It wasn’t too long ago when Odell Beckham Jr. expressed desire to play on the West Coast, and he finally got the opportunity this season, when the Browns released him and the Rams brought him in to finish out the season. Beckham’s Browns tenure wasn’t all it was cracked up to be: With inefficiencies at quarterback and a run-heavy attack, Beckham couldn’t quite replicate the successes that he had with the Giants in 2 1/2 seasons with Baker Mayfield in Cleveland, resulting in just seven touchdowns in 29 games in orange and brown....

Data shows the genesis of the demand: Incarceration rates are disproportionately higher among Hispanic and black populations than white populations. Black people are about five times more likely than white people to be incarcerated, and for Hispanic people, the number is double, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Of those incarcerated, about 60 percent of both blacks and Hispanics and nearly 50 percent of whites are serving time for a violent crime, the BJS reported....

The Eagles defeated the Cowboys 23-9, as Dallas failed to score a touchdown for the second consecutive game for only the fourth time in franchise history. Cowboys’ third string quarterback Ben DiNucci completed just over 50 percent of his passes and lost two fumbles, while Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz threw for two touchdowns, but was intercepted twice and lost two fumbles. The NFC East has traditionally drawn some of the largest nationwide TV audiences, a trend which has continued this season despite the division’s dismal state....

The Packers beat Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins 26-20 on Sunday for the team’s 15th-straight win in December. Aaron Rodgers went 24-38 for 238 yards. He had one touchdown and one interception. Tagovailoa threw three fourth-quarter interceptions that killed Miami’s hopes of a comeback. With their third-straight win, the Packers continue to creep closer to the playoffs. They still have a way to go before the ultimate comeback season is complete....

The agreement will run through May 31, 2026; the current CBA was scheduled to expire in May 2020. The agreement was ratified by a vote of NFLRA membership Saturday, the league said. “This agreement solidifies the working partnership between the league and officials toward the common goal of developing and training the best officials in the world,” said Troy Vincent, the league’s executive VP of football operations. “We will continue working together to provide fans, players and coaches with officiating performance that meets the highest standards demanded by the game....

More than a year ago, 15 former employees of the Washington Football Team, owned by Daniel Snyder, made allegations of sexual harassment within the organization. The resulting investigation by the NFL resulted in the Washington Football Team being hit with a $10 million fine, CBS Sports reported. New York Representative Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat and chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee, and Illinois Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, another Democrat and chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell on October 21 asking for the release of all probe documents and communications by Thursday....

The NFL is a brutal business. No day exemplifies that more than “Black Monday,” the period immediately following the end of the regular season, when teams cut their losses, namely in the form of underperforming head coaches. The cull can be widespread: last year, eight teams changed coaches. Some switches have worked better than others: Joe Judge’s dismissal opened the door for Brian Daboll to take over the Giants, and he proceeded to lead New York to a playoff spot in his first year in charge....

I was sick Saturday morning (Happy New Year, sucker!). What I originally thought was allergies or a head cold Thursday afternoon turned into flu-like symptoms 30 hours later. A home test revealed a pink line and a blue line—I was COVID-positive. First step: Call out of my day job. Second step: Isolate from my toddler and pregnant wife. Third step: Try not to get run over by this thing. The third step proved the most difficult....

If you’re a fan of DFS, or you just like to find an edge or angle with all your football-related bets, this column will be up your alley all season. Each week, I scour the player pools on DraftKings and FanDuel, and compile a list of sleepers and/or value picks to help you win some cold, hard cash. The more value players you add, the more money you will have left for proven weekly studs at other roster spots....

MORE RANKINGS: RB | WR | TE | DEF Aaron Rodgers, Packers vs. Cowboys. Rodgers struggled in Weeks 15 and 16 (22.8 total fantasy points in standard leagues), but he bounced back in Week 17 (28.4) despite a nagging calf injury. With a week off to get healthier, Rodgers should be fine against a Cowboys defense that just gave up 323 passing yards to Matthew Stafford and the Lions. At $8,900 in DraftKings leagues, Rodgers is the highest-priced QB, but it’s tough to argue with his price tag given his talent, matchup and weapons around him....

