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Sam Farmer's final 2024 NFL mock draft: Quarterbacks 1-2-3 after big trade?

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Sam Farmer's final 2024 NFL mock draft: Quarterbacks 1-2-3 after big trade?

This will be the first NFL draft held in the Motor City.

Fittingly, the first few teams will be looking for offensive engines.

Quarterbacks were selected No. 1 overall in seven of the last 10 drafts, and that figures to be the case again Thursday with the Chicago Bears likely to take former USC standout Caleb Williams.

And as was the case in 2021, quarterbacks could go 1-2-3.

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This mock draft contemplates a trade near the top, with conjecture that the New England Patriots could swap the No. 3 pick for Minnesota’s two first-round selections at 11 and 23. Both teams are in the market for quarterbacks, so it’s perfectly reasonable that the Patriots might stay put.

Regardless, there is intrigue at the top of this year’s draft.

There’s also legacy. This field of prospects features several whose fathers played in the NFL, among them Marvin Harrison Jr. and Frank Gore Jr., Kris Jenkins, who likewise shares has father’s name, along with Brenden Rice (son of Jerry Rice), Joe Alt (John Alt), Luke McCaffrey (Ed McCaffrey) and Jonah Elliss (Luther Elliss).

Harrison is likely to be a top-five pick and the first non-quarterback off the board.

One way the first round could unfold:

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1. CHICAGO: QB Caleb Williams, USC — The Bears are taking a quarterback. Barring a surprising head fake, they’re taking this Trojans star.

2. WASHINGTON: QB Jayden Daniels, Louisiana State — Heisman winner and dual-threat QB gives the Commanders a weapon with Lamar Jackson tendencies.

3. MINNESOTA (proposed trade with New England): QB Drake Maye, North Carolina — The Vikings might have to package their two first-round picks to get their QB.

North Carolina’s Drake Maye (10) could be the third quarterback selected in the NFL draft Thursday.

(Chris Seward / Associated Press)

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4. ARIZONA: WR Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State — Cardinals want to find their next Larry Fitzgerald, so they grab a gift for Kyler Murray.

5. CHARGERS: T Joe Alt, Notre Dame — If Harrison were to slide to them, the Chargers would love it. Alt could move from left tackle in college to right tackle in the pros.

6. N.Y. GIANTS: QB J.J. McCarthy, Michigan — McCarthy could go earlier. Giants are looking to move on from Daniel Jones, who is coming off an ACL tear.

7. TENNESSEE: WR Malik Nabers, Louisiana State — DeAndre Hopkins is old, and Treylon Burks has trouble staying healthy. Quarterback Will Levis needs more help.

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8. ATLANTA: OLB Dallas Turner, Alabama — Turner fits the Falcons’ change to a 3-4 defense and can both rush the passer and drop in coverage.

9. CHICAGO: T J.C. Latham, Alabama — The Bears need more help in the interior of their OL, but taking a tackle here affords them some flexibility.

10. N.Y. JETS: T Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State — Receiver is tempting here, but a reliable tackle probably would be even more helpful for the aging Aaron Rodgers.

11. NEW ENGLAND (proposed trade from Minnesota): DT Byron Murphy II, Texas — If the Patriots bail out of the No. 3 pick, they might decide to wait a bit on a QB.

Washington's Rome Odunze (1) catches a pass for a touchdown as Oregon State defensive back Jaden Robinson (4) pursues.

Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze could end up in Denver.

(Mark Ylen / Associated Press)

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12. DENVER: WR Rome Odunze, Washington — Jerry Jeudy is gone and Courtland Sutton might not be around much longer. Time to restock at receiver.

13. LAS VEGAS: QB Michael Penix, Washington — A second wave of QBs is going to go, and the Raiders might need to start that wave instead of risking Penix being gone in second round.

14. NEW ORLEANS: TE Brock Bowers, Georgia — Bowers would be a good fit in Denver, too. He should go in this range and surely would make Derek Carr happy.

15. INDIANAPOLIS: CB Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo — Colts gave up a lot of explosive plays last season. Mitchell could help them cut down on those.

