Author

admin

Browsing

In this exclusive video, legendary trader Larry Williams breaks down why the stock market is primed for a rally, using technical analysis, fundamental signals, and seasonal trends. He explains how tariffs, crude oil, and cyclical patterns could fuel the next big market surge, plus stocks to watch during this potential upswing. Don’t miss these key insights from a market expert!

This video originally premiered on March 14, 2025. Watch on StockCharts’ dedicated Larry Williams page!

Previously recorded videos from Larry are available at this link.

The first few days of NFL free agency are often hectic. The 2025 edition of the event was no exception, as players flew off the board quickly when the league’s ‘legal tampering’ window opened.

The NFL’s trade market was also active before and during NFL free agency. Star receivers like DK Metcalf and Deebo Samuel were among the notable players traded while the Houston Texans surprised by moving on from veteran left tackle Laremy Tunsil.

There are still plenty of quality free agents yet to sign. Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Cooper Kupp rank among the most notable players still available as NFL free agency continues.

But how have NFL teams fared during free agency’s first wave? Here are grades for all 32 teams.

Arizona Cardinals

  • Grade: A-

The Cardinals have lacked high-end edge rushers since Chandler Jones’ final season with the team in 2021. They landed one of the top pass rushers on the open market, Josh Sweat, to change that. Sweat had 2.5 sacks in Super Bowl 59 and has experience playing for Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon in Philadelphia, so he should ingratiate himself into Arizona’s defense easily.

Arizona also added backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett and run-stuffing defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson to build up its roster depth. Add in the re-signings of starting guard Evan Brown and edge rusher Baron Browning and the Cardinals have done well for themselves on the open market.

Atlanta Falcons

  • Grade: B-

The Falcons entered the 2025 NFL offseason cap-strapped by the four-year, $180 million contract they gave Kirk Cousins last year. As a result, they couldn’t spend significantly on the free agent market.

Still, Atlanta found a couple of solid external free agent contributors in edge rusher Leonard Floyd (one year, $10 million) and linebacker Divine Deablo (two years, $14 million). Floyd in particular should help the Falcons improve upon their 31 sacks from last season (second-worst in the NFL), but the 32-year-old doesn’t constitute as a major needle-mover.

Baltimore Ravens

  • Grade: B

The Ravens haven’t been too active yet in free agency, but retaining one of their top offensive linemen, left tackle Ronnie Stanley, on a three-year, $60 million deal ahead of the legal tampering period was critical. That will allow the Ravens to return four of their five starting offensive linemen from 2024.

As far as external signings go, Baltimore has only added veteran receiver DeAndre Hopkins on a one-year, $6 million deal. That’s a worthwhile gamble on the three-time All-Pro, but it doesn’t qualify as a major move with the 32-year-old now past his prime.

Buffalo Bills

  • Grade: B+

The Bills spent the 2024 offseason taking care of their own, as they extended Josh Allen, Gregory Rousseau, Khalil Shakir and Terrell Bernard. They have also added a handful of veteran role players including defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi (one year, $8.3 million), receiver Joshua Palmer (three years, $36 million) and outside linebacker Michael Hoecht (three years, $24 million).

Perhaps the most interesting move was Buffalo’s decision to swap out Von Miller for Joey Bosa. The former Chargers star is younger than Miller but has struggled to stay healthy in recent seasons. That said, Bosa’s deal is a one-year pact worth $12.6 million, so the Bills didn’t take any long-term risk by adding him.

Carolina Panthers

  • Grade: B

The Panthers have a clear directive in mind during the 2025 offseason: to add young talent to their defense. It began when they made Jaycee Horn the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. It continued when they gave four players aged 26 or younger – defensive tackle Tershawn Wharton, safety Tre’von Moehrig, edge rusher Patrick Jones II and defensive tackle Bobby Brown III – multi-year contracts.

Carolina may have spent a little bit above market value on some of those deals, but they are hoping the young talents will grow into them. That’s not a bad gamble considering the Panthers ranked last in defensive EPA last season.

Chicago Bears

  • Grade: A

Chicago’s entire interior offensive line was set to hit free agency in 2025. The Bears used this opportunity to make wholesale changes up front after Caleb Williams was sacked a league-high 68 times last season.

The Bears traded for veteran guards Jonah Jackson, who worked with new Bears head coach Ben Johnson while with the Lions, and Joe Thuney, who was an All-Pro in back-to-back seasons with the Chiefs. They capped off their changes by signing Drew Dalman – Pro Football Focus’ fourth-graded center from 2024 – to a three-year deal worth up to $42 million.

Add in Chicago’s signings of Dayo Odeyingbo (three years, $48 million) and Grady Jarrett (three years, $43.5 million) to bolster the defensive front and the Bears got much better in the trenches. That should position them to improve upon their 5-12 record from last season.