Last year, all sides (not including totals) between the eight teams participating in the divisional round went 7-1 on teasers. You could have bet a teaser on both sides of three games and cashed. We don’t recommend that strategy, but it’s a great example of how close the spreads are to the final results in this round. In the two years prior, the teaser sides went a combined 12-4 making it 19-5 over the past three seasons in the divisional round....

According to Yahoo! Sports, the South Carolina defensive end is leaning toward signing with Roc Nation Sports. New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith and free-agent second baseman Robinson Cano are already in the fold. Clowney and Jay Z (nee Shawn Carter) reportedly were in contact last summer, which led South Carolina to investigate the relationship. No improper behavior was unearthed. “Based on the facts that USC has gathered, Jadeveon Clowney has not had any impermissible conversations nor has he received any impermissible benefits,” South Carolina assistant athletic director Steve Fink said in July....

Goodell said the Commissioner’s Executive Committee, which met earlier in the day, was unanimous in not rescheduling the draft because of the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. “Everyone recognizes that public health conditions are highly uncertain and there is no assurance that we can select a different date and be confident that conditions will be significantly more favorable than they are today,” Goodell wrote in the memo, as reported by NFL....

Days ahead of the draft, it’s still uncertain who the No. 1 overall pick will be. The Jaguars are reportedly down to four players with the selection, with Travon Walker and Aidan Hutchinson being the favorites, but they could still surprise. The rest of the first round is just as uncertain. There is always some variance from big board to big board, but this year, every team seems to have the top players at each position ranked differently....

Even through the expected picks, the first round was a night full of surprises. Whether it was the five quarterbacks going in the first round, two brothers getting picked, or the littany of trades that went down, everyone was on their toes most of Thursday night. But the draft weekend isn’t over yet. There are still six more rounds to go through — with two of them getting broadcasted tonight at 7 p....

Those teams now have a lot of buying power in the 2022 NFL Draft. They will be able to move up and down the board as they please while also setting themselves up to add assets during the 2023 NFL Draft if all goes well. That said, NFL fans may wonder exactly how these teams evaluate draft picks when making a trade. After all, teams don’t know who will be on the board at certain junctures in the draft, so how can they properly assess the worth of a pick?...

Magnuson on Saturday will work out for the Atlanta Falcons, a source tells Sporting News, adding that the tackle had recent workouts and meetings with the Cincinnati Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers. MORE: NFL Mock Draft 2017 A three-year starter at both guard and tackle for Michigan, Magnuson made 37 starts including 26 straight at right tackle. The 2016 All-Big Ten first team selection was a surprise snub at the NFL Combine....

A source tells Sporting News that Godwin will visit with the Detroit Lions this week, the Baltimore Ravens on April 11 and the New York Jets on April 12. Godwin also will visit with the Philadelphia Eagles the following week, followed by a two-day visit with the Tennessee Titans, the source said. MORE: NFL Mock Draft 2017 Godwin, who had 982 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns last year as a junior, already has visited with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New Orleans Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers among other teams....

Notre Dame has fired their defensive coordinator, while LSU has fired head coach Les Miles and their offensive coordinator. But should quarterback DeShone Kizer really be to blame for Notre Dame’s struggles? And should NFL teams be concerned? LSU’s struggles on offense were paramount in Miles’s ousting. But what has happened to Leonard Fournette amid LSU’s offensive struggles? On the other hand, emerging and under-appreciated teams like Wisconsin have risen into the top five....

WIDE RECEIVERS (rankings) Studs: Emmanuel Sanders at NYJ (Pinkerton); Julio Jones vs. CHI (Williams); Steve Smith Sr. at TB (Lutovsky) Sleepers: Rueben Randle at PHI (Pinkerton); Golden Tate at MIN (Williams); Justin Hunter vs. JAX (Lutovsky) Stumblers: Terrance Williams at SEA (Pinkerton); Dez Bryant at SEA (Williams); Sammy Watkins vs. NE (Lutovsky) MORE FANTASY FOOTBALL: The Most Hated | Top pickups | Over/Under-rated QUARTERBACKS (rankings) Studs: Matt Ryan vs. CHI (Brad Pinkerton); Peyton Manning at NYJ (Craig Williams); Philip Rivers at OAK (Matt Lutovsky)...