan of West Virginia Inc. in 2022 led to the removal of the exclusion on gender-affirming care in that company’s Public Employees Insurance Agency plans.

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Editorial: Legislators – Take care of business and pass Gov. Cooper’s budget

Published

21 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Press Room

Editorial: Legislators – Take care of business and pass Gov. Cooper’s budget

CBC Editorial: Monday, April 29, 2024; #8926

The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company

It is an election year and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has done legislative candidates, regardless of their partisan affiliation, a favor with the budget adjustments he’s proposed.

Much apropos to Cooper’s moderate ideological temperament, it is essentially consensus recommendations that Republican and Democratic legislators can embrace, accomplishing key needs a broad majority of North Carolina voters embrace while avoiding campaign trail “gotchas” and votes that would be fodder for negative attacks.

It is balanced, cuts some business taxes and provides attention to critical areas of need including education, public safety, infrastructure, the environment and economic development. Perfect? Of course not. But for those who can liberate themselves from reflexive partisanship and ideological tricks and twists – not very much of an effort – it is a budget that does what it should to meet the needs of the state.

Is there anything about the status of private school vouchers – a highly controversial issue – that requires immediate action? While there certainly are a variety of concerns to be addressed – regardless of what the position is on this issue – waiting until after the election won’t cause any undue hardships.

Legislative leaders could also forego the agonizing and irritating horse-trading and pork barrel payoffs to win support of reluctant legislators. They could quickly get the budget taken care of, deal with any other local issues that must be addressed and leave to the campaign trail the contentious arguments over: restrictions on voting, gambling/casino expansion, women’s health issues, gerrymandering, marijuana, “DEI (diversity, equity inclusion)” in schools and public universities and the like.

Cooper’s budget embraces consensus needs.

For education, key recommendations in his budget include:

Much-needed increases in teachers and other public school workers’ pay – an average of 8.5% teacher pay raises while lifting starting teacher salaries and a $1,500 retention bonus for most teachers.
Providing 700 elementary school teaching assistants in grades K-3.
Allowing $2.5 billion in school construction bonds – that would only be imposed after local referendums. Our state’s schools have a $13 billion backlog in needs for new and renovated schools,
Investing $34.7 million to expand “Read to Achieve” to middle school students.
Expanding the pipeline for new teachers with $11 million to strengthen opportunities for more people to pursue careers in teaching including expanding the Teaching Fellows program

North Carolina faces a crisis in childcare that both threatens providers, parents in need of services as well as employers who face workforce challenges in finding workers. Cooper’s budget provides:

$745 million to strengthen childcare and early education for working families – including $200 million for Childcare Stabilization Grants and $128.5 million for subsidies to increase reimbursement rates in rural and low-wealth communities.

State government is facing severe challenges in keeping and attracting workers to provide citizens with the services they expect. Across state government there’s a 23% vacancy rate. It was 13% before the COVID pandemic. Turnover rate among first-year state workers is even more severe – 33% compared with 14% before the pandemic. Cooper seeks to address this with:

5% raises for all state workers – in addition to the 3% already in the budget passed last year.
Modestly increase annual leave for state workers earlier in their career – for example from 14 days to 17 for workers with 1 to 5 years service.
$195.8 million to help state agencies, universities, and community colleges with flexibility to address hard-to-retain positions.

In addition to addressing the childcare crisis that would help employers, Cooper’s budget helps grow the state’s economy by:

Cutting $49 million from unemployment insurance taxes employers with 500 or fewer workers must pay.
Providing $9 million to help small businesses acquire federal funds through One NC.

To deal with key needs of the state’s communities along with their health and environment Cooper’s budget proposes:

Establishing a $100 million fund for local communities to clean their water of pollutants such as Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).
Reissuing the state’s conservation tax credit encourages preservation of critical habitats.
$20 million to reduce flooding with waterway and drainage upgrades.
$5 million for new equipment to help the state’s Forest Service better deal with wildfires.

Cooper’s budget is basic and to the point. There are no dramatic initiatives, no hot-button or controversial schemes.

It is an approach well worth emulating. Pass Cooper’s no-frills budget, focus on taking care of business and keep the “short” session short.

The sooner they do that, the quicker legislators can get on the campaign trail, inflate their rhetoric and ignite all the controversies they choose.

Capitol Broadcasting Company’s Opinion Section seeks a broad range of comments and letters to the editor. Our Comments beside each opinion column offer the opportunity to engage in a dialogue about this article. In addition, we invite you to write a letter to the editor about this or any other opinion articles. Here are some tips on submissions >> SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

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