Tag Archives: Titans

Entertainment

Vincent Kartheiser’s Behavior Was Investigated on Titans Set

Leave a comment

Vincent Kartheiser, who is best known for his “disruptive, juvenile behavior and inappropriate comments” as Pete Campbell on Mad Men, has been subject to multiple internal investigations for alleged “disruptive, juvenile behavior and inappropriate comments” off-camera, on the set of HBO Max’s Titans. Deadline reports that Kartheiser, who joined the cast for the DC drama’s upcoming third season to play villain Scarecrow, “triggered at least two complaints and two internal investigations” at its studio, Warner Bros. Television. The first investigation regarded a complaint about the actor’s “verbal comments and outbursts,” and the second complaint and ensuing investigation led to “the studio assigning a representative to monitor Kartheiser while he was on set,” according to sources.

A spokesperson for the actor said, “Warner Bros. investigated this matter and made clear to Mr. Kartheiser its expectations for behavior on set, and he agreed to comply with their directives.” Despite being a series regular for season three, Kartheiser was not featured on the posters or promotional materials for this season of Titans, which premiered August 12. This wouldn’t be the first time an actor allegedly behaved extremely unprofessionally on set while portraying a DC Comics villain; call it Leto syndrome.

Read original article here

Business

Dow Jones Futures Rise: Divided OPEC+ Postpones Talks, Crude Oil Prices Climb; Apple, Tech Titans Drive Market Rally

Leave a comment

Dow Jones futures were little changed Monday afternoon, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures, with U.S. markets closed. Crude oil prices rose as a divided OPEC+ postponed talks with no production deal.




X



The stock market rally showed solid gains in the major indexes last week, fueled by strong gains by the five trillion-dollar tech giants: Apple stock, Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon.com (AMZN), Facebook (FB) and Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL).

Apple (AAPL) broke out past a buy point late last week. Google stock moved higher in its buy zone, while Amazon flashed at least an early entry. Microsoft stock moved out of its buy zone while Facebook stock looks extended. All FB stock did last week was hit a record high and a $1 trillion valuation for the first time. —

The megacap techs, along with big-cap chip winners such as Nvidia (NVDA) and AMD (AMD), fueled the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite to record highs, while the Dow Jones set a record close.

But many growth stocks had nasty sell-offs or reversals. On the plus side, some growth stocks had more-gentle pauses, forging new buy points. Still, while the stock market rally is in a confirmed uptrend, investors need to follow their buy and sell rules.

Microsoft stock and Google are on IBD Leaderboard and IBD Long-Term Leaders.

OPEC+ Talks Postponed

OPEC+ talks were postponed Monday, after informal discussions failed to make progress, with no date set after failing to reach an agreement on Thursday-Friday.

Most of the oil ministers back a plan to gradually increase output starting in August, but the United Arab Emirates wants a better deal for itself. A modest production hike likely would only partially offset rising demand, as the global economy ramps up.

If there’s no deal to hike production at all, crude prices could continue to soar. On the other hand, if OPEC+, which includes OPEC and Russia, fractures, individual members could ramp up production. U.S. shale producers also could up output, though they are much-more focused on profitability today.

U.S. crude oil prices rose nearly 2% to above $76 a barrel Monday, right at three-year highs. Brent crude futures topped $77.

China Expands Crackdown On Didi, Recent U.S. IPOs

China over the weekend ordered app stores to remove Didi Chuxing, just days after Didi Global (DIDI) held one of the biggest U.S. IPOs years. The cybersecurity regulator said Didi violated restrictions on the collection and usage of personal information, but didn’t offer any specifics. That came just days after announcing a probe and ordering Didi to suspend new user sign ups.

The Didi IPO raised $4.4 billion in its IPO on June 29, pricing shares at $14 each, at the high end of its expected range. Didi stock popped to 18.01 in Wednesday’s debut, but closed at 14.14. Shares surged 16% on Thursday, but then sank 5.3% on the cybersecurity probe.

Meanwhile, China has expanded its probe to two other Chinese companies that recently listed in the U.S.: Logistics platform Full Truck Alliance (YMM) and jobs-search app Kanzhun (BZ). Beijing has ordered both to halt new user registrations as well.

China could be trying to discourage Chinese companies from opting for U.S. IPOs, as opposed to Shanghai or Hong Kong. But regardless of the intent, China’s surprise crackdown on three companies within days or weeks of going public will make U.S. investors wary of future New York listings of Chinese companies.

Chinese internet giant Tencent (TCEHY) has notable stakes in Didi, Full Truck Alliance and Kanzhun.

Separately, China’s antitrust regulator reportedly will block Tencent’s effort to merge the country’s top two videogame streaming sites, Huya (HUYA) and DouYu (DOYU).

Tencent, which trades over the counter in the U.S. fell solidly in Hong Kong on Monday. So did Alibaba (BABA).

Dow Jones Futures Today

Dow Jones futures rose less than 0.1% vs. fair value. S&P 500 futures edged lower and Nasdaq 100 futures fell 0.2%.

Dow Jones futures closed at 1 p.m. ET and will reopen at 6 p.m. ET.

U.S. stock exchanges are closed Monday, July 5, in observance of the Fourth of July holiday.

Remember that overnight action in Dow futures and elsewhere doesn’t necessarily translate into actual trading in the next regular stock market session.

Join David Ryan analyzing actionable stocks in the stock market rally on IBD Live.

Coronavirus News

Coronavirus cases worldwide reached 184.75 million. Covid-19 deaths topped 3.99 million.

Coronavirus cases in the U.S. have hit 34.59 million, with deaths above 621,000.

Stock Market Rally

The stock market rally had a solid week, capped Friday by a jobs report showing strong hiring was also not sparking inflation concerns.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1% in last week’s stock market trading. The S&P 500 index climbed 1.7% and the Nasdaq composite 1.9%. The small-cap Russell 2000 retreated 1.35% on smaller financials and some sharp growth-stock losses.

Apple stock and Microsoft, the only two members of the $2 trillion club, are in the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite. FANG stocks Facebook, Google and Amazon are all in the S&P and Nasdaq.

The 10-year Treasury yield tumbled 11 basis points to 1.43%, the lowest since March. Crude oil futures hit fresh three-year highs.

Growth stocks generally powered higher, despite some big individual losers.

Among the best ETFs, the Innovator IBD 50 ETF (FFTY) fell 2.1% last week with a few high-profile growth names such as Digital Turbine (APPS) selling off hard. The Innovator IBD Breakout Opportunities ETF (BOUT) added 0.7%. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) climbed 1.7%. Microsoft stock is a major IGV component. The VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) jumped 2.6%.

