Latest news with #Solak
The National
5 days ago
- Sport
- The National
Southampton owner reacts to Russell Martin Rangers move
Jim White read out the sentiments of Solak on his show on talkSPORT this morning, as he and Simon Jordan reacted to Martin's official appointment at Ibrox. Martin, 39, has been out of football since Saints sacked him last December. The south coast side were bottom of the Premier League at the time, with just one win in 16 matches at that point. A 5-0 defeat at home to Tottenham was enough for Solak to remove Martin from his role at St Mary's, just months after the former Scotland international had guided the club to promotion via the play-offs at Wembley. Read more: "I believe and hope Russell will have great success with Rangers, really happy for him to land such a high-profile job," read White, on behalf of Solak. The Serbian continued: "It is absolutely the right fit for him and great opportunity for him to develop as a manager. "I always considered him to be a smart and intelligent manager with a great career ahead of him and I hope that he proves me right." Martin was officially unveiled at Ibrox earlier today, having signed a three-year deal.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Panthers acquire Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey in hypothetical trade offer from ESPN
Panthers acquire Dolphins CB Jalen Ramsey in hypothetical trade offer from ESPN The Carolina Panthers may have what it takes to reel in one of the biggest fishes on the market. With a few NFL stars still possibly up for grabs, ESPN enlisted the help of four analysts and experts to cook up some spicy hypothetical trade proposals. Among the players included in the simulation was Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who Benjamin Solak connected to the Panthers. Solak offered up a 2026 fourth-round pick from Carolina for Ramsey, and wrote the following: Ramsey is a fan of Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, who coached him in Los Angeles, and the Panthers have a big need at safety opposite new addition Tre'von Moehrig. As 30-year-old Ramsey enters the latter part of his career, safety might be a better position for him. If he has the legs to play corner, starting roles on the outside and in the slot are up for grabs in Carolina. The team made huge additions across its defensive front this offseason but still needs help on the back end. As Solak alluded to, Ramsey recently heaped a bit of praise on Evero, calling him one of the best coaches he's ever been around. The two spent three seasons together with the Los Angeles Rams, when Evero served as the team's safeties coach, secondary coach and defensive passing game coordinator. One of those three seasons ended with a Lombardi Trophy—as Ramsey, Evero and the Rams pulled out a 23-20 win against the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI. Evero would then be hired as the Denver Broncos' defensive coordinator at the start of the next campaign in 2022. But back to the simulation—where ESPN Dolphins beat reporter Marcel Louis-Jacques favored Solak's offer from the Panthers over two from the Rams and one from the Los Angeles Chargers: Considering the Dolphins gave up only a backup tight end (Long) and a third-round pick to acquire Ramsey in the first place, Solak's offer is the closest thing to breaking even in terms of draft capital. An additional fourth-round pick from Carolina gives Miami a whopping seven selections in the first four rounds of the 2026 draft, not including any compensatory picks. Acquiring Ramsey would also entail some number-crunching for the Panthers and Dolphins. Ramsey still has four years remaining on his contract—with cap hits of $16.6 million in 2025, $25 million in 2026, $26.8 million in 2027 and $36.1 million in 2028. So, yeah, adding a three-time first-team All-Pro corner won't be that easy. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ESPN analyst reads the tea leaves on Saints' brewing QB competition
Ben Solak of ESPN recently released his '100 Things to Know' as we hit the 100-day mark until Week 1 of the NFL season. While teams across the league were highlighted for various reasons, Solak shared a few intriguing notes about key developments surrounding the New Orleans Saints. Entering a season of transition — with a new head coach in Kellen Moore and uncertainty at quarterback following the abrupt retirement of Derek Carr — the Saints have quickly become one of the league's most intriguing question marks. In this piece, Solak's first excerpt on the Saints is in regards to their situation at the quarterback position and shares his thoughts behind anticipated battle for QB1 between Spencer Rattler and second round pick Tyler Shough: Advertisement Reading between the lines, it's clear that Shough is expected to be the guy—he was a high draft pick and appears to be Kellen Moore's handpicked selection. However, Rattler brings plenty of upside himself, once considered a potential No. 1 overall pick. He flashed that talent last season, playing fearless under pressure and showing decisiveness with the football. With a year of experience now under his belt, Rattler has a real shot to take this competition down to the wire. Solak also includes some humor in this piece in regards to jersey number changes around the league. Specifically with Spencer Rattler's change from No. 18 to No. 2: Clearly, Rattler does have the better number than Shough but obviously will have little to do with the race for QB1. This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: ESPN writer suggests there's a clear favorite in Saints QB compeition
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ESPN Analyst Gives Strong Prediction on 2025 Buccaneers
ESPN Analyst Gives Strong Prediction on 2025 Buccaneers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. When the confetti fell in Super Bowl LIX, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to watch the Philadelphia Eagles celebrate their second Super Bowl title in one of the most dominating finishes in league history. Advertisement In the Bucs' minds, the 2024-25 season had been a missed opportunity. Not only did Tampa Bay destroy the Eagles early in the season, but they also knocked off the Detroit Lions (the top seed in the NFC) as well. For them to fail to get out of the wild card round after that was a disappointment. And one that the 2025 team is hoping to avenge. Tampa Bay bolstered both sides of the roster this offseason, and remains a strong contender this season. Plenty of analysts believe that as well. ESPN's Ben Solak is one analyst who thinks they could be the second-best team in the NFC behind the Eagles. "ESPN BET ranks the most likely NFC representatives for the Super Bowl in this order: Eagles, Lions, 49ers, Commanders, Packers, Rams, Vikings and Buccaneers," Solak said. "I would have the Buccaneers over every team besides the Eagles. Maybe tied with the Lions and Rams, but no lower than that." Advertisement The Buccaneers are not without their own problems. They have a new offensive play-caller for a third straight season, their defense needs to stay healthy, and their head coach hasn't proven he can outwit some of the better minds in the league. With a roster this talented, though, many of those concerns may be short-lived. And it's why the Buccaneers may be in line for a deep playoff run this season after all. Related: Buccaneers 2nd-Round Pick Tabbed 'Rookie to Watch' Related: Buccaneers 'Knucklehead' Baker Mayfield Challenged with New Goal This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Love for Edgerrin Cooper and Elgton Jenkins, but Packers missing playoffs?