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Grade: D+

The Bengals entered the 2025 offseason hoping to retain Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and Trey Hendrickson long-term. Thus far, Cincinnati slapped Higgins with the franchise tag again, gave Hendrickson permission to seek a trade and saw Myles Garrett earn a contract worth $40 million in AAV, which could drive up the price of Chase’s eventual extension. That’s less than ideal for the ever-penny-pinching Bengals.

Cincinnati did well to retain some of their key free agents – most notably tight end Mike Gesicki (three years, $25.5 million) and B.J. Hill (three years, $33 million) – but the Bengals haven’t landed many upgrades to their defense. That puts a lot of pressure on the Bengals front office to nail the draft to solve the defensive woes they faced last season.

Cleveland Browns

  • Grade: B+

Myles Garrett requested a trade away from the Browns, but Cleveland found a way to retain their star by making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. The four-year, $160 million deal was pricey, but it allowed the Browns to keep their best player and keep his ‘Cleveland to Canton’ trajectory alive.

Beyond that, the Browns have done well despite being handcuffed to Deshaun Watson’s albatross contract. Landing Kenny Pickett via trade as cheap quarterback competition was particularly notable while Cornelius Lucas (two years, $10 million) should replenish some of Cleveland’s departing tackle depth.

Few will be overly excited by what the Browns have accomplished, but Andrew Berry has done a nice job considering the resources with which he is working.

Dallas Cowboys

  • Grade: C

Jerry Jones’ team hasn’t spent more than $10 million in AAV on an external free agent since Greg Hardy in 2015. That streak seems likely to stay alive another year, unless the Cowboys can sign Cooper Kupp.

Among the Cowboys signings, running back Javonte Williams and edge rusher Payton Turner have some upside on one-year deals while guard Robert Jones and defensive tackle Solomon Thomas could also end up playing significant roles. Buying low on Kaiir Elam via trade was also a worthwhile gamble.

Still, the Cowboys aren’t looking much better this year than they were in their 7-10 season last year. That’s less than ideal playing in the top-heavy NFC East.

Denver Broncos

  • Grade: A

The Broncos ranked No. 1 in defensive EPA last season. Nonetheless, they managed to get better on that side of the ball by signing a couple of 49ers – 2022 All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga and elite run-stopper Dre Greenlaw – to three-year deals. They should give Vance Joseph’s defense more playmaking power.

Denver also added a mismatch weapon at tight end in Evan Engram (two years, $23 million) and kept starting defensive tackle D.J. Jones on a three-year, $39 million deal. The Broncos’ window for contention is open with Bo Nix on a cheap rookie contract, so this should help them in their quest to make a second consecutive playoff appearance.

Detroit Lions

  • Grade: A-

The Lions lost Carlton Davis in free agency but were able to add D.J. Reed, a slight upgrade over Davis, on a cheaper deal (three years, $48 million). They also retained defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike on a reasonable one-year deal to continue in rotation with D.J. Reader and Alim McNeill and managed to keep versatile swing tackle Dan Skipper.

The only blight on Detroit’s free agency is that the team released Za’Darius Smith before anyone could see him play across from Aidan Hutchinson.

Green Bay Packers

  • Grade: B-

The Packers aren’t typically active in free agency, but they signed a couple of starters this year in left guard Aaron Banks and cornerback Nate Hobbs.

Green Bay may have overpaid for Banks (four years, $77 million) but his presence at left guard allows Elgton Jenkins to move to center to replace the departing Josh Myers. Meanwhile, Hobbs adds a quality slot man and versatility to a cornerback room that needed depth and talent.

Those two signings are solid, as are the team’s decisions to re-sign kicker Brandon McManus and linebacker Isaiah McDuffie.

Houston Texans

  • Grade: C-

The Texans have had a strange offseason. They made a nice trade to acquire C.J. Gardner-Johnson from the Eagles by offloading first-round guard bust Kenyon Green, but that was one of many moves in the dismantling of their offensive line.

The Texans have made a couple quality buy-low moves, like trading for receiver Christian Kirk and signing edge rusher Darrell Taylor, but it doesn’t feel as though they have improved upon their playoff roster from last season yet.

Indianapolis Colts

  • Grade: B-

The Colts needed to add talent to their secondary and have done so, agreeing to terms with cornerback Charvarius Ward and safety Cam Bynum on a pair of $60 million contracts. Ward should fit particularly well into Lou Anarumo’s defense and will relish a fresh start after mourning the death of his 1-year-old daughter during the 2024 season.

The Colts lost a couple of offensive lineman, including standout right guard Will Fries, which is dragging their grade down slightly. So too are questions about whether Daniel Jones was the right quarterback to pair with Anthony Richardson, but Jones is just on a one-year, $14 million deal.