Meanwhile, other sectors were mixed.

SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF (XME) edged up 0.9% and Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF (PAVE) 0.15%, after both had big rebounds in the prior week. U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS) slumped 2.2%, as Delta coronavirus fears and restrictions slam travel names. SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) rose 2.4%, continuing to rebound after several weeks of weakness. The Energy Select SPDR ETF (XLE) fell 1.2% amid profit-taking, and the Financial Select SPDR ETF (XLF) was just about break-even.

Reflecting more-speculative story stocks, ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) rose 2.1% and ARK Genomics ETF (ARKG) 2.2%, but both closed in the bottom third of their weekly ranges.

Five Best Chinese Stocks To Buy And Watch Now

Google Stock Moves Higher In Buy Zone

Google stock rose 2.2% last week to 2,505.15, hitting a new high. On Friday, shares rose 2.3%, clearing a lot of recent action just above and below the 2,431.48 flat-base buy point. Volume was below average for the week while Friday’s was a little less so.

The relative strength line for Google stock is just below a record high. That reflects the internet giant’s outperformance vs. the S&P 500 index.

Apple Stock Breaks Out

Apple stock cleared a 137.17 cup-base buy point this week, jumping 5.15% for the week to 139.96. Volume was anemic, though Friday’s trade was almost average. The RS for AAPL stock is improving, near consolidation highs, but well off all-time levels.

Amazon Stock Offers Early Entry

Amazon stock rose 3.2% last week to 3,510.98. That’s just below a 3,524.96 cup-with-handle buy point, according to MarketSmith analysis. But investors could have bought AMZN stock as it broke a mini-downtrend in the handle on Friday.

The RS line for AMZN stock recently hit consolidation highs, though it’s still off all-time levels.

Microsoft Stock Powers Out Of Buy Zone

Microsoft stock advanced 4.8% last week to 277.65, moving out of a 5% buy zone. Shares cleared the 263.29 buy point on June 22. It was a shallow cup, part of a base-on-base pattern.

The latest breakout pushed Microsoft stock above a $2 trillion market cap, now at $2.09 trillion. That’s second only to Apple stock, at $2.34 trillion.

The RS line for MSFT stock is now at a 10-month high. Could this Long-Term Leader be ready for another run?

Facebook Stock Tops $1 Trillion

Facebook stock popped 3.9% last week to 354.70, thanks to a 4.2% jump on Monday to record highs. Facebook won two antitrust suits on Monday, pushing FB stock above a $1 trillion valuation.

Market Rally Analysis

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite are at record highs, while the Dow Jones is on the cusp of doing so. The small-cap Russell 2000 retreated.

The Nasdaq composite is 5.5% above its 50-day line, while the Nasdaq 100 is 6.4% above that key level. When the Nasdaq is 6% or more above its 50-day, the odds of a pullback rise, with the risks that any such retreat will be larger. However, the Nasdaq is arguably in the early stages of a new uptrend, when getting extended is less of a concern. Also, recent history has shown that the Nasdaq can become significantly more extended for a lengthy time before succumbing to a notable pullback.

Megacap and big-cap tech stocks fueled the major indexes last week. That’s masked some weakness in the Nasdaq and NYSE advance-decline line, signaling a lack of breadth in the recent move. Further, the fierce selling or reversals in a number of growth stocks, including APPS stock, UP Fintech (TIGR) and Star Bulk Carriers (SBLK), was a little troubling.

But beyond Apple, Google or Amazon, there are still a lot of actionable stocks or quality names setting up.

Some growth names had more gradual pauses and are forming handles, such as Shopify (SHOP) and Zscaler (ZS). Several apparel retailers are hovering at buy points, including L Brands (LB) and American Eagle Outfitters (AEO). Housing-related stocks are starting to shape up, with Tempur-Sealy (TPX) breaking out last week.

Time The Market With IBD’s ETF Market Strategy

What To Do Now

Don’t get too concentrated in a particular stock or sector. If you do have a big position, be careful with any adds. Make sure to use proper buy points and keep your overall cost basis low. For new positions, definitely don’t buy extended, especially in highfliers.

On this long Fourth of July weekend, take time to celebrate with family and friends, and enjoy the fireworks. But the price of liberty, and financial independence, is eternal vigilance.

The stock market rally is offering opportunities and setups, but investors have to be disciplined. That means running screens to build up your watchlists, buying stocks at the right time and then staying alert to your holdings and overall market. Most of all, follow your sell rules.

Read The Big Picture every day to stay in sync with the market direction and leading stocks and sectors.

Please follow Ed Carson on Twitter at @IBD_ECarson for stock market updates and more.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

Why This IBD Tool Simplifies The Search For Top Stocks

Want To Get Quick Profits And Avoid Big Losses? Try SwingTrader

Best Growth Stocks To Buy And Watch

IBD Digital: Unlock IBD’s Premium Stock Lists, Tools And Analysis Today

These 5 Stocks From Hot Group Are Near Buy Points



Read original article here

Business

Dow Jones Futures: Apple, Google, Tech Titans Drive Stock Market Rally; Three Are In Buy Range

Leave a comment

Dow Jones futures will open on Sunday afternoon, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq futures. The stock market rally showed solid gains in the major indexes, fueled by strong gains by the five trillion-dollar tech giants: Apple stock, Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon.com (AMZN), Facebook (FB) and Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL).




X



Apple (AAPL) broke out past a buy point late last week. Google stock moved higher in its buy zone, while Amazon flashed at least an early entry. Microsoft stock moved out of its buy zone while Facebook stock looks extended. All FB stock did last week was hit a record high and a $1 trillion valuation for the first time. —

The megacap techs, along with big-cap chip winners such as Nvidia (NVDA) and AMD (AMD), fueled the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite to record highs, while the Dow Jones set a record close.

But many growth stocks had nasty sell-offs or reversals. On the plus side, some growth stocks had more-gentle pauses, forging new buy points. Still, while the stock market rally is in a confirmed uptrend, investors need to follow their buy and sell rules.

Microsoft stock and Google are on IBD Leaderboard and IBD Long-Term Leaders.

Dow Jones Futures Today

Dow Jones futures will open at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, along with S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures.

U.S. stock exchanges are closed Monday, July 5, in observance of the Fourth of July holiday. But Dow Jones futures will trade normally on Monday, along with stock markets around the world.

OPEC+ will continue talks on Monday, after failing to reach an agreement on Thursday-Friday. Most of the oil ministers back a plan to gradually increase output starting in August, but the United Arab Emirates has some objections. The modest production hike likely would only partially offset rising demand, as the global economy ramps up.

