Sports

Will Sam Darnold be the Zack Baun of free agency or the next Aaron Rodgers?

Published

10 months ago

March 12, 2025

Will Sam Darnold be the Zack Baun of free agency or the next Aaron Rodgers?

Zack Baun’s last name rhymes with yawn, and that was pretty much the reaction a year ago when the Philadelphia Eagles signed him as a free agent out of New Orleans.

The guy was a special-teamer with the Saints who agreed to a one-year deal to play linebacker for the Eagles, and he quickly transitioned into a centerpiece of that championship defense.

The Eagles backed up the Brinks truck for Baun this offseason, signing him to a three-year, $51-million extension and underscoring the notion that when it comes to free agency, you just never know.

Everyone’s fascinated by the shiny new object — and sometimes rightfully so — but often it’s the player who seemingly comes out of nowhere who is most impactful. That’s why picking winners and losers with the NFL’s annual game of musical chairs is a dicey proposition.

Remember when so much was riding on where Aaron Rodgers would sign a couple of years ago, and then the quarterback’s first season with the New York Jets lasted four snaps? Now, Rodgers is out there looking for a place to land, and no one’s overly excited about what he can do.

Same goes for quarterback Kirk Cousins, the big prize in free agency last year.

The NFL’s new league year kicked off Wednesday, and there’s been a lot of roster reshuffling that could refashion the landscape heading into the draft.

One move that impacts both the Rams and Chargers is Las Vegas trading for Seattle quarterback Geno Smith, a move orchestrated by new Raiders coach Pete Carroll. Smith had revived his career with the Seahawks and could provide the Raiders with their most stable quarterback situation since the Derek Carr days.

The Raiders looked at all sorts of potential solutions in free agency, including Rodgers, Sam Darnold, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields and made a serious attempt at trading for Matthew Stafford. Presumably, Raiders minority owner Tom Brady had significant influence when it came to making the decision.

That move cleared the way for Darnold to go to Seattle, reaping the benefits of his strong season in Minnesota. It remains to be seen if Darnold is a new man, or if that year with the Vikings was merely a happy aberration. He struggled mightily in a playoff loss to the Rams and was sacked nine times.

Houston Texans offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil will be protecting Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels next season.

(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

Having moved on from Wilson and Fields, Pittsburgh is ready to reboot at quarterback again. This time the job is more enticing thanks to the addition of DK Metcalf, who came by way of trade from Seattle.

In recent years the San Francisco 49ers have had bottomless pockets when it came to adding players, including along their defensive line. Now that line will look entirely different, though, with Nick Bosa the only remaining constant. He’s the proven commodity, and the other three spots are up for grabs.

The 49ers also parted ways with receiver Deebo Samuel, acquired by Washington in a trade. The Commanders also traded for Laremy Tunsil, Houston’s five-time Pro Bowl left tackle. All of that is good news for quarterback Jayden Daniels, last season’s offensive rookie of the year.

Losing Tunsil is bad news for Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who was sacked 52 times last season and already was playing behind a makeshift offensive line.

When Kyle Shanahan arrived to coach the 49ers in 2017, one of his big free-agent targets was fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who became a fixture in that offense, one of the NFL’s few to use a fullback. Now the 49ers have released Juszczyk — although the door isn’t completely closed on a return — and might be rounding into more of a two-tight-end look. The club could be locked in on Penn State tight end Tyler Warren in the draft.

The Rams will look different without receiver Cooper Kupp and over the weekend they traded for another All-Pro, Davante Adams, who was traded from Las Vegas to the Jets last season.

With Darnold and Daniel Jones gone from Minnesota, J.J. McCarthy has the green light to move forward as the Vikings’ starting quarterback. He sat out his rookie season recovering from knee surgery.

Like Darnold, Jones has moved on to new opportunity. Indianapolis signed him to a one-year deal in what appears to be an open competition with Anthony Richardson for the starting job.

The Chargers said goodbye to their longest-tenured player, defensive end Joey Bosa, who signed with Buffalo. Jacksonville tight end Evan Engram, who was targeted by both the Chargers and Denver, wound up signing with the Broncos.

But the Chargers did sign a couple of Steelers standouts in running back Najee Harris and cornerback Donte Jackson, who had five interceptions last season.

As Philadelphia’s Baun reminded people around the league, sometimes it’s the player most everyone overlooks who makes the monumental impact.

Sports

Ole Miss staffer references Aaron Hernandez while discussing ‘chaotic’ coaching complications with LSU

Published

10 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Ole Miss staffer references Aaron Hernandez while discussing ‘chaotic’ coaching complications with LSU

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The chaos between LSU coaches who left Ole Miss alongside Lane Kiffin but are still coaching the Rebels in the College Football Playoff is certainly a whirlwind.