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Grade: C+

The Jaguars haven’t yet done much to write home about as new general manager James Gladstone and head coach Liam Coen retool the roster. The Jaguars have focused on depth signings, grabbing tight ends Johnny Mundt and Hunter Long to replace Evan Engram while signing Dyami Brown to replace the departing Christian Kirk.

Notably, the Jaguars have signed three offensive linemen – Patrick Mekari, Robert Hainsey and Chuma Edoga – to multi-year deals. Mekari (three years, $37.5 million) and Hainsey (three years, $21 million) are being paid like starters while Edoga is more likely to be a swing tackle.

None of Jacksonville’s signings have been flashy, but they should be deeper than they have been in recent seasons.

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Grade: B-

The good: Kansas City solidified their defense by re-signing linebacker Nick Bolton and agreeing to a reasonable deal with Kristian Fulton to be the team’s No. 2 cornerback. The bad: they traded their All-Pro left guard Joey Thuney and will have questions on the left side of the line as a result even after signing Jaylon Moore to a two-year, $30 million deal.

Those offensive line questions will worry Chiefs fans who have watched Patrick Mahomes get crushed by pressure in his two Super Bowl losses.

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Grade: B+

The Raiders locked Maxx Crosby in with a contract extension worth $35.5 million in AAV. That constituted their big splash of free agency while their trade for Geno Smith gave them a much-needed upgrade at quarterback.

Aside from that, Las Vegas targeted experienced starters and role players – like safety Jeremy Chinn, right guard Alex Cappa and linebacker Elandon Roberts – to plug hole and add depth to its roster. Overall, this seems like the right way for the team to improve upon their difficult 2024 season.

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Grade: B

The Chargers have lost some key players in free agency, namely Poona Ford, Kristian Fulton, Joey Bosa and Josh Palmer. They have also kept some of their key players, like edge rusher Khalil Mack and center Bradley Bozeman, while adding running Najee Harris, who profiles as a great fit for Greg Roman’s offense, on a one-year deal.

General manager Joe Hortiz appears to be taking a calculated approach in free agency as he continues to shape the team into one built around its running game and defense. That worked last season and should work just fine in 2025.

Los Angeles Rams

  • Grade: A-

The Rams made one of the most underrated signings in early free agency by landing Poona Ford on a three-year deal worth up to $30 million. He was one of the NFL’s best defensive linemen against the run last season, and Los Angeles desperately needed to upgrade its run defense.

Elsewhere, the Rams kept left tackle Alaric Jackson on a market-value deal ahead of free agency and landed Davante Adams as a quality replacement for Cooper Kupp. They also extended Matthew Stafford, which should allow them to remain a contender in 2025 and beyond.

The only downside to Los Angeles’ offseason is that they didn’t get anything on the trade market for Kupp.

Miami Dolphins

  • Grade: B

The Dolphins have done a solid job adding talent to their roster despite having minimal wiggle room under the salary cap. They landed an upgrade at right guard in James Daniels (three years, $24 million) and a bigger-bodied receiver in Nick Westbrook-Ikhine who will pair well with speed demons Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.

While losing Jevon Holland will hurt, landing Ifeatu Melifonwu on a one-year deal to replace him is a solid upside swing. It’s hard to complain too much with Miami’s approach as a result.

Minnesota Vikings

  • Grade: A

Much will be made about the Vikings losing both Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones in free agency. However, with the team ready to trust J.J. McCarthy as a starter, the team was smart not to overpay for a veteran quarterback. Instead, they spent heavily in the trenches, bringing in Ryan Kelly and Will Fries from the Colts to play center and right guard respectively while also signing veteran defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.

Some will argue that giving Fries $88 million is a bit rich; others may wonder whether Allen will be able to live up to a $20 million AAV after seeing his sack numbers decline in four consecutive seasons.

Even so, Minnesota looks a lot stronger up front than it was last season. That could allow the Vikings to continue to build upon their 2024 success, provided that McCarthy is ready to step into the starting role.

New England Patriots

  • Grade: A

The Patriots have landed upgrades at every level of the defense. Milton Williams and Harold Landry will add much needed pop to a unit that produced the fewest sacks in the NFL last season; Robert Spillane will provide leadership and instinctive tackling ability at linebacker; and Carlton Davis is a proven, solid outside starter to pair with All-Pro Christian Gonzalez.

Patriots fans may be perturbed that the team hasn’t added a left tackle or a top receiver in free agency yet as they look to build around Drake Maye. That said, they did sign Morgan Moses to be an upgrade on the right side. The veteran starter should be a major upgrade over Demontrey Jacobs – who graded as Pro Football Focus’ worst qualified tackle last season – and came with a reasonable $24 million price tag over three years.