Remember that overnight action in Dow futures and elsewhere doesn’t necessarily translate into actual trading in the next regular stock market session.

Join David Ryan analyzing actionable stocks in the stock market rally on IBD Live.

Coronavirus News

Coronavirus cases worldwide reached 183.95 million. Covid-19 deaths topped 3.98 million.

Coronavirus cases in the U.S. have hit 34.58 million, with deaths above 621,000.

Stock Market Rally

The stock market rally had a solid week, capped Friday by a jobs report showing strong hiring was also not sparking inflation concerns.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1% in last week’s stock market trading. The S&P 500 index climbed 1.7% and the Nasdaq composite 1.9%. The small-cap Russell 2000 retreated 1.35% on smaller financials and some sharp growth-stock losses.

Apple stock and Microsoft, the only two members of the $2 trillion club, are in the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite. FANG stocks Facebook, Google and Amazon are all in the S&P and Nasdaq.

The 10-year Treasury yield tumbled 11 basis points to 1.43%, the lowest since March. Crude oil futures hit fresh three-year highs.

Growth stocks generally powered higher, despite some big individual losers.

Among the best ETFs, the Innovator IBD 50 ETF (FFTY) fell 2.1% last week with a few high-profile growth names such as Digital Turbine (APPS) selling off hard. The Innovator IBD Breakout Opportunities ETF (BOUT) added 0.7%. The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF (IGV) climbed 1.7%. Microsoft stock is a major IGV component. The VanEck Vectors Semiconductor ETF (SMH) jumped 2.6%.

Meanwhile, other sectors were mixed.

SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF (XME) edged up 0.9% and Global X U.S. Infrastructure Development ETF (PAVE) 0.15%, after both had big rebounds in the prior week. U.S. Global Jets ETF (JETS) slumped 2.2%, as Delta coronavirus fears and restrictions slam travel names. SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) rose 2.4%, continuing to rebound after several weeks of weakness. The Energy Select SPDR ETF (XLE) fell 1.2% amid profit-taking, and the Financial Select SPDR ETF (XLF) was just about break-even.

Reflecting more-speculative story stocks, ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) rose 2.1% and ARK Genomics ETF (ARKG) 2.2%, but both closed in the bottom third of their weekly ranges.

Five Best Chinese Stocks To Buy And Watch Now

Google Stock Moves Higher In Buy Zone

Google stock rose 2.2% last week to 2,505.15, hitting a new high. On Friday, shares rose 2.3%, clearing a lot of recent action just above and below the 2,431.48 flat-base buy point. Volume was below average for the week while Friday’s was a little less so.

The relative strength line for Google stock is just below a record high. That reflects the internet giant’s outperformance vs. the S&P 500 index.

Apple Stock Breaks Out

Apple stock cleared a 137.17 cup-base buy point this week, jumping 5.15% for the week to 139.96. Volume was anemic, though Friday’s trade was almost average. The RS for AAPL stock is improving, near consolidation highs, but well off all-time levels.

Amazon Stock Offers Early Entry

Amazon stock rose 3.2% last week to 3,510.98. That’s just below a 3,524.96 cup-with-handle buy point, according to MarketSmith analysis. But investors could have bought AMZN stock as it broke a mini-downtrend in the handle on Friday.

The RS line for AMZN stock recently hit consolidation highs, though it’s still off all-time levels.

Microsoft Stock Powers Out Of Buy Zone

Microsoft stock advanced 4.8% last week to 277.65, moving out of a 5% buy zone. Shares cleared the 263.29 buy point on June 22. It was a shallow cup, part of a base-on-base pattern.

The latest breakout pushed Microsoft stock above a $2 trillion market cap, now at $2.09 trillion. That’s second only to Apple stock, at $2.34 trillion.

The RS line for MSFT stock is now at a 10-month high. Could this Long-Term Leader be ready for another run?

Facebook Stock Tops $1 Trillion

Facebook stock popped 3.9% last week to 354.70, thanks to a 4.2% jump on Monday to record highs. Facebook won two antitrust suits on Monday, pushing FB stock above a $1 trillion valuation.

Market Rally Analysis

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite are at record highs, while the Dow Jones is on the cusp of doing so. The small-cap Russell 2000 retreated.

The Nasdaq composite is 5.5% above its 50-day line, while the Nasdaq 100 is 6.4% above that key level. When the Nasdaq is 6% or more above its 50-day, the odds of a pullback rise, with the risks that any such retreat will be larger. However, the Nasdaq is arguably in the early stages of a new uptrend, when getting extended is less of a concern. Also, recent history has shown that the Nasdaq can become significantly more extended for a lengthy time before succumbing to a notable pullback.

Megacap and big-cap tech stocks fueled the major indexes last week. That’s masked some weakness in the Nasdaq and NYSE advance-decline line, signaling a lack of breadth in the recent move. Further, the fierce selling or reversals in a number of growth stocks, including APPS stock, UP Fintech (TIGR) and Star Bulk Carriers (SBLK), was a little troubling.

But beyond Apple, Google or Amazon, there are still a lot of actionable stocks or quality names setting up.

Some growth names had more gradual pauses and are forming handles, such as Shopify (SHOP) and Zscaler (ZS). Several apparel retailers are hovering at buy points, including L Brands (LB) and American Eagle Outfitters (AEO). Housing-related stocks are starting to shape up, with Tempur-Sealy (TPX) breaking out last week.

Time The Market With IBD’s ETF Market Strategy

What To Do Now

Don’t get too concentrated in a particular stock or sector. If you do have a big position, be careful with any adds. Make sure to use proper buy points and keep your overall cost basis low. For new positions, definitely don’t buy extended, especially in highfliers.

On this long Fourth of July weekend, take time to celebrate with family and friends, and enjoy the fireworks. But the price of liberty, and financial independence, is eternal vigilance.

The stock market rally is offering opportunities and setups, but investors have to be disciplined. That means running screens to build up your watchlists, buying stocks at the right time and then staying alert to your holdings and overall market. Most of all, follow your sell rules.

Read The Big Picture every day to stay in sync with the market direction and leading stocks and sectors.

Please follow Ed Carson on Twitter at @IBD_ECarson for stock market updates and more.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:

Why This IBD Tool Simplifies The Search For Top Stocks

Want To Get Quick Profits And Avoid Big Losses? Try SwingTrader

Best Growth Stocks To Buy And Watch

IBD Digital: Unlock IBD’s Premium Stock Lists, Tools And Analysis Today



Read original article here

Sports

Giants sign defensive backs Joshua Kalu, Chris Milton from Titans

Leave a comment

The Giants have a thing for former Titans defensive backs.