Joe Judge, Ole Miss’ quarterbacks coach, has found himself in the thick of the drama — while he is not headed for Baton Rouge, he’s had to wonder who he will be working with on a weekly basis.

When asked this week about what it’s like to go through all the trials and tribulations, Judge turned heads with his answer that evoked his New England Patriots days.

Aaron Hernandez sits in the courtroom of the Attleboro District Court during his hearing. Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez has been indicted on a first-degree murder charge in the death of Odin Lloyd in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, on Aug. 22, 2013. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

“My next-door neighbor was Aaron Hernandez,” Judge said, according to CBS Sports. “I know this is still more chaotic.”

Hernandez was found guilty of the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd, which occurred just three years into his NFL career.

“If you watch those documentaries, my house is on the TV next door,” Judge added. “The detectives knocked on my door to find out where he was. I didn’t know. We just kind of talked to the organization. But it was obviously chaotic.”

Aaron Hernandez was convicted of the 2013 murder of semipro football player Odin Lloyd. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

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Judge, though, was able to compare the two situations to see how players can combat wild distractions.

“Those players that year handled that extremely well. Came out of that chaos, and we had some really good direction inside with some veterans and some different guys. You have something like that happen — how do you handle something like that? How do you deal with something like that? So you keep the focus on what you can handle, what you can control, which at that time was football for us, and we went through the stretch, and we were able to have success that year,” Judge said.

Judge also compared this scenario to the 2020 NFL season when he was head coach of the New York Giants, saying he would have “no idea” who would be available due to surprise positive COVID-19 tests.

Head coach Joe Judge of the New York Giants looks on during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. The game took place in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Dec. 19, 2021. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The Rebels face Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, the College Football Playoff Semifinal, on Thursday night.

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Sports

Prep talk: Calabasas basketball team is surging with 11 wins in last 12 games

Published

10 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Prep talk: Calabasas basketball team is surging with 11 wins in last 12 games

Calabasas pulled off a huge win in high school basketball on Tuesday night, handing Thousand Oaks its first defeat after 16 victories in a Marmonte League opener.

The Coyotes (13-5) have quietly turned around their season after a 2-4 start, winning 11 of their last 12 games.

One of the major contributors has been 6-foot-3 junior guard Johnny Thyfault, who’s averaging 16 points and has become a fan favorite because of his dunking skills. He also leads the team in taking charging fouls.

He transferred to Calabasas after his freshman year at Viewpoint.

As for beating Thousand Oaks, coach Jon Palarz said, “We got to play them at home and had great effort.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Sports

Hawks trade 4-time All-Star Trae Young to Wizards in blockbuster deal: reports

Published

22 hours ago

January 8, 2026

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Hawks trade 4-time All-Star Trae Young to Wizards in blockbuster deal: reports

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The Atlanta Hawks have parted ways with four-time NBA All-Star point guard Trae Young, trading him to the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster move, according to ESPN.

The Hawks will reportedly be receiving veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert in the deal.

Washington was Young’s preferred destination, and the two sides were working on a deal to get the 27-year-old point guard to the nation’s capital.

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Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks looks on during the game against the Boston Celtics during Round 1 Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2023 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. ( Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Young’s agents were having conversations with the Hawks, who sit at 17-21 so far this season, about trading their client out of Atlanta.

There is a mutual connection in Washington, too, as executive Travis Schlenk drafted Young fifth overall in 2018 out of Oklahoma.

It marks the end of an era for the Hawks. Young has been the focal point of their offense since he was taken in that draft. He is the team’s career leader in three-pointers and assists, having led the team to the postseason in three of his eight seasons. The Hawks went the furthest in 2021, where they made the Eastern Conference Finals.

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However, the new era was brewing already in Atlanta, with forward Jalen Johnson taking the next step in his career, averaging 23.7 points per game this season. The pickup of Nickeil Alexander-Walker also helps, as he’s averaged 20.5 points per game in 36 appearances.

Meanwhile, Young has played just 10 games this season, as he’s been dealing with leg injuries, most notably a right MCL sprain.

Trae Young #11 of the Atlanta Hawks looks on after the game against the Boston Celtics during Round One Game Five of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on April 25, 2023 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Hawks also get some flexibility on their books, as they could make some more moves. Anthony Davis is reportedly available from the Dallas Mavericks, making him a good target for Atlanta.

Young has $95 million remaining on his deal that runs through the 2026-27 season, which includes a player option this offseason.

Atlanta will be taking on McCollum’s contract, though the veteran guard has a $30.6 million expiring deal.

Through his 10 games this season, Young is averaging 19.2 points, 8.9 assists and 1.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 41.5% from the field.

Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks drives down the court during the first half against the Philadelphia 76ers at State Farm Arena on April 7, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Over his career, Young has dropped 25.2 points and 9.8 assists per game, while leading the league in the latter category last season with 11.6 per contest.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.