There aren't many months on the US sporting calendar that capture the imagination quite like March.
Fans around the country and around the world are furiously filling in brackets as they undertake the futile task of trying to correctly predict every game of the NCAA Tournament.
Spoiler alert. None will succeed. All brackets will eventually be 'busted' as March Madness delivers the chaotic upsets that have come to define it.
There will be top seeds who fail to justify that status and suffer defeats to supposed inferior teams, although the cream consistently rises to the top.
Twelve of the past 15 National Champions have been one seeds, including each of the last five.
Ahead of the first four tipping off in Dayton on Tuesday, Stats Perform looks at three storylines surrounding one seeds looking to keep that streak alive.
Houston eyeing home victory
The Houston Cougars have never tasted glory in the NCAA Tournament, finishing as runners-up in 1983 and 1984, but they are many people's favourites to end that drought in a year that will see the Final Four held in Houston.
Despite losing the AAC Tournament title game to Memphis, the Cougars still earned a one seed as they seek a maiden National Championship.
Top of Stats Perform's TRACR (Team Rating Adjusted for Conference and Roster) rankings, which give Houston the highest chance (13.4 per cent) of winning the title, the big question surrounding the Cougars is the health of power forward Marcus Sasser.
Sasser missed the defeat to Memphis with a groin injury, and Houston will likely need him at full health if the Cougars are to go all the way. He has averaged 17.1 points per game this season and shot 38.3 per cent from the three-point line.
He suggested he likely will be ready for the tournament, saying he "played it safe" by not featuring against Memphis.
Houston shouldn't need Sasser to get past Northern Kentucky in their first-round matchup, but the Cougars can't afford for him to be on the shelf much longer if they are to realise their potential and finally end their wait for a title.
Controversy clouds top-ranked Alabama
The top overall seed belongs to the Alabama Crimson Tide, who will face either Texas A&M-Corpus Christi or Southeast Missouri State in the first round.
But much of the talk around Alabama does not concern their play on the court.
Alabama removed Darius Miles from the team in January after he was charged with capital murder following the shooting death of a 23-year-old woman near the campus.
Police are said to believe that Brandon Miller, the SEC Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year, supplied the firearm to his former team-mate.
Miller has not been charged, nor is he considered a suspect, and according to the university, he has been cooperating with the police as a witness.
Alabama coach Nate Oats has been insistent Miller has done nothing wrong, and he remains on the court as the standout for a team looking to reach the Final Four for the first time.
He will carry much of the burden for Alabama having averaged 19.6 points and 8.3 rebounds and shot 40.1 per cent from beyond the arc.
After easing to an 82-63 win over Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament finale, Alabama look in excellent shape to justify their position as the number one seed in the entire tournament.
But the further they progress and the larger the spotlight gets, the more questions they will face around Miller's presence and the lack of discipline he has faced after a tragedy that may overshadow their campaign.
Self set to return for Jayhawks repeat bid
The Kansas Jayhawks go into the tournament looking to do what no team has done since Florida in 2007 and claim back-to-back National Championships.
Entering the tournament as the one seed in the West Regional, Kansas' performance in a season that has seen them go 27-7 would appear to indicate they have a strong chance of repeating.
Yet the TRACR rankings give them just a 3.2 per cent of doing so, and history is firmly against them.
Since Florida made it two in a row in 2007, no defending champion has advanced past the Sweet 16, with only two even reaching that stage.
This year, the Jayhawks face a potential Sweet 16 matchup with UConn, a fourth seed with the third-best odds (6.9 per cent) to win it all, according to TRACR.
So, not a great draw then, and Kansas' preparations for the tournament have not exactly been ideal.
They lost the Big 12 Championship Game 76-56 to Texas, having played that tournament without head coach Bill Self after he was admitted to hospital with chest tightness and balance concerns.
With Self expected to return for the tournament and Kansas possessing the Big 12's top scorer in Jalen Wilson (20.1 points per game), there is reason for optimism this powerhouse can replicate the achievements of Billy Donovan's Gators 16 years ago.
Regardless of whether they succeed, the Jayhawks have already fared better than the team they defeated last year, North Carolina, who failed to make the tournament. They became the first preseason number one to miss out on the tournament since 1985.
This season has already seen unwanted history for the Tar Heels. The Jayhawks will look to end it by writing another celebratory chapter in the record books.
Injured Wales pair Liam Williams and Scott Baldwin are absent from Warren Gatland's 32-man squad for their final Six Nations fixture in France on Saturday.
Full-back Williams sustained a shoulder injury in Saturday's 29-17 win over Italy in Rome – the first victory of a troubled campaign for Wales.
Hooker Baldwin, meanwhile, suffered a pectoral problem in Italy and will join Williams on the sidelines, with his Ospreys team-mate Sam Parry being called up to the squad.
Keiran Williams has also been released from the squad after sustaining a groin injury while featuring for the Ospreys earlier this month.
Wales are training in Nice ahead of their trip to the Stade de France, with the team announcement scheduled for Thursday.
Opponents France retain a slim chance of defending their title, but they need to post a bonus-point victory over Wales before hoping Ireland are on the receiving end of an upset at home to England.