They signed safety Logan Ryan prior to last season and signed cornerback Adoree’ Jackson this off-season. On Tuesday, they added two more of them, adding defensive backs Joshua Kalu and Chris Milton as depth pieces to the roster.

The Giants also signed a third player, tight end Cole Hikutini.

Chris Milton; Joshua Kalu
Getty Images

Kalu, 25, was undrafted out of Nebraska and spent the past three seasons with the Titans, playing in 28 games (zero starts), including a career-high 15 in 2020. A safety, his big moment in the NFL came in Week 10 of the 2019 season, when he blocked a potential tying field goal attempt by Harrison Butker as time expired to secure a 35-32 upset victory over the Chiefs.

Milton, 28, was not drafted out of Georgia Tech and has one NFL start in his 55 games played in the NFL. He spent his first three seasons with the Colts and the past two with the Titans. He has two career fumble recoveries.

Hikutini, 26, was undrafted out of Louisville and played in four games for the 49ers as a rookie in 2017, catching two passes for 15 yards. That is the extent of his NFL game experience, as he spent the past three years on the practice squads of the Vikings and Cowboys.

Read original article here

Entertainment

‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ review: The battle of ‘alpha titans’ becomes a C-level spectacle

Leave a comment

To be fair, the movie was watched on a TV screen, which surely isn’t the way that Warner Bros. (like CNN, a unit of WarnerMedia) and Legendary Pictures originally intended it.

The film lands simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters in the US — having already roared out of the starting gate in some international markets — but frankly, it’s not like an Imax screen could fix the plot and dialogue in a script and story credited to five writers, directed by Adam Wingard.
Following a pair of Godzilla movies that bookended the dreary “Kong: Skull Island,” the film begins with the notion that the title monsters are “alpha titans” and “ancient enemies,” making a showdown inevitable. Still, Godzilla’s sudden antisocial behavior represents a mystery to those who have witnessed his prior outings, causing them to search for the underlying cause.

As for Kong, he’s under the care and supervision of Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall) on his island home, accompanied by a deaf girl (Kaylee Hottle), who joins a rather long tradition of kids that have improbably befriended giant monsters. They reluctantly find themselves tagging along with an academic (Alexander Skarsgard) who is convinced he can locate Kong’s historic home in the bowels of the Earth, a mission financed by the CEO of a company called Apex Cybernetics, played by Demián Bichir.

It gives away little, in this day and age, to say one should beware of people who become entangled with forces beyond their control, and these towering titans surely fit that description. The disjointed plot also reassembles past players like Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler, but the actors in this exercise feel even more incidental to the main event.

Given the relatively small amount of time that the “versus” part comes into play, “Godzilla vs. Kong” labors to flesh out the story, in ways that — like the earlier films — contain callbacks to the old cheesy movies, while telegraphing practically every beat.

The sheer size and level of destruction these gargantuan combatants unleash is occasionally impressive, if a little numbing before it’s over. Yet even allowing that the goal is simply to deliver big, dumb fun, some of the action sequences are unfortunately murky, to the point where it’d be nice to just let the beasts duke it out for a few minutes on an open plain in broad daylight.

Movies like “Godzilla vs. Kong” were made to be shared with audiences — perhaps especially the ridiculous parts — but even those advantages only go so far. Tasked with creating a spectacle around two of the movies’ biggest (literally) stars, “Godzilla vs. Kong” turns this battle of “alpha titans” into at best a C-level attraction.

“Godzilla vs. Kong” premieres March 31 on HBO Max and in theaters in the US. It’s rated PG-13.

Read original article here

Sports

NFL free agency 2021: Patriots clear winners on Day 1 after huge spending spree, Titans among losers

Leave a comment

Day 1 of the legal tampering period kicked off with a bang on Monday. Serious money was being thrown around the NFL leading up to the start of the new league year and some of the biggest free agents are now starting to come off the board. Of course, all of these deals cannot become official until the new year actually begins on Wednesday but these handshake agreements are as concrete as you can get at this time of the year.

While Monday’s action is merely just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to player movement this offseason, we’re going to dissect some of the most notable signings and determine who is currently leading the pack with their haul after Day 1. Below, you’ll find our winners and losers from the unofficial start of free agency. 

Bill Belichick rolled into free agency like his stimulus check just cleared. The Patriots wasted no time in trying to rebuild a roster that went 7-9 in 2020 and were quick to address key positions of need. The first major splash was signing tight end Jonnu Smith to a four-year, $50 million deal that solidifies a position that the club has been trying to fill ever since Rob Gronkowski retired. Smith is as well-rounded of a tight end as they come with the ability to block and be a lethal receiver, particularly after the catch. From Day 1, he should be looked at as the Patriots’ top pass-catching option. Not only did the Patriots add a tight end, but they also brought in receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne. Agholor will help Josh McDaniels’ offense stretch the field while Bourne could be an option for the club out of the slot. 

Meanwhile, the most surprising splash of the day for the Patriots came on the defensive side of the ball by agreeing with linebacker Matt Judon on a four-year, $56 million contract. He brings elite talent to a Patriots pass-rushing unit that will also boast Josh Uche, Chase Winovich, and Dont’a Hightower. All of a sudden, that grouping is shaping out to be pretty lethal. Finally, the Patriots solidified the interior of their defensive line by adding Henry Anderson and Davon Godchaux. 

It wasn’t all positives for the Patriots, however, as they did lose star left guard Joe Thuney (more on him below). 

Loser: Ravens pass rush

While the Ravens did make a big addition to their O-line by adding guard Kevin Zeitler, John Harbaugh’s front seven did take a hit with the club losing both Yannick Ngakoue (Raiders) and Matt Judon (Patriots). Judon led the team in sacks and quarterback hits while Ngakoue wasn’t too far behind after only joining the club for nine games following a mid-season trade from the Vikings. While the Ravens have a history of restocking their defense on the fly — and should see even more production from middle linebacker Patrick Queen in Year 2 — the edge will need to catering as free agency and the draft moves forward.    

Give Bruce Arians credit, his declaration during Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV celebration that the Buccaneers would be bringing back all of their key pending free agents proved to be true. While the club had already reached an agreement with linebacker Lavonte David and franchised receiver Chirs Godwin, the status of Shaq Barrett was still hanging in the balance. However, the club was able to retain the star pass rusher by inking him to a four-year, $72 million deal on Monday. Not only were the Bucs able to keep Barrett, but they also re-upped Rob Gronkowski to a one-year deal. As things stand currently, Tampa Bay is well-positioned to defend its title. 