New Orleans Saints

  • Grade: B

The Saints have long been in an unfavorable salary cap situation, but they continue to find ways to circumvent it and add to their team. This year, they agreed to a reasonable, three-year pact with safety Justin Reid worth up to $31.5 million and managed to keep edge rusher Chase Young on a three-year, $51 million deal. That’s not bad for a team that was once projected to be more than $50 million over the cap.

New York Giants

  • Grade: B-

The Giants spent most of their early free agent resources on their secondary. They signed cornerback Paulson Adebo and safety Jevon Holland to three-year deals worth a combined $99.3 million. Adebo and Holland are both just 25 years old, so New York in banking on the duo continuing to grow into a dynamic, playmaking tandem.

Some will question why the Giants were willing to pay Holland $15 million in AAV but not Xavier McKinney $16.75 million in 2024. Nonetheless, the Giants’ secondary is improved, and so is their trench depth after agreeing to deals with Chauncey Golston and Roy Robertson-Harris on the defensive line and backup offensive tackles in James Hudson and Stone Forsythe.

New York Jets

  • Grade: C+

The Jets are a tough team to grade. On one hand, they needed to undergo significant changes after a 5-12 season. They are getting that with Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, C.J. Mosley and D.J. Reed all departing.

On the other hand, it’s fair to scrutinize some of New York’s replacements. Jamien Sherwood fared well in place of Mosley last year, but was it wise to give a one-year starter $15 million in AAV? And what about Brandon Stephens, who was signed to a three-year, $36 million deal after allowing a 65 catches and 107.4 passer rating in 2025?

Add in Justin Fields (two years, $40 million) and New York’s free-agent class has been polarizing thus far. But given the class’ relative youth, it undeniably come with upside.

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Grade: C-

The Eagles didn’t have a lot of salary cap wiggle room, so they were expected not to be very active in free agency. They managed to re-sign All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun to a three-year, $51 million deal, but aside from that, they have focused on adding new players like Josh Uche and Harrison Bryant on cheap, short-term deals.

Philadelphia has lost five key defensive players from its Super Bowl 59-winning roster, the most head-scratching of which was C.J. Gardner-Johnson. They sent him to the Texans in a trade involving guard Kenyon Green, who has struggled through three NFL seasons since being a first-round pick.

The Eagles figure to be more active in the second wave of free agency as they bargain hunt, but it’s hard to feel too good about their offseason to date – even if they were expected to be quiet.

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Grade: B+

It’s hard to fully grade the Steelers’ offseason while awaiting an answer to the Aaron Rodgers saga, but thus far, the team has done well to add to areas of need. DK Metcalf gives the team another high-quality receiving threat, Darius Slay can be a solid stopgap No. 2 cornerback and Mason Rudolph provides the team with solid, experienced depth at quarterback while making just $8 million over two years.

Questions exist about whether Metcalf’s skill set can complement George Pickens’ but there should be plenty for both to serve as strong downfield threats. As long as the Steelers land a solid quarterback, they should position themselves for another playoff run.

San Francisco 49ers

  • Grade: D

The 49ers are retooling significantly during the offseason. The team parted with veterans Deebo Samuel, Kyle Juszczyk, Javon Hargrave and Leonard Floyd by choice while losing starters Talanoa Hufanga, Dre Greenlaw, Charvarius Ward and Aaron Banks on the free agent market.

Meanwhile, San Francisco’s biggest additions have been blocking tight end Luke Farrell on a three-year, $20.25 million deal, wide-out DeMarcus Robinson on a two-year, $9.5 million deal and quarterback Mac Jones on a two-year deal worth $7 million. That won’t inspire hope among 49ers fans that San Francisco can make it back to the postseason after a disappointing 6-11 season.

Seattle Seahawks

  • Grade: C-

The Seahawks’ free agency grade largely depends on how you feel about the Sam Darnold signing. Some will like it because the 27-year-old is much younger than the 34-year-old Geno Smith and worked with new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak in San Francisco.

Others will point out that Darnold had the third-longest time to throw in the NFL last season, ahead of only Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts. That could be a recipe for disaster behind Seattle’s porous offensive line, which has been a problem for the better part of a decade.

The Seahawks also gave DeMarcus Lawrence (33 in April) a three year, $32.49 million deal that doesn’t exactly mesh with the team’s quest to get younger. Losing DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett will also weaken their receiving corps, so it’s hard to be overly optimistic about Seattle’s offseason thus far.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Grade: A-

The Buccaneers spent most of the offseason retaining their own talent. No deal was more impressive than the three-year, $66 million deal they agreed to with Chris Godwin, who reportedly turned down more money from the Patriots to go back to Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay also addressed its need for a high-end pass rusher by inking Haason Reddick to a one-year, $14 million deal. Overall, it’s yet another quality start to the offseason for general manager Jason Licht.

