Stroman Suffers Major Injury

Blue Jays' string of bad luck continues

                    It appears that 23 year old Marcus Stroman will miss the entire 2015 season after suffering a torn left ACL in practice on Tuesday morning. The injury occurred as Stroman was attempting to field a bunt during a defensive drill. This is obviously a devastating piece of news for Blue Jays fans as Stroman was essentially the projected "Ace" of the Blue Jays rotation, backed by veterans Mark Buehrle and R.A Dickey. Stroman was reportedly developing a fantastic early chemistry with newly acquired catcher Russell Martin. This is the second knee injury for the Jays this spring as outfielder Micheal Saunders tore his meniscus when he stepped on a sprinkler on February 25th. The team is not expected to make any knee-jerk reactions in terms of big spending or trades, so pressure will likely be on the young arms of Aaron Sanchez and Daniel Norris to step up, as well as veteran Marco Estrada, who started 70 games for the Milwaukee Brewers between 2009-2014. 

Gore Returns to the FA Pool

Eagles left in limbo as veteran RB reconsiders his decision

                It seemed that the Eagles had their new multi-purpose running back locked down about thirty-six hours ago, when it was reported that they had agreed to terms on a 3-year deal with Frank Gore. All of that has now been flipped on its head, as the new report from the NFL Network suggests that Frank Gore has notified the Eagles that he is considering alternate destinations. The Indianapolis Colts were immediately revealed as a team with top-tier interest in acquiring Gore. The Eagles, who were sure they had their replacement for LeSean Mccoy, are now left in scramble mode as Free Agency officially opens in less than 24 hours. This comes on the heels of a very bad publicity day for the team as a popular ESPN personality made earlier suggestions of a potentially racist "culture" that exists in the Eagles locker room, explaining the departures of players like LeSean Mccoy, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, and the retainment of Riley Cooper. Did this talk of a "racist culture" sway Frank Gore into signing with a different team? We'll probably never know. 

Raptors Travel to San Antonio

a Texas-sixed opportunity awaits them

                  The Toronto Raptors (38-25) have fallen on hard times recently, winning only a single game in their last nine outings. That one victory was an 11-point triumph over the lowly 76ers (14-49). Overall, the schedule has indeed been very difficult since the all-star break, with losses coming against the likes of the Warriors, Rockets and Cavs, but the Raptors need to get some positive momentum swinging back in their direction before the playoffs begin. A victory in San Antonio against a surging Spurs (39-23) squad could potentially be that spark they need. The host Spurs are currently riding a 5-game winning streak, their most recent win over the Chicago Bulls (39-25). If Toronto can manage to snap their own streak of bad outings and poor confidence while simultaneously haulting the Spurs winning roll, the team morale could see a dramatic improvement. 

Andre Johnson Officially Released

The End of an Era in Houston

               

                The legendary run of Andre Johnson has finally come to a conclusion as the Texans officially released the future hall of fame receiver on Monday afternoon. Johnson is 33 years old and coming off of a season in which he recorded 85 receptions and 3 touchdowns while playing in 15 games. With NFL's free agency period officially opening in less than 24 hours, it would be hard to imagine a world where Andre Johnson doesn't receive any offers. Johnson remains in excellent physical shape; it will come down to his willingness to return for a stint with a new team. He has only played in 4 playoff games during his 11-year career with Houston, so his hunger for a true playoff run may be enough to coax number 80 into a new uniform. Andre Johnson sits at number 12 on the all-time receiving yards list with 13,597 yds. He caught his 1,000th pass as a Texan this past season.

Rodney Hudson leaves KC

Chiefs lose their starting Center to a division rival

              The Oakland Raiders are going to be big spenders for this upcoming free agency period. A chunk of that spending money will be going towards former Chiefs center Rodney Hudson, who will be signing a 5-year deal worth $44.5M to play for the Raiders. Earlier this season, Hudson declined a Chiefs extension offer which would've paid him $6M per season to stay in KC. He will instead earn $9M per season to play for a franchise which is trying desperately to increase its value both on and off the field, with rumours swhirling that the Raiders could potentially be moving back to Los Angeles in the near future. 

Jeremy Maclin Gets Paid

Andy Reid Organises an Expensive Reunion

               Andy Reid has successfully recruited Jeremy Maclin to join the Chiefs next season. It's a no-brainer for both parties, as the Chiefs' lethargic pass offence is in desperate need of a rejuvenation, and Jeremy Maclin is already fully acclimated with Andy Reid's offensive schemes thanks to their prior working relationship in Philadelphia. The University of Missouri receiver spent the first four seasons of his professional career under the guidance of coach Reid, enjoying a highly successful tenure. In 59 regular season games under Reid, Maclin caught 258 passes for 3,453 yards and 26 TDs. He also played in two playoff games for the Eagles, catching 10 passes for 219 yards and 1 TD. After missing the 2013 season due to a knee injury, Maclin returned in 2014 and looked extremely healthy playing in Chip Kelly's offense; healthy enough that the Chiefs were willing to swoop in and ink him to a fresh 5-year contract averaging $11M per season.

Kadri Remains in the Doghouse

The negative energy continues in Toronto

              On Saturday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs were dismantled 6-1 by the playoff-bound St. Louis Blues. On Sunday morning, the negativity continued when Nazem Kadri was sent home by interim coach Pete Horachek after showing up late to the team practice facility. Coach Horachek suggested that Kadri's lack of punctuality was due to an absence of preparation, dismissing any notion of incliment weather. While Horachek didn't specifically verbalise it, it would seem that Kadri fell victim to the Daylight Saving Time hangover. Kadri, who sits fourth on the Leafs scoring list with 36 points, is likely to be a healthy scratch for the Monday night clash with the Islanders. Brandon Kozun will be re-inserted as his replacement. Zach Sill will move from wing to centre.