With the uncertain status looming over Russell Wilson, one would think it’d behoove Seattle to come in hot on the first day of free agency and give the star quarterback what he wants: protection. However, the Seahawks remained quiet on Monday as the likes of guards Joe Thuney and Kevin Zeitler came off the board along with star center Corey Linsley. If the Seahawks were to take Wilson’s previous comments this offseason about adding to the offensive line to heart and came out of the gate firing, that could have been a key olive branch to possibly mend some fences. At the moment, it doesn’t seem like Seattle has done much of anything to smooth things over with their franchise cornerstone. 

Patrick Mahomes clearly doesn’t want to get beaten up like he did in Super Bowl LV ever again. The quarterback recently restructured his contract with the Chiefs to give the club more cap space and it has provided immediate dividends with the team signing left guard Joe Thuney to a five-year deal. Thuney has been a key piece to the Patriots offense through two Super Bowl championships and now he’ll look to add to his résumé by blocking for Mahomes for the next half-decade. According to PFF, Thuney has allowed just three sacks dating back to 2018. Not only does he bring elite production, but he’s also proven to be one of the more durable offensive linemen around. 

Clearly, Mahomes likes what his team is doing on Day 1 of free agency. 

With tight end Jonnu Smith signing with the Patriots and Corey Davis inking a deal with the Jets, Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill is losing two of his top three pass-catchers from a season ago. Smith and Davis combined for 1,432 yards of Tannehill’s 3,819 passing yards in 2020, which is roughly around 37.5% of his production. Of Tannehill’s 33 touchdowns last season, 13 were either to Smith or Davis. Of course, Tannehill can still lean on receiver A.J. Brown and running back Derrick Henry to help push Tennessee’s offense down the field, but it likely just got a bit more difficult with both Smith and Davis moving on. 

require.config({"baseUrl":"https://sportsfly.cbsistatic.com/fly-196/bundles/sportsmediajs/js-build","config":{"version":{"fly/components/accordion":"1.0","fly/components/alert":"1.0","fly/components/base":"1.0","fly/components/carousel":"1.0","fly/components/dropdown":"1.0","fly/components/fixate":"1.0","fly/components/form-validate":"1.0","fly/components/image-gallery":"1.0","fly/components/iframe-messenger":"1.0","fly/components/load-more":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-article":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-scroll":"1.0","fly/components/loading":"1.0","fly/components/modal":"1.0","fly/components/modal-iframe":"1.0","fly/components/network-bar":"1.0","fly/components/poll":"1.0","fly/components/search-player":"1.0","fly/components/social-button":"1.0","fly/components/social-counts":"1.0","fly/components/social-links":"1.0","fly/components/tabs":"1.0","fly/components/video":"1.0","fly/libs/easy-xdm":"2.4.17.1","fly/libs/jquery.cookie":"1.2","fly/libs/jquery.throttle-debounce":"1.1","fly/libs/jquery.widget":"1.9.2","fly/libs/omniture.s-code":"1.0","fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init":"1.0","fly/libs/jquery.mobile":"1.3.2","fly/libs/backbone":"1.0.0","fly/libs/underscore":"1.5.1","fly/libs/jquery.easing":"1.3","fly/managers/ad":"2.0","fly/managers/components":"1.0","fly/managers/cookie":"1.0","fly/managers/debug":"1.0","fly/managers/geo":"1.0","fly/managers/gpt":"4.3","fly/managers/history":"2.0","fly/managers/madison":"1.0","fly/managers/social-authentication":"1.0","fly/utils/data-prefix":"1.0","fly/utils/data-selector":"1.0","fly/utils/function-natives":"1.0","fly/utils/guid":"1.0","fly/utils/log":"1.0","fly/utils/object-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-vars":"1.0","fly/utils/url-helper":"1.0","libs/jshashtable":"2.1","libs/select2":"3.5.1","libs/jsonp":"2.4.0","libs/jquery/mobile":"1.4.5","libs/modernizr.custom":"2.6.2","libs/velocity":"1.2.2","libs/dataTables":"1.10.6","libs/dataTables.fixedColumns":"3.0.4","libs/dataTables.fixedHeader":"2.1.2","libs/dateformat":"1.0.3","libs/waypoints/infinite":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/inview":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/jquery.waypoints":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/sticky":"3.1.1","libs/jquery/dotdotdot":"1.6.1","libs/jquery/flexslider":"2.1","libs/jquery/lazyload":"1.9.3","libs/jquery/maskedinput":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/marquee":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/numberformatter":"1.2.3","libs/jquery/placeholder":"0.2.4","libs/jquery/scrollbar":"0.1.6","libs/jquery/tablesorter":"2.0.5","libs/jquery/touchswipe":"1.6.18","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.draggable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.mouse":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.position":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.slider":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.sortable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.touch-punch":"0.2.3","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.autocomplete":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.accordion":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.menu":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.dialog":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.resizable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.button":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tooltip":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.effects":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker":"1.11.4"}},"shim":{"liveconnection/managers/connection":{"deps":["liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4"]},"liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4":{"exports":"SockJS"},"libs/setValueFromArray":{"exports":"set"},"libs/getValueFromArray":{"exports":"get"},"fly/libs/jquery.mobile-1.3.2":["version!fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init"],"libs/backbone.marionette":{"deps":["jquery","version!fly/libs/underscore","version!fly/libs/backbone"],"exports":"Marionette"},"fly/libs/underscore-1.5.1":{"exports":"_"},"fly/libs/backbone-1.0.0":{"deps":["version!fly/libs/underscore","jquery"],"exports":"Backbone"},"libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs-1.11.4":["jquery","version!libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core","version!fly/libs/jquery.widget"],"libs/jquery/flexslider-2.1":["jquery"],"libs/dataTables.fixedColumns-3.0.4":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"libs/dataTables.fixedHeader-2.1.2":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js":["https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"]},"map":{"*":{"adobe-pass":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js","facebook":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js","facebook-debug":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all/debug.js","google":"https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js","google-platform":"https://apis.google.com/js/client:platform.js","google-csa":"https://www.google.com/adsense/search/async-ads.js","google-javascript-api":"https://www.google.com/jsapi","google-client-api":"https://apis.google.com/js/api:client.js","gpt":"https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js","newsroom":"https://c2.taboola.com/nr/cbsinteractive-cbssports/newsroom.js","recaptcha":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?onload=loadRecaptcha&render=explicit","recaptcha_ajax":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/js/recaptcha_ajax.js","supreme-golf":"https://sgapps-staging.supremegolf.com/search/assets/js/bundle.js","taboola":"https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/cbsinteractive-cbssports/loader.js","twitter":"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js","video-utils":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"}},"waitSeconds":300});



Read original article here

Sports

Titans trade 2020 first-round offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson to Dolphins, per report

Leave a comment

USATSI

The Miami Dolphins have acquired offensive tackle Isaiah Wilson from the Tennessee Titans, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. Miami is sending a 2021 seventh-round pick in return for Wilson, who was the No. 29 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, and a 2022 seventh-round pick, according to Albert Breer. 