Tennessee Titans

  • Grade: B

The Titans needed to fix their offensive line after having trouble on the right side last season. Tennessee remedied that by signing left tackle Dan Moore Jr. to a four-year, $82 million contract. The deal was an overpay but will allow 2024 first-round pick JC Latham to move to the right side. Latham and veteran free-agent signing Kevin Zeitler will do a much better job on the right side than what Tennessee had last season while Moore should be serviceable on the left side.

The Titans have also signed reasonable deals with defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones, linebacker Cody Barton and safety Xavier Woods, so this has been a solid overall free-agent period for first-year general manager Mike Borgonzi.

Washington Commanders

  • Grade: A

The Commanders swung two of the biggest trades of the NFL offseason to land Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil. The two should provide major upgrades to the team’s already strong offense and make it one of the best units in the league.

The Commanders also re-signed some of their key free agents like Bobby Wagner, Zach Ertz, John Bates and Marcus Mariota. Washington could still stand to add another top edge rusher to its defensive line, but as it stands, the Commanders roster is looking rock-solid.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The Cincinnati Bengals are close to getting ‘massive contract extensions’ done with both of their star wide receivers.

Cincinnati has made ‘significant progress’ on reaching agreements on extension for both Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Chase was due to begin the final season of his rookie deal in 2025, and the Bengals had just placed their franchise tag on Higgins for a second year in a row after failing to reach an agreement on an extension before the franchise tag deadline.

At the NFL Scouting Combine late last month, Cincinnati general manager Duke Tobin shared that he hoped the team would be able to sign Chase, Higgins and defensive end Trey Hendrickson to contract extensions this offseason.

‘We’ve managed our cap well,’ he said at the time. ‘We’ve got low dead money. We want a high payroll and low dead money so the people that are in Cincinnati playing for us can get all the money. That’s what we want. We’re in a position to re-sign these guys. It’s a good position to be in. It really is. We’re going to attack it.’

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Chase is expected to make more than $40 million per year. The number is significant because it would pass the mark Browns defensive end Myles Garrett set as the new highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL after his recent extension.

Tobin said at the combine that he expected to give Chase that distinction.

‘Ja’Marr is always going to be our priority,’ he said. ‘He’s a fantastic football player. He’s going to end up being the No. 1 paid non-quarterback in the league. We’re there. Let’s get it done.’

Higgins could receive as much as $30 million per year as part of his contract negotiations, other reports have stated. Chase and Higgins would be the top-paid wide receiver duo in the league if the Bengals pay them a combined $70 million per year.

In four seasons with Cincinnati, Chase has recorded 395 catches for 5,425 yards and 46 touchdowns. In 2024, he won the receiving triple crown by leading the league in catches (127), receiving yards (1,708) and receiving touchdowns (17).

Higgins has played five seasons with the Bengals and tallied 330 catches for 4,595 receiving yards and 34 touchdowns in his career so far. Last year, the wideout missed five games due to various lower-body injuries but still managed to put up 911 yards and 10 touchdowns on 73 receptions.

According to Overthecap.com, the Bengals have $26.9 million in available cap space for the 2025 league year.

Cincinnati is coming off a 9-8 season in which it narrowly missed the playoffs. It currently holds the No. 17 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Major League Baseball’s 2025 campaign is set to get underway with the Los Angeles Dodgers looking to defend their World Series championship.

The Dodgers should be even better this season, going big in the winter to sign two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell and Japanese pitching phenom Rōki Sasaki. MLB’s greatest hitter Shohei Ohtani is also expected to make his pitching debut for Los Angeles, introducing three new ace-level starters to the Dodgers staff.

Some of baseball’s other top groups include the Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks.

With the Dodgers array of arms earning the No. 1 ranking, here’s a look at baseball’s top 10 rotations entering 2025:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Blake Snell
  • Tyler Glasnow
  • Yoshinobu Yamamoto
  • Rōki Sasaki
  • Dustin May

The World Series champions added Snell and Sasaki in the offseason and should welcome Shohei Ohtani back to the mound at some point. Clayton Kershaw is also on the mend and while just about everybody has injury or workload concerns, this is the most talented group in baseball.

2. Seattle Mariners

  • Logan Gilbert
  • Luis Castillo
  • George Kirby
  • Bryce Miller
  • Brian Woo

Seattle’s starting pitchers led the majors with a 3.38 ERA last season but Kirby looks set to start 2025 on the injured list. This is something of a unicorn pitching staff that was let down by offensive ineptitude, also posting baseball’s best WHIP (1.03) and average against (.222).

3. Philadelphia Phillies

  • Zack Wheeler
  • Aaron Nola
  • Cristopher Sanchez
  • Ranger Suarez
  • Jesús Luzardo

Wheeler is an ace’s ace, tossing 200 innings to finish runner-up in Cy Young voting last year. The trade for Luzardo could prove to be huge, buying low on the 27-year-old lefty who racked up 208 strikeouts for the Marlins in 2023. Nola has averaged 32 starts over the past four years and received Cy Young votes for the fourth time in his career ln 2024.