Full Wales squad:
Forwards: Rhys Carre, Wyn Jones, Gareth Thomas, Ken Owens, Sam Parry, Bradley Roberts, Leon Brown, Tomas Francis, Dillon Lewis, Adam Beard, Rhys Davies, Dafydd Jenkins, Alun Wyn Jones, Jac Morgan, Tommy Reffell, Justin Tipuric, Aaron Wainwright, Taulupe Faletau.
Backs: Kieran Hardy, Rhys Webb, Tomos Williams, Dan Biggar, Rhys Patchell, Owen Williams, Mason Grady, Joe Hawkins, George North, Nick Tompkins, Josh Adams, Rio Dyer, Leigh Halfpenny, Louis Rees-Zammit.
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has entered counselling in Florida, with the timeline for his return to action still uncertain.
Morant remains away from the Grizzlies following an incident in early March where he posted an Instagram Live video that appeared to show him flashing a handgun inside a Colorado nightclub.
Glendale police confirmed it had decided not to lay charges on Morant for the incident, citing a lack of evidence, while the NBA's investigation is ongoing.
According to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon, Morant sought out counselling as part of his efforts – as Morant had previously put in a statement: "[T]o get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being."
The Grizzlies made it three wins in a row despite Morant's absence on Monday as they beat the Dallas Mavericks 104-88 at American Airlines Center.
After the game, Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins said: "Outside of what I have said in the past, being respectful to the nature of the situation, I think I said on the outside that he is taking time and responsibility to get better himself so that he can be better for our team. I am not going to really comment further until there are other updates necessary."
Jenkins also confirmed he has been in regular communication with the player, saying: "Yes, he and I have been communicating every couple of days trying to get him in the appropriate space, but also just keeping him up to speed on what the team is doing, and how he is doing as well."
On a return date, he added: "Not ready to comment. We need to get through the next couple of days he is out, at least for the Miami [Heat] game [on Wednesday], and then we will know more beyond that."
Carlos Alcaraz felt "really proud" to complete 100 wins at ATP Tour level while still a teenager as the world number two marched on at the Indian Wells Open.
Only John McEnroe has reached a century of victories in fewer matches, the ATP said, with the American getting there from 131 contests while it took Alcaraz 132 to get to that landmark.
Alcaraz made it 10 wins from 11 matches in 2023 by defeating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 on Monday at the California tournament.
The Spanish prodigy last year won the US Open and in doing so became the youngest men's world number one, with Novak Djokovic having since clawed back top spot.
Victory over Griekspoor made Alcaraz the third men's tour player born after 2000 to claim 100 tour wins, after Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime, said OptaAce.
The youngster's first tour-level win came against fellow Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas at the 2020 Rio Open, with the then 16-year-old wrapping up a 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 7-6 (7-2) at 3am local time.
The latest victory was his 24th at ATP 1000 level, going past Djokovic on the all-time ranking for wins at that elite tier by players before turning 20.
Alcaraz trails Denis Shapovalov (25) and Rafael Nadal (49), in that regard, but the chances are he will soon only trail Nadal, whom he cannot catch.
With his 20th birthday coming up in May, Alcaraz can substantially add to his ATP 1000 wins before leaving behind his teenage years. He will be looking to go further at Indian Wells and then rack up more victories in Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid.
He will turn 20 on May 5, during the Madrid tournament where he is the defending champion.
Reflecting on his time on tour so far, Alcaraz said: "A lot has happened since that first ATP win. I'm really proud of myself to have my 100th win on the tour, in like 132 matches.
"I saw I was the second player in history with less matches to be able to get to 100 wins. I'm really proud of myself about that."
Alcaraz has a win percentage of 70.6 at ATP 1000 events in his fledgling career. Only three players with 10 or more matches in ATP 1000 events as a teenager have a higher percentage of success: Andre Agassi (90.9 per cent), Rafael Nadal (84.5) and Jim Courier (72.7).
Standing in the way of Alcaraz making an immediate improvement to his record is another emerging young talent, the 21-year-old British player Jack Draper.
They will meet in round four at Indian Wells on Tuesday, with Draper having sunk the hopes of compatriot and three-time grand slam winner Andy Murray on Monday to reach that stage.
"I know he's a really good player," said Alcaraz, who won his one previous meeting with Draper, a tight three-setter in Switzerland last year.
"I mean, he's playing well. He has beaten great opponents like [Dan] Evans and Andy. I know that I'm going to have to play my best, give my 100 per cent on court. I played against him in Basle [and won] 7-5 in the third, I think. It's going to be a really tough match and I'm going to enjoy it."
Mike Budenholzer hailed a "really special" game from Khris Middleton and described a scuffle that marred the closing moments as "unfortunate" as the Milwaukee Bucks won 133-124 against the Sacramento Kings.
Three-time All-Star Middleton's 31 points were a season-high, shooting nine-of-15 from the field and adding nine assists. He was the perfect sidekick for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who ended up scoring 46 points on 19-of-28 shooting, with 12 rebounds and four assists.
It was Antetokounmpo's sixth game this season with at least 45 points, while no other player has more than Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid's four.