The former Georgia Bulldog appeared in one game for the Titans. He was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list twice, suspended for the team’s Week 13 game following a violation of team rules. As of Feb. 16, Titans general manager Jon Robinson had not spoken with Wilson since he was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list in December. The 22-year-old had also been arrested for a DUI in September. A late-night post on Feb. 22 suggested that the lineman intended to give up football. Days later, it was reported that Tennessee had begun to shop him in a trade. 

Robinson issued a challenge to the New York native. 

“He’s gonna have to make a determination if he wants to do everything necessary to play pro football. That’s going to be on him,” Robinson said, via Pro Football Talk. 

Wilson should compete for the starting right tackle position in Miami if he is able to erase a troubled rookie season. Rookie Robert Hunt would presumably slide inside to the starting offensive guard position manned by Ereck Flowers.

Wilson is the second prospect to be traded from the 2020 NFL Draft. Miami also acquired wide receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. — a third-round pick — from the Raiders. He has three years plus a possible fifth-year option worth a little more than $5 million left on his rookie deal. 

The Dolphins have the ninth-most salary cap space in the NFL at roughly $35.6 million. The franchise holds two first-round picks, including the No. 3 overall selection, acquired from the Texans as part of the trade for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. 

require.config({"baseUrl":"https://sportsfly.cbsistatic.com/fly-175/bundles/sportsmediajs/js-build","config":{"version":{"fly/components/accordion":"1.0","fly/components/alert":"1.0","fly/components/base":"1.0","fly/components/carousel":"1.0","fly/components/dropdown":"1.0","fly/components/fixate":"1.0","fly/components/form-validate":"1.0","fly/components/image-gallery":"1.0","fly/components/iframe-messenger":"1.0","fly/components/load-more":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-article":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-scroll":"1.0","fly/components/loading":"1.0","fly/components/modal":"1.0","fly/components/modal-iframe":"1.0","fly/components/network-bar":"1.0","fly/components/poll":"1.0","fly/components/search-player":"1.0","fly/components/social-button":"1.0","fly/components/social-counts":"1.0","fly/components/social-links":"1.0","fly/components/tabs":"1.0","fly/components/video":"1.0","fly/libs/easy-xdm":"2.4.17.1","fly/libs/jquery.cookie":"1.2","fly/libs/jquery.throttle-debounce":"1.1","fly/libs/jquery.widget":"1.9.2","fly/libs/omniture.s-code":"1.0","fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init":"1.0","fly/libs/jquery.mobile":"1.3.2","fly/libs/backbone":"1.0.0","fly/libs/underscore":"1.5.1","fly/libs/jquery.easing":"1.3","fly/managers/ad":"2.0","fly/managers/components":"1.0","fly/managers/cookie":"1.0","fly/managers/debug":"1.0","fly/managers/geo":"1.0","fly/managers/gpt":"4.3","fly/managers/history":"2.0","fly/managers/madison":"1.0","fly/managers/social-authentication":"1.0","fly/utils/data-prefix":"1.0","fly/utils/data-selector":"1.0","fly/utils/function-natives":"1.0","fly/utils/guid":"1.0","fly/utils/log":"1.0","fly/utils/object-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-vars":"1.0","fly/utils/url-helper":"1.0","libs/jshashtable":"2.1","libs/select2":"3.5.1","libs/jsonp":"2.4.0","libs/jquery/mobile":"1.4.5","libs/modernizr.custom":"2.6.2","libs/velocity":"1.2.2","libs/dataTables":"1.10.6","libs/dataTables.fixedColumns":"3.0.4","libs/dataTables.fixedHeader":"2.1.2","libs/dateformat":"1.0.3","libs/waypoints/infinite":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/inview":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/jquery.waypoints":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/sticky":"3.1.1","libs/jquery/dotdotdot":"1.6.1","libs/jquery/flexslider":"2.1","libs/jquery/lazyload":"1.9.3","libs/jquery/maskedinput":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/marquee":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/numberformatter":"1.2.3","libs/jquery/placeholder":"0.2.4","libs/jquery/scrollbar":"0.1.6","libs/jquery/tablesorter":"2.0.5","libs/jquery/touchswipe":"1.6.18","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.draggable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.mouse":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.position":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.slider":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.sortable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.touch-punch":"0.2.3","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.autocomplete":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.accordion":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.menu":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.dialog":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.resizable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.button":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tooltip":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.effects":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker":"1.11.4"}},"shim":{"liveconnection/managers/connection":{"deps":["liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4"]},"liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4":{"exports":"SockJS"},"libs/setValueFromArray":{"exports":"set"},"libs/getValueFromArray":{"exports":"get"},"fly/libs/jquery.mobile-1.3.2":["version!fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init"],"libs/backbone.marionette":{"deps":["jquery","version!fly/libs/underscore","version!fly/libs/backbone"],"exports":"Marionette"},"fly/libs/underscore-1.5.1":{"exports":"_"},"fly/libs/backbone-1.0.0":{"deps":["version!fly/libs/underscore","jquery"],"exports":"Backbone"},"libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs-1.11.4":["jquery","version!libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core","version!fly/libs/jquery.widget"],"libs/jquery/flexslider-2.1":["jquery"],"libs/dataTables.fixedColumns-3.0.4":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"libs/dataTables.fixedHeader-2.1.2":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js":["https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"]},"map":{"*":{"adobe-pass":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js","facebook":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js","facebook-debug":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all/debug.js","google":"https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js","google-platform":"https://apis.google.com/js/client:platform.js","google-csa":"https://www.google.com/adsense/search/async-ads.js","google-javascript-api":"https://www.google.com/jsapi","google-client-api":"https://apis.google.com/js/api:client.js","gpt":"https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js","newsroom":"https://c2.taboola.com/nr/cbsinteractive-cbssports/newsroom.js","recaptcha":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?onload=loadRecaptcha&render=explicit","recaptcha_ajax":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/js/recaptcha_ajax.js","supreme-golf":"https://sgapps-staging.supremegolf.com/search/assets/js/bundle.js","taboola":"https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/cbsinteractive-cbssports/loader.js","twitter":"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js","video-utils":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"}},"waitSeconds":300});



Read original article here

Sports

Isaiah Wilson says he’s ‘done with football’ as a member of the Titans in now-deleted social media post

Leave a comment

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Isaiah Wilson’s days in Tennessee appear like they may be reaching an end. On Monday evening, the offensive tackle’s official Twitter accounted tweeted that he is “done with football as a Titan” and would take no further comments on the situation. The post remained on the 2020 first-round pick’s social media page for over 10 minutes before it was eventually taken down by either Wilson or someone who also has access to his account. 