4. Arizona Diamondbacks

  • Corbin Burnes
  • Zac Gallen
  • Merrill Kelly
  • Eduardo Rodriguez
  • Brandon Pfaadt

Burnes’ arrival on a $210 million pact pushes Gallen to a ‘co-ace’ role and the Diamondbacks should get more from Rodriguez after an injury-shortened first season in Arizona. The continued development of Brandon Pfaadt is something to keep an eye on and lefty Jordan Montgomery should see some starts as well if he isn’t traded.

5. Atlanta Braves

  • Chris Sale 
  • Spencer Strider (expected to return in May)
  • Reynaldo Lopez 
  • Spencer Schwellenbach
  • Grant Holmes

Certainly dinged here with Strider coming off Tommy John surgery, the Braves boast the NL Cy Young winner in Sale and one of the game’s top young pitchers in Schwellenbach. The 24-year-old had a 3.35 ERA in 21 starts as a rookie last season and Atlanta hopes he takes another leap forward.

6. Kansas City Royals

  • Cole Ragans
  • Seth Lugo
  • Michael Wacha
  • Michael Lorenzen
  • Kris Bubic

Getting back to the postseason for the first time in nine years Royals starters had baseball’s second-best ERA in 2025. In his first year with Kansas City, the veteran Lugo finished runner-up in Cy Young voting while Ragans had 223 strikeouts in 32 starts to place fourth. Wacha has become one of baseball’s most consistent starters over the past three years.

7. Detroit Tigers

  • Tarik Skubal
  • Jack Flaherty
  • Reese Olson
  • Casey Mize
  • Kenta Maeda

The Tigers brought back Flaherty after trading him to the Dodgers last summer, and he slots back in behind the Cy Young winner in Skubal. Mize is one to watch as a post-hype sleeper, the former No. 1 overall pick who returned in 2024 after missing nearly two full seasons.

8. Pittsburgh Pirates

  • Paul Skenes
  • Mitch Keller
  • Andrew Heaney
  • Jared Jones
  • Bailey Falter

Skenes is obviously the star attraction and may be the most dominant pitcher in baseball right now, but don’t sleep on Keller, an All-Star in 2023 who has averaged 31 starts over the past two seasons. Jones enjoyed a fine rookie campaign at the age of 22 with a 4.14 ERA in 22 starts while averaging more than a strikeout per inning.

9. San Diego Padres

  • Dylan Cease
  • Michael King
  • Yu Darvish 
  • Nick Pivetta 
  • Kyle Hart

Cease is primed for a big contract year, while King looks to build on a stellar first year with the organization after coming over from the Yankees in the Juan Soto trade. Darvish is 38 now and something of a question mark, but he could be one of the better No. 3 starters in baseball.

10. Cincinnati Reds

  • Hunter Greene
  • Brady Singer
  • Nick Martinez
  • Nick Lodolo
  • Andrew Abbott

Greene’s 6.3 WAR led all NL pitchers last season and Cincinnati acquired Singer from the Royals in the offseason, giving the staff another veteran presence in addition to Martinez. Abbott had a 3.72 ERA in 25 starts last season, his second full year in the majors.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Duke is one win away from the ACC tournament championship and likely securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but it will have to play one more game without its star player.

In the first half of Duke’s quarterfinal matchup against Georgia Tech, freshman sensation Cooper Flagg sustained a left ankle injury after he took an awkward landing from a rebound attempt. He didn’t play the rest of the game as the Blue Devils beat the Yellow Jackets, and in the semifinal matchup against rival North Carolina, Flagg was on the bench in street clothes as his team fended off a late comeback from the Tar Heels.

Now with Duke set to face Louisville for the conference crown on Saturday, Flagg will be a spectator again. Here’s the latest updates on Flagg’s injury status for the ACC tournament final:

Will Cooper Flagg play today?

No, Flagg will not play against the Cardinals.

After Friday’s 74-71 win over North Carolina, Duke head coach Jon Scheyer addressed his star player’s injury and determined he wouldn’t play.

‘As far as Cooper goes, he’s doing better. Sprained ankle, all the imaging came back negative. He sprained it pretty good, though. It’s a good sprain. I’m not breaking any news. He’s not going to play tomorrow. He can’t play,’ Scheyer said Friday night.

Scheyer had previously said it was a ‘long shot’ Flagg would come back for any more games in the ACC tournament. Now he said the focus will be on making sure Flagg is healthy enough for March Madness next week.

‘Our goal is to have him ready for the tournament. But we need to see how this weekend goes with the swelling and what he can do,’ he said.