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16. SEATTLE: OLB Chop Robinson, Penn State — Can never have too many talented edge rushers, and Robinson would be a good fit for new defensive coordinator Aden Durde.

17. JACKSONVILLE: CB Terrion Arnold, Alabama — Jaguars lost Darious Williams back to the Rams, so there’s a spot for Arnold to step into right away.

18. CINCINNATI: T Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State — The Bengals are OK on the left side, but they are in need of an upgrade on the right. Fashanu can play either side.

19. RAMS: DE Jared Verse, Florida State — No one is going to step in and strike fear the way Aaron Donald did, but the Rams can still beef up their pass rush. Verse was a sack machine in college.

Florida State defensive lineman Jared Verse (5) follows a play against Syracuse.

Jared Verse (5) was a great pass rusher for Florida State and the Rams need help on the defensive line.

(Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press)

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20. PITTSBURGH: T Troy Fatanu, Washington — Fatanu is capable of playing all over the offensive line, so maybe he starts at center and eventually moves to right tackle.

21. MIAMI: CB Nate Wiggins, Clemson — The Dolphins might take a defensive tackle here, but Wiggins is excellent value at a coveted spot if he slips this far.

22. PHILADELPHIA: OT Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma — Eagles select eventual replacement for five-time Pro Bowler Lane Johnson, who has been a rock at right tackle but is 33.

23. NEW ENGLAND (proposed trade from Minnesota): CB Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama — Foot injury might give teams a little trepidation, but McKinstry has the tools to be a shutdown corner in NFL.

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24. DALLAS: T Amarius Mims, Georgia — The Cowboys need a center, too, but Mims will be the left tackle of the future for somebody. Why not Dallas?

25. GREEN BAY: T Jordan Morgan, Arizona — Packers have released David Bakhtiari, and they need to address their offensive line. Good place to start.

26. TAMPA BAY: C Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon — GM Jason Licht likes drafting offensive linemen, and the Buccaneers need to find a solid center once and for all.

27. ARIZONA: DE Laiatu Latu, UCLA — Cardinals need help all along their defensive front, and Latu could slide a bit because of his medical history.

28. BUFFALO: WR Brian Thomas Jr., Louisiana State — With no more Stefon Diggs, the Bills need another top-shelf target for Josh Allen. Thomas fills those requirements.

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29. DETROIT: CB Cooper DeJean, Iowa — The Lions have had lots of injuries at corner. The versatile DeJean could help them there, and in the return game.

30. BALTIMORE: WR Ladd McConkey, Georgia — If they don’t take a corner, the Ravens might look for a receiver to pair with Zay Flowers.

31. SAN FRANCISCO: WR Xavier Legette, South Carolina — Tempting to pick up help on the defensive line, but the 49ers might look for an eventual Brandon Aiyuk replacement.

32. KANSAS CITY: WR Xavier Worthy, Texas — Could Worthy be the next Tyreek Hill? It didn’t hurt the prospect that he broke the combine record with a 4.21-second 40.

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Tom Brady appears angry with Jeff Ross' Robert Kraft joke during Netflix roast: 'Don't say that s— again'

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Tom Brady appears angry with Jeff Ross' Robert Kraft joke during Netflix roast: 'Don't say that s— again'

Tom Brady knew that everything was on the table for his live Netflix roast on Sunday night, including the ending of his marriage to Gisele Bündchen.

But when “roast master” Jeff Ross said a joke about New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Brady seemed quick to shut it down. 

During Ross’s joke presentation, he mentioned Brady being taken 199th overall in the NFL Draft, and he said he walked into Kraft’s office to tell him something.

Robert Kraft and Tom Brady attend Michael Rubin’s Fanatics Super Bowl Party at the Marquee Nightclub at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Feb. 10, 2024. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Fanatics)

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“’I’m the best decision your organization has ever made,’” Ross said. 

But Ross wasn’t done. 

“’Would you like a massage?’” he said.