This is just the latest ordeal in what has evolved into a disastrous start to Wilson’s NFL career after being selected by the club with the No. 29 overall pick last spring. He recorded just four snaps for the Titans last season and was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list in early December after the 22-year-old dealt with a number of off-the-field issues. Wilson was arrested for DUI in September and was also suspended by the team later in the season for violating club rules. It was after that suspension was lifted when he was placed on the non-football illness list due to  “personal issues.”

Earlier this month, Titans GM Jon Robinson was asked about Wilson’s status with the team and noted that he hadn’t been in contact with him since he was placed on the NFI list. Robinson also put the ball in Wilson’s court if he wants to continue his career or not. 

“He’s going to have to make a determination on whether he wants to do what it takes to play pro football. That will be on him,” Robinson said at the time, via the official team website. 

At the time the Titans selected the 6-foot-6, 350-pounder out of Georgia, he was looked at as someone who could help anchor the offensive line opposite of Taylor Lewan, helping to protect Ryan Tannehill while also paving the way for Derrick Henry in the running game. Unfortunately for Tennessee, it doesn’t appear like this first-rounder is going to pay the dividends that most organizations hope for when they make such a significant investment. 

As for Wilson’s NFL career, it seems like it’s currently hanging by a thread.

require.config({"baseUrl":"https://sportsfly.cbsistatic.com/fly-155/bundles/sportsmediajs/js-build","config":{"version":{"fly/components/accordion":"1.0","fly/components/alert":"1.0","fly/components/base":"1.0","fly/components/carousel":"1.0","fly/components/dropdown":"1.0","fly/components/fixate":"1.0","fly/components/form-validate":"1.0","fly/components/image-gallery":"1.0","fly/components/iframe-messenger":"1.0","fly/components/load-more":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-article":"1.0","fly/components/load-more-scroll":"1.0","fly/components/loading":"1.0","fly/components/modal":"1.0","fly/components/modal-iframe":"1.0","fly/components/network-bar":"1.0","fly/components/poll":"1.0","fly/components/search-player":"1.0","fly/components/social-button":"1.0","fly/components/social-counts":"1.0","fly/components/social-links":"1.0","fly/components/tabs":"1.0","fly/components/video":"1.0","fly/libs/easy-xdm":"2.4.17.1","fly/libs/jquery.cookie":"1.2","fly/libs/jquery.throttle-debounce":"1.1","fly/libs/jquery.widget":"1.9.2","fly/libs/omniture.s-code":"1.0","fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init":"1.0","fly/libs/jquery.mobile":"1.3.2","fly/libs/backbone":"1.0.0","fly/libs/underscore":"1.5.1","fly/libs/jquery.easing":"1.3","fly/managers/ad":"2.0","fly/managers/components":"1.0","fly/managers/cookie":"1.0","fly/managers/debug":"1.0","fly/managers/geo":"1.0","fly/managers/gpt":"4.3","fly/managers/history":"2.0","fly/managers/madison":"1.0","fly/managers/social-authentication":"1.0","fly/utils/data-prefix":"1.0","fly/utils/data-selector":"1.0","fly/utils/function-natives":"1.0","fly/utils/guid":"1.0","fly/utils/log":"1.0","fly/utils/object-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-helper":"1.0","fly/utils/string-vars":"1.0","fly/utils/url-helper":"1.0","libs/jshashtable":"2.1","libs/select2":"3.5.1","libs/jsonp":"2.4.0","libs/jquery/mobile":"1.4.5","libs/modernizr.custom":"2.6.2","libs/velocity":"1.2.2","libs/dataTables":"1.10.6","libs/dataTables.fixedColumns":"3.0.4","libs/dataTables.fixedHeader":"2.1.2","libs/dateformat":"1.0.3","libs/waypoints/infinite":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/inview":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/jquery.waypoints":"3.1.1","libs/waypoints/sticky":"3.1.1","libs/jquery/dotdotdot":"1.6.1","libs/jquery/flexslider":"2.1","libs/jquery/lazyload":"1.9.3","libs/jquery/maskedinput":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/marquee":"1.3.1","libs/jquery/numberformatter":"1.2.3","libs/jquery/placeholder":"0.2.4","libs/jquery/scrollbar":"0.1.6","libs/jquery/tablesorter":"2.0.5","libs/jquery/touchswipe":"1.6.18","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.draggable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.mouse":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.position":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.slider":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.sortable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.touch-punch":"0.2.3","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.autocomplete":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.accordion":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.menu":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.dialog":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.resizable":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.button":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tooltip":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.effects":"1.11.4","libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.datepicker":"1.11.4"}},"shim":{"liveconnection/managers/connection":{"deps":["liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4"]},"liveconnection/libs/sockjs-0.3.4":{"exports":"SockJS"},"libs/setValueFromArray":{"exports":"set"},"libs/getValueFromArray":{"exports":"get"},"fly/libs/jquery.mobile-1.3.2":["version!fly/utils/jquery-mobile-init"],"libs/backbone.marionette":{"deps":["jquery","version!fly/libs/underscore","version!fly/libs/backbone"],"exports":"Marionette"},"fly/libs/underscore-1.5.1":{"exports":"_"},"fly/libs/backbone-1.0.0":{"deps":["version!fly/libs/underscore","jquery"],"exports":"Backbone"},"libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.tabs-1.11.4":["jquery","version!libs/jquery/ui/jquery.ui.core","version!fly/libs/jquery.widget"],"libs/jquery/flexslider-2.1":["jquery"],"libs/dataTables.fixedColumns-3.0.4":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"libs/dataTables.fixedHeader-2.1.2":["jquery","version!libs/dataTables"],"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js":["https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"]},"map":{"*":{"adobe-pass":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/app/VideoPlayer/AdobePass-min.js","facebook":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js","facebook-debug":"https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all/debug.js","google":"https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js","google-platform":"https://apis.google.com/js/client:platform.js","google-csa":"https://www.google.com/adsense/search/async-ads.js","google-javascript-api":"https://www.google.com/jsapi","google-client-api":"https://apis.google.com/js/api:client.js","gpt":"https://securepubads.g.doubleclick.net/tag/js/gpt.js","newsroom":"https://c2.taboola.com/nr/cbsinteractive-cbssports/newsroom.js","recaptcha":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?onload=loadRecaptcha&render=explicit","recaptcha_ajax":"https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api/js/recaptcha_ajax.js","supreme-golf":"https://sgapps-staging.supremegolf.com/search/assets/js/bundle.js","taboola":"https://cdn.taboola.com/libtrc/cbsinteractive-cbssports/loader.js","twitter":"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js","video-utils":"https://sports.cbsimg.net/js/CBSi/util/Utils-min.js"}},"waitSeconds":300});



Read original article here

Science

Seven Hundred Leagues Beneath Titan’s Methane Seas

Leave a comment

What could be more exciting than flying a helicopter over the deserts of Mars? How about playing Captain Nemo on Saturn’s large, foggy moon Titan — plumbing the depths of a methane ocean, dodging hydrocarbon icebergs and exploring an ancient, frigid shoreline of organic goo a billion miles from the sun?