Flagg appeared to be in a good condition during Friday’s game, walking on his own and was seen celebrating with teammates on big plays.

What is Cooper Flagg’s injury?

Flagg suffered a sprained ankle, Scheyer confirmed.

Cooper Flagg stats

The Blue Devils will certainly be without a major contributor against Louisville on Saturday as Flagg leads the team in several statistical categories, including points (18.9), rebounds (6.1), assists (4.1), blocks (1.3) and steals (1.5) per game.

Flagg’s stellar play this season has put him on the list of 15 men’s players on the ballot for the John R. Wooden Award, which is presented annually to the most outstanding men’s and women’s college basketball players. He is one of the favorites to win the award along with Auburn’s Johni Broome.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

American Justin Thomas was in danger of missing the cut at The Players Championship for the second consecutive year, but the 2021 Players Champion performed a historic turnaround. 

Thomas got off to a rough start at the 2025 Players Championship on Thursday and shot a 78 in the opening round, registering three bogeys, two double-bogeys and a triple-bogey on his scorecard. He entered Friday’s second round sitting at 6-over on the tournament, well below the projected cut line of 1-under.

Then, Thomas got to work. 

Thomas tied the 18-hole course record at TPC Sawgrass by shooting 10-under 62 during the second round on Friday, a record previously set by American Tom Hoge in the third round in 2023. Thomas’ 16-stroke turnaround marks the largest improvement from the first to the second round at The Players Championship.  

“I’m just happy to have a tee time tomorrow,” Thomas said after wrapping up his second round.

Thomas opened the second round with birdies on the first two holes and went on to hit 11 total birdies on Friday, which set a record for the most birdies in a round at The Players Championship. 

Thomas had an opportunity to break the course record entering the 18th and final hole of the day. He needed par or better on the Par 4, 462-yard hole, but Thomas ended his historic second round with a bogey, his first of the day. Despite missing out on the record, Thomas said he’s satisfied with how he locked in on Friday.

“I was losing to I think everybody that was playing golf yesterday at one point. I really wasn’t worried or upset about the golf I played, I was more upset about the round and how I was mentally out there. I feel like I wasn’t sharp. I was just really spacy,’ he said. ‘So I really made a conscious effort (today.)”

Thomas’ best finish at the Player Championship came in 2021, when he won the tournament. Last year, he missed the cut into the weekend. He is currently tied for 29th place at 4-under. 

Australian Min Woo Lee and American Akshay Bhatia are tied atop the leaderboard at 11-under through two rounds of play. American J.J. Spaun is in third place at 10-under. Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland is tied for fourth place with Collin Morikawa and Alex Smalley at 9-under. 

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

The US is on the brink of an unprecedented rise in electricity demand, with projections showing a 35 to 50 percent increase by 2040, according to data from S&P Global Commodity Insights.

This surge, largely driven by artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, manufacturing expansion and mass electrification, underscores an urgent need for a diversified energy strategy.

While renewable energy and natural gas will both play vital roles, nuclear power is emerging as a key component — though its growth may be constrained by uranium supply challenges.

Nuclear energy’s key role in electricity supply

As demand for electricity skyrockets, nuclear power is positioned as a crucial solution due to its reliability and ability to provide continuous, carbon-free energy. Industry leaders stress that without significant investment in nuclear infrastructure and uranium supply chains, the US could struggle to sustainably meet its energy needs.

John Kotek, senior vice president of policy and public affairs at the Nuclear Energy Institute, one of the groups that commissioned the S&P study, emphasized nuclear energy’s potential, stating, “The S&P Demand Growth Report highlights the tremendous growth in electricity demand and the critical gaps that must be filled to meet future needs.’

He added that nuclear power is well positioned to serve power needs from the manufacturing sector, as well as AI and data center demand. Kotek also pointed to growing partnerships between nuclear energy producers and major tech firms like Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), which require reliable around-the-clock power for their AI data centers.

However, uranium supply constraints could present long-term challenges. The nuclear fuel cycle depends heavily on uranium market stability, and geopolitical factors could further complicate sourcing. According to the World Nuclear Association, global uranium production has struggled to keep pace with growing demand.

In 2022, uranium mines supplied only 74 percent of power utilities’ annual needs, with the remainder coming from secondary sources such as stockpiled reserves and recycled materials. The depletion of these reserves over time, combined with increasing nuclear energy adoption worldwide, could stress uranium supply chains.

At the end of 2022, uranium stockpiles stood at approximately:

  • 36,000 metric tons in Europe
  • 40,000 metric tons in the US
  • 132,000 metric tons in China
  • 49,000 metric tons in the rest of Asia

China and Russia have taken steps to secure long-term uranium supply, with China investing in mines across Niger, Namibia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Canada. Russia’s ARMZ Uranium Holding acquired Uranium One in 2013, ensuring a steady uranium flow for its domestic reactors. The US and Europe, by contrast, rely more heavily on market-driven supply chains, making them more vulnerable to price fluctuations and geopolitical instability.