PATRIOTS’ JEROD MAYO DOUBTS TOM BRADY WANTS TO PLAY QUARTERBACK FOR HIS OLD TEAM

WARNING: VIDEO BELOW CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE

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The Los Angeles Forum was a mixture of laughs and groans as Ross poked fun at a serious charge that Kraft had faced in early 2019. 

Robert Kraft in November 2023

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft (Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)

In February 2019, Kraft was charged in a multicounty investigation of massage parlors that included a secret video recording in the spas’ lobbies and rooms. Police said the recordings showed Kraft and other men engaging in sex acts with women and paying them.

Kraft would plead not guilty to the charge, issued a public apology in March 2019 and would be cleared of a soliciting sex charge in 2020.

Brady turned toward Ross once the joke was said, and as Ross looked over at Kraft in the crowd, Brady came into frame and tried to whisper something to Ross. But it was caught by a microphone.

“Don’t say that s— again,” he said quickly to Ross, who acknowledged it with a laugh.

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Tom Brady poses on red carpet

Tom Brady attends the Netflix Is A Joke Festival’s “The Greatest Roast Of All Time: Tom Brady” at Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, on May 5, 2024. (Monica Schipper/Getty Images)

Brady likely knew there were going to be some things said that he might not like, but he seemed to want the subject of the jokes to stay with him, not his former owner.

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Shohei Ohtani has sweeping Dodgers dreaming of a different October

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Shohei Ohtani has sweeping Dodgers dreaming of a different October

This wasn’t October. This can’t be confused with October. This has nothing to do with October.

Yet make no mistake, the Dodgers’ weekend sweep of the Atlanta Braves at a rollicking Dodger Stadium was a fair predictor of an entirely different sort of October.

An October with Shohei Ohtani.

Goodness, the imagination soars, like a 464-foot blast into the lunging grasps of the pavilion partiers.

My, the possibilities seem endless, like a 412-foot rocket that disappears over the center-field fence.

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Ohtani authored both moments during Sunday’s 5-1 sweeping victory, once again leaving witnesses searching for adjectives.

“He just keeps doing things that we haven’t seen before,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

Leading this team to its first full-season title in 36 years would qualify as something else few have seen before, wouldn’t it?

Heavens, the potential is enormous.

Ohtani, who was elsewhere while the Dodgers were failing in 10 of their previous 11 postseasons, filled his first playoff atmosphere here with ohhs and ahhs and oh yeahs.

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Ohh, he wrecked the pitching staff of the team with baseball’s best record for eight hits in 12 at-bats with three home runs and six RBIs in the three games.

Ahh, he had a game-tying single in extra innings on Friday, a tone-setting homer on Saturday, and two homers among his four hits on Sunday.

Oh yeah, he signed with the Dodgers this winter because he wanted to experience the sort of playoff setting that eluded him during six years in Anaheim, so it only figures he would soak it all in.

I asked him after Sunday’s game if he could feel the big-game atmosphere.

“Yeah, very much so,” he said through interpreter Will Ireton.

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Shohei Ohtani greets Dodgers teammate Teoscar Hernández after hitting a home run in the eighth inning Sunday.

(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

He was asked what it feels like to hit a ball 464 feet, the longest Dodgers homer this season, a leadoff shot in the eighth inning that landed deep in the left-center field seats.

“Slug is part of my game,” Ohtani said. “So being able to express that in a game situation like that … is important as well.”

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That first part belongs on a T-shirt, no?

Slug Is Part Of My Game.

“That’s deep, people don’t hit the ball out there,” said Roberts when asked about those traveling 464 feet.

Equally as deep is a Dodgers roster dotted with key new players who do not bear the dark stain of postseasons past.

This Dodger team has a new pitcher, James Paxson, who is now 4-0 with a 3.06 ERA after throwing five strong innings Sunday.

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Paxson has a 3.46 postseason ERA in three starts for the New York Yankees, so he understands the importance of this weekend’s furor.

“We played really well,” he said. “We showed how well we can play against a really good team.”