Love for Edgerrin Cooper and Elgton Jenkins, but Packers missing playoffs? Ben's Solak's list of 100 things to know and predictions for the 2025 NFL season -- posted at ESPN on Tuesday -- featured love for Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins but also included a prediction Packers fans won't like to read. First, the good. Solak started his 100-item list with "10 names to know." The first two names listed? Both Packers -- Cooper and Jenkins. Solak sees Cooper, an All-Rookie Team pick who won two NFC Defensive Player of the Week awards and took off as an impact player to end last season, as an All-Pro candidate in 2025. From Solak: "The lightbulb went on for Cooper last year, as he rose from sub-package player to 100% snap starter by season's end. From December on, I'm not sure there were five more impactful linebackers in all of football. Cooper is highly active against the run and a reliable tackler in space. He has the size and athletic ability to be a solid coverage man. After he got one All-Pro vote last season, I'd wager Cooper gets double-digit votes in 2025." Cooper produced 13 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, a forced fumble, an interception and two fumble recoveries while starting only four games and playing under 500 total snaps as a rookie. He has legitimate star power as a do-everything disruptor at off-ball linebacker, especially after gaining weight and strength ahead of Year 2. He should be more comfortable in Jeff Hafley's defense and better built to withstand the rigors of an NFL season. On offense, Solak sees Jenkins, who is moving to center in 2025, as "one of the coolest players in the league" considering his incredible versatility and consistency. And he agrees that Jenkins -- who is skipping the offseason program so far -- needs a restructured deal ahead of this season. From Solak: "In six seasons, he has played at least 300 snaps at four of the five offensive line positions: both tackle spots, left guard and center. The film has been good everywhere, too -- absurd consistency. His last extensive experience at center was in 2020, but he's expected to fill that spot in 2025 after Josh Myers left for the Jets in free agency. Jenkins is in a contract dispute with the Packers right now, as he has two years left on his deal and reportedly wants his compensation to reflect his versatility. I agree with him. What a player." The Packers gave Aaron Banks a top-of-the-market deal and are now asking Jenkins -- who has been a far better player than Banks at left guard during his career -- to move to center. It's a lot to ask of a player who has only two years left on his deal, could be a cut candidate in 2026 and is moving to a less lucrative position at center. In some ways, Jenkins' incredible versatility is both a gift and a curse. He can play every offensive line position, and most of the five at a high level. But moving around so often is tough on the player and makes the financial side increasingly tricky. Ready for the bad? Solak predicted the Packers wouldn't make the postseason in 2025. His concerns revolve around the defense's pass-rush, which was frustratingly inconsistent in 2024 and didn't make a major addition this offseason, and at the top of the receiver depth chart. Solak's prediction: "The Packers will miss the playoffs. I think two of the biggest nonnegotiables for playoff teams are having a pass rush and a dominant receiver. The Packers definitely don't have the first and still might not have the second, even after drafting Matthew Golden in Round 1. They were plus-12 in turnover differential last season, which ranked third in the NFL, but that tends not to be a sticky number. (I am also looking at the plus-24 Bills with supreme suspicion.)" Legitimate concerns, but it's worth noting that the Packers won 11 games and made the playoffs without a dominant pass rush or a true No. 1 receiver just last season. Making a change at defensive line coach -- swapping out Jason Rebrovich for former Patriots defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington -- could make a big difference. And after adding Golden and Savion Williams in the draft, the Packers are deep in talent at wide receiver, plus Tucker Kraft could emerge as a bigger weapon in the passing game. Solak also mentioned Packers-Eagles in Week 10 as one of his "nine interesting scheduling features," and for an obvious reason: It's the Tush Push battle. Surely, that storyline won't be brought up a million more times before now and kickoff in Week 10, right?