“Facing an unprecedented increase in electricity demand, America is provided with a golden opportunity to modernize our power sector while securing domestic leadership in cutting-edge future technologies,” said Marty Durbin, president of the US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute.

“To meet this challenge, we need policies that support both existing nuclear reactors and the development of next-generation nuclear technology,” he further emphasized.

US needs all types of energy to meet electricity demand

Against that backdrop, many policymakers and industry leaders argue that nuclear energy must be prioritized in future energy planning. The S&P report suggests that an additional 10 to 25 gigawatts of nuclear and geothermal capacity will be needed by 2040 to maintain grid reliability, along with increases in natural gas and renewable capacity.

‘We must bring equal urgency to accelerate the development and deployment of new nuclear generation capacity and fossil generation with carbon capture,” said Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association.

This push aligns with policy efforts to streamline nuclear development.

Recent US government initiatives aim to fast track small modular reactor deployment, expand domestic uranium enrichment capabilities and reduce reliance on foreign uranium supplies. However, bringing new nuclear plants online can take a decade or longer, highlighting the need for quick action to ensure supply chain stability.

S&P notes that the US already has the technology to bridge the gap between electricity supply and demand — it sees a need for government, industry and consumers to work together on solutions.

‘It is time to join together behind a true all-of-the-above energy strategy that lowers prices, creates jobs, and supports our national security,’ Grumet concluded.

Securities Disclosure: I, Giann Liguid, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Geoscience software company Seequent has grown from a small startup to a 750 employee operation over the past two decades. With the launch of its latest platform, Evo, at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention, it is introducing new technology that could significantly impact the mining sector.

Seequent is aiming to expedite exploration and enhance accuracy in mining by centralizing geoscience data, streamlining workflows and improving collaboration between industries.

Designed to integrate data from multiple sources, Evo enhances decision making, optimizes resource extraction and supports environmental management. With open APIs and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, it extends the functionality of existing tools like Leapfrog, while leveraging cloud computing for faster processing of large datasets.

“What this industry needs more than anything is innovation,” said Graham, noting that the Seequent team comes from an array of backgrounds, including medical science. “(The mining sector) has to change the way it works, and usually, when you look at the pattern of technology, the most dramatic innovations come from outside your industry, not inside.”

The data fragmentation challenge

One of the issues Evo seeks to address is data fragmentation.

While today’s geologists and miners are privy to more data than ever, much of this data is distributed across different systems and locations, preventing companies from achieving full visibility and control.

To streamline the process for mining sector workers, Evo centralizes geoscience data from various sources, improving accessibility, collaboration and analysis. By integrating data that is spread across platforms, Evo helps users work with up-to-date information and draw insights from past projects.

Its geospatial search incorporates Cesium technology, and Seequent has introduced two related applications, Driver and BlockSync, to enhance functionality. Graham explained that to achieve this, Evo was designed to be open instead of siloing data and forcing mining companies to also be technology companies.

‘It’s enabling things to move quickly and easily across whatever the device,” he continued. “We saw this problem years ago, but we knew it would take cloud and cloud architecture to break this paradigm, and so what Evo is doing is it’s breaking that paradigm, and it’s approaching the world from the perspective of being open.”

The open platform design enables seamless connectivity and automation, even with competing software, according to Graham. This approach is key as even though mining companies are not tech firms, they often employ skilled professionals who can leverage automation and coding tools.

Additionally, the system allows users to develop custom solutions without relying solely on third-party vendors, marking a significant shift in how technology can be used in the industry.

Critical minerals discovery and jurisdictional risk

With the search for critical minerals deposits intensifying on a global scale, Graham said that technologies like Evo can can be leveraged to analyze data and better pinpoint deposits.

“We know the discovery process and the development process now is just a whole lot more complex,’ he said during the interview. ‘(Deposits are) harder to find, they’re deeper, the grades are lower, the easy stuff is gone. So the way to deal with that is to use the best science you can find.

The Seequent CEO also acknowledged the geopolitical challenges facing mining executives.

“Being a mining CEO and a mining executive right now has got to be one of the most complex tasks in the world,” said Graham, pointing to trade restrictions, tariffs, inflation, permitting challenges, community expectations and unpredictable geopolitical shifts as some of the reasons why the job is difficult.

“As an executive, the one thing you have to do is build a resilient and adaptable organization that can see its way through these kinds of changes,” he said. “Adaptability is the key, and this is what we can bring to a mining company — a flexible, adaptable technology framework that enables you to flex your organization fast, revisit scenarios and recalculate.”

Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com