This Dodgers team also has a new outfielder, Teoscar Hernández , who hit his eighth homer Sunday and has equaled Ohtani’s 25 RBIs.

Hernández has two homers in four postseason games, so he also seems suited for the big stage.

“With our offense, every game is winnable,” Roberts said.

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With Ohtani in the middle of it all, every game this weekend felt like a victory from the first pitch to Randy Newman. The Dodgers outscored the Braves 20-6 and trailed for only brief spells in what amounted to a three-day fiesta capped by Sunday’s Cinco de Mayo roars.

“I saw signs of postseason … it was good to see our guys play to the level and energy that the fans had this series,” Roberts said.

Ohtani said the feeling was contagious.

“I just feel like we’re overall playing really well, so that’s really helping me have quality at-bats and just feeling good overall,” he said.

The scary part for opponents is that both of his Sunday home runs were essentially opposite-field hits, which means his bat has discovered its mojo.

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“When I feel confident that I can hit in that direction, then I know I can cover other pitches really well,” Ohtani said.

Paxson explained that in human terms.

“He’s awesome,” the pitcher said with a gasp. “So much power.”

The Dodgers could have used that power last October when they were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in a series in which they never led.

Shohei Ohtani runs past Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel after hitting a home run in the first inning Sunday.

Shohei Ohtani runs past Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel after hitting a home run in the first inning Sunday.

(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

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The Dodgers could have used that slug two postseasons ago when they couldn’t score in a four-game loss to the San Diego Padres.

And, yes, certainly, they will need every bit of Ohtani this fall if they once again meet the Braves. They are 3-1 against Atlanta during their postseason run, but it is the Braves who delivered the most recent blow with a four-games-to-two triumph in the 2021 National League Championship Series.

It’s far too early to be forecasting a rematch. It’s way too reckless to be celebrating a May sweep.

Yet as this weekend proved, it’s not too early to start believing.

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For the last 11 years, the Dodgers didn’t have anyone like Shohei Ohtani.

Now they do, and anything is possible.

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Former Bears quarterback Bob Avellini dead at 70

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Former Bears quarterback Bob Avellini dead at 70

Former Chicago Bears quarterback Bob Avellini, who spent all nine of his NFL seasons in the Windy City, died Saturday. He was 70 years old.

The Bears announced that Avellini lost a battle with cancer.

“Bob was one-of-a-kind, a fierce and tough competitor,” the Bears said in a statement. “He’s perhaps best remembered for leading the Bears on an improbable run in 1977 to our first postseason appearance in fourteen years. He will be missed.”

Bob Avellini of the Chicago Bears drops back to pass during the game against the New Orleans Saints at Soldier Field in Chicago on Oct. 2, 1977. Avellini played for the Bears from 1975 to 1984. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

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In 1977, both Avellini and Walter Payton, the Bears’ star running back who reached the Hall of Fame, had their best career seasons.

Payton was certainly the beating heart of Chicago’s offense, rushing for a league-high 1,852 yards with 14 touchdowns on the ground.

MAHOMES MOUNTAIN: WHERE DO CALEB WILLIAMS, ROOKIES LAND ON NICK WRIGHT’S QB TIERS?

But Avellini had a career-high 2,004 yards on 154 completions with 11 touchdowns over 14 games.

Bob Avellini runs

Bears quarterback Bob Avellini is shown during a game at Soldier Field in Chicago circa 1977. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

As the team’s statement said, the Bears hadn’t made the playoffs in 14 years until 1977, when they finally broke the drought. However, the Bears were blown out by the Dallas Cowboys, 37-7, and Avellini threw four interceptions to one touchdown on 25 attempts.

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Avellini had a 23-27 regular-season record in 73 games from 1975 through 1984, throwing for 7,111 yards and 33 touchdowns.

Bob Avellini looks into camera

Quarterback Bob Avellini of the Chicago Bears is shown circa 1979. (Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios)

The Queens, New York City, native was in the same draft class as Payton, with the Bears picking Avellini 135th overall in the sixth round of the 1975 NFL Draft out of Maryland.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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