BALTIMORE RAVENS (9-7)
New faces: QB Lamar Jackson
Sam Martin Jersey , WR Michael Crabtree, WR Willie Snead, TE Hayden Hurst, QB Robert Griffin III, WR John Brown, defensive coordinator Don Martindale.
Key losses: WR Jeremy Maclin, WR Mike Wallace, RB Danny Woodhead, CB Lardarius Webb, WR Michael Campanaro, TE Benjamin Watson, RB Terrance West
Authentic DJ Chark Jersey , QB Ryan Mallett, defensive coordinator Dean Pees.
Strengths: Defense kept Ravens in playoff hunt until final game of season. Baltimore led NFL with 22 interceptions, 34 takeaways and three shutouts. Ravens allowed 18.9 points per game, sixth best in league, but that also faltered in latter stages of 39-38 loss to Pittsburgh and crushing 31-27 defeat against Cincinnati in finale. Terrell Suggs had 11 sacks last year and still looks strong at age 36. Brandon Carr led DBs with four INTs, and must come up big while CB Jimmy Smith opens season serving four-game suspension.
Weaknesses: Offense sputtered last season, and there are no guarantees new receiving corps and rejuvenated QB Joe Flacco will make difference. Flacco averaged meager 5.72 yards per attempt, threw 13 INTs and was sacked 27 times. Return of guard Marshal Yanda, who missed 14 games with leg injury, could give Flacco protection he sorely needs. Addition of Crabtree, Snead and Brown can only help offense that ranked 29th in yards passing last year.
Fantasy Players To Watch: Brown. Speedster gives Ravens deep threat missing since Torrey Smith was sprinting downfield in 2013. Brown signed one-year contract in hopes of showing rest of league he’s more like player who amassed 1,003 yards with Arizona in 2015 than injury-riddled receiver who last year had 21 catches for 299 yards with Cardinals.
Vegas Says: Super Bowl 50-1. Over/under wins 8.5.
Expectations: Ravens haven’t reached playoffs in three straight years
A.J. Green Jersey , longest dry spell since 1990s. General manager Ozzie Newsome, who enters final year before handing reins to Eric DeCosta, has assembled team capable of threatening Pittsburgh in AFC North. For that to happen, Flacco must return to form and get some help from set of receivers that represents upgrade from 2017 group. Martindale promises to deliver aggressive defense after earning promotion from LB coach. It’s worth noting, however, that Martindale hasn’t been defensive coordinator since 2010 with Denver, when team gave up more yards and points than any.
The Buffalo Sabres have signed prospect forward Rasmus Asplund to a three-year entry level contract.
Asplund is from Sweden and was selected by Buffalo in the second round of the 2016 NHL draft. The 20-year-old had a career-best eight goals and 28 points in 50 games in his third full season with Swedish Hockey League’s Farjestad BK.
Overall, Asplund has 20 goals and 62 points in 170 career SHL games. He represented Sweden in two World Junior hockey championships.
Asplund joins what’s becoming a Swedish invasion on a Buffalo team that includes prospects Alex Nylander, Lawrence Pilut and Victor Olofsson.
The Sabres have an opportunity to add another Swede with the first pick in the NHL draft next month. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is considered the top prospect.
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