Those are the visions that danced through my head recently. The eyes of humanity are on Mars these days. A convoy of robots, after a half-year in space, has been dropping, one after another, into orbit or straight to the ground on the Red Planet, like incoming jets at J.F.K. Among the cargo is a helicopter that armchair astronauts look forward to flying over the Martian sands.

But my own attention was diverted to the farther reaches of the solar system by the news that Kraken Mare, an ocean of methane on Titan, had recently been gauged for depth and probably went at least 1,000 feet down. That as deep as nuclear submarines will admit to going. The news rekindled my dreams of what I think would be the most romantic of space missions: a voyage on, and ultimately even under, the oceans of Titan.

“The depth and composition of each of Titan’s seas had already been measured, except for Titan’s largest sea, Kraken Mare — which not only has a great name but also contains about 80 percent of the moon’s surface liquids,” said Valerio Poggiali, research associate at the Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science. Dr. Poggiali is the lead author of a paper describing the new depth measurements in The Journal of the American Geophysical Union.

NASA recently announced that it would launch a drone called Dragonfly to the Saturnian moon in 2026. Proposals have also circulated for an orbiter, a floating probe that could splash down in a lake, even a robotic submarine.

“The Titan submarine is still going,” Dr. Poggiali said in an email, although it is unlikely to happen before Titan’s next summer, around 2047. By then, he said, there will be more ambient light and the submarine conceivably could communicate on a direct line to Earth with no need of an orbiting radio relay.

Titan is the weirdest place in the solar system, in some regards, and also the world most like our own. Like Earth, it has a thick atmosphere of mostly nitrogen (the only moon that has much of an atmosphere at all), and like Earth, it has weather, rain, rivers and seas.

But on this world, when it rains, it rains gasoline. Hydrocarbon material drifts down like snow and is shaped into dunes by nitrogen winds. Rivers have carved canyons through mountains of frozen soot, and layers of ice float on subsurface oceans of ammonia. The prevailing surface temperature is minus 290 degrees Fahrenheit. A chemical sludge that optimistic astronomers call “prebiotic” creeps along under an oppressive brown sky. Besides Earth, Titan is the only world in the universe that is known to harbor liquid on its surface — with everything that could imply.

Astrobiologists have been eager to get a closer look at this world ever since Voyager I swooped past it in 1980 and radioed back evidence that its smoggy atmosphere was four times as dense as our own. Time, technology and human ingenuity have since revealed that cloudy world to be a natural wonderland.

The northern regions of Titan are laced with a network of lakes and rivers. The largest of them, called Kraken Mare, after a Norse monster, is bigger than all of North America’s Great Lakes combined.

The Cassini orbiter spent 13 years buzzing around in the Saturnian system, mapping these features in detail.

On Aug. 21, 2014, when Cassini passed about 600 miles above the northern realms of Titan, it used its radar altimeter to measure the depths in Kraken Mare and Moray Sinus, an estuary at the sea’s northern coastline. Engineers could measure the depths of the seas by noting the delay between when the radar bounced back from the surface and when it bounced off the seabeds.

It turned out that Moray Sinus was about 280 feet deep, but there was no return echo from the Kraken bottom; either the lake was very, very deep, or it absorbed the radar signals so completely that they never escaped.

“Thus, the central part of Kraken Mare must be deeper than 330 feet and likely more than 1,000 feet,” Dr. Poggiali concluded.

Another major surprise, he said, was the composition of Kraken Mare. Scientists had expected it to contain relatively more ethane, which is denser than methane, than the northernmost sea on Titan, Ligeia Mare.

In prevailing models of Titan hydrology, Dr. Poggiali said, the presence of methane-nitrogen rain increases with increasing latitude. That would cause the composition of the more “poleward seas” to be more methane rich. “In simple words, ethane behaves a little like salt in marine water on Earth,” he said.

He added: “For sure, the composition we derived for the liquid filling the Moray Sinus, this large bay in the northern part of Kraken Mare, is quite surprising. We expected it to be definitely more ethane-rich. What we found out, instead, is that the Kraken is much more similar to the Ligeia Mare, the second largest sea on Titan. This has significant implications for how the hydrologic cycle works.” There could still be more ethane in the southern parts of the Kraken Mare, he added, but the existing data does not extend that far.

This is of more than abstract planetary science. In the imagination of scientists like Dr. Poggiali Titan is a laboratory where, over millions of years, chemistry could have learned how to generate energy and store information. “These are processes that have happened on our planet too, but they left no traces! As you probably see, we need to get back to Titan to better understand the mystery of life.” he said.

Like an old captain sitting on the dock, Dr. Poggiali rattled off the possible voyages of a proposed 20-foot-long NASA submarine. The trip would begin in the center of Kraken Mare and go up to Moray Sinus, where the submarine would spend three weeks measuring tides and compositions before cruising coastlines, crossing the strait of Bayta Fretum and heading south through a throatlike passage called Seldon Fretum.

During these explorations, the vessel would map and periodically sample the sea bottom and gather detailed images of the shoreline where possible. Titan’s surface gravity is lower than Earth’s, and methane is less dense than water, so a small submarine could venture deeper without being crushed by pressure as it would be in a terrestrial ocean of salt water.

Moreover, Dr. Poggiali said, because methane is transparent to radio waves, the submarine could perhaps transmit data directly to Earth while still submerged. In all, over the course of 90 days, the little submarine could travel 2,000 miles under the sea, at a speed of a foot per second, according to a NASA website describing the proposed submarine.

Meanwhile, I can hardly be blamed for still dreaming of giant Titanic squid cavorting in that freezer-full cosmic fish tank of natural gas.

Since the early days of the space program, cosmic visionaries have described space as a “new sea,” as President John F. Kennedy put it in a speech at Rice University in 1962. He never dreamed that we might actually sail under it.

Read original article here