Sacramento's Domantas Sabonis had 23 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists, completing his 10th triple-double of the season.
The game's final stages saw tensions boil over as Sacramento's Trey Lyles and Milwaukee's Brook Lopez were ejected after an ugly melee.
That set-to broke out with 15.4 seconds remaining, sparked by a shove on Antetokounmpo by Lyles, with Lopez stepping in and squaring up to the Kings man, leading to a mass grappling match at courtside.
Budenholzer said that moment was "just unfortunate" as he preferred to look at the positives from a fine road win.
"I think it was a great game, a lot of good things happened," Budenholzer said. "I was so impressed by Sacramento and the way they played, and it was good for our guys to fight back in the second half. I'm really not going to say anything about what did or didn't happen. To me, it was unfortunate."
At one point in the game, Lopez needed patching up as blood flowed from a wound on his face. He and the Bucks came back strongly after trailing 49-33 to get the win, improving their NBA-leading record to 49-19 for the season.
While Antetokounmpo was excellent on his return from a three-game hand injury lay-off, Budenholzer saved his highest praise for Middleton.
"Khris was really special," the Bucks coach said. "He had a stretch in the third quarter, he had a stretch in the fourth quarter. Down the stretch the ball was in his hands; the execution, the decision-making, the shot-making was high level, and it's good to see. We've just got to continue to grow, the execution down the stretch was good.
"I think the first half was not our best and down the stretch with the ball in his hands, we do that a lot, and it's like falling into a good old habit. And he and Jrue [Holiday] and Giannis were good. Everybody played together and executed and Khris sometimes is that guy that's at the point of it."
Lopez and Sabonis fought a running battle that Budenholzer likened to a prize fight.
"We were just talking in the locker room. It was like a 15-round heavyweight boxing match," the coach said in his post-game press conference.
"Sabonis was incredibly impressive and I feel the same way about Brook. They're just two great players going at each other. His best stuff against Brook's best stuff. The whole game was a match-up to watch, Brook and Sabonis going against each other, and I think everybody got their money's worth.
Dallas Stars coach Peter DeBoer was thrilled with his team's efforts after Monday's 5-2 victory saw them sweep their two-game road series against the Seattle Kraken.
It took less than six minutes for the Stars to jump ahead by two, with Evgenii Dadonov's early opener followed shortly after by Jamie Benn's power-play goal.
The power-play unit consisting of Benn, Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson were dynamic, as Pavelski and Robertson assisted Benn's goal, before Benn turned provider for Pavelski early in the second period, and Benn nabbed another assist when he set up Robertson for the third power-play goal of the night to seal things.
Stars center Wyatt Johnson – who assisted the opener and scored his side's fourth goal – highlighted the impact of getting such incredible production from their power-plays.
"It's huge," he said. "Especially when you're on the road – just getting like three goals on the power play, it's always, always a big help."
Coach DeBoer called it "an important four points" as the Stars hold onto a three-point buffer atop the Central division, and sit one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference.
"You look at the standings and we're in a fight for first in the division, first in the conference," he said. "[Seattle are] in a battle for playoff positioning.
"They've been playing great all year, so this was a real test for us coming in here for two games and I thought our group really responded."
On the other side, the Kraken blew a golden opportunity to establish themselves as one of the West's top sides, getting leapfrogged by Dallas, the Minnesota Wild and the Los Angeles Kings during their current three-game losing streak.
"Bottom line, we didn't get job done," Kraken coach Dave Hakstol said. "At the end of the day that's what matters.
"We've been a group that's been able to turn the page and go back to the next job at hand. This group has to be able to do that again."
World number two Carlos Alcaraz made it 10 wins from 11 matches in 2023 after defeating Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 in round three at the Indian Wells Open.
Alcaraz, 19, kicked off his 2023 campaign with eight wins in a row, including an Argentina Open title, before losing to Cameron Norrie in the Rio Open decider.
He has yet to drop a set at this fortnight's tournament in California, following up his opening win over Thanasi Kokkinakis with another strong showing against 31st seed Griekspoor.
The Spaniard will look to keep his strong form going when he meets Jack Draper in the fourth round, after 21-year-old Draper prevailed 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 in a battle of the Brits against Andy Murray.
Murray, who came into the match with six wins from his past seven outings, had an opportunity to take the match by the scruff of the neck but could not capitalise on a set point before going down in a tight tie-break, before Draper took charge.
California's own Taylor Fritz lived up to his fourth seeding, with the defending champion having little trouble in overcoming Argentina's Sebastian Baez 6-1 6-2, and he will play Hungary's Marton Fucsovics for a spot in the quarter-final.
Fucsovics, after upsetting 16th seed Alex De Minaur in the previous round, got the better of Slovakia's Alex Molcan 6-4 6-2.
Former world number three Stan Wawrinka showed he still has some gas in the tank after a surprise 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 triumph over world number eight Holger Rune, with the 37-year-old showing what he has learned through competing at the top level for as long as the 19-year-old Dane has been alive.
Jannik Sinner, the 13th seed, successfully navigated the challenge of veteran Adrian Mannarino for a 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 victory, Tommy Paul won his top-20 showdown against Hubert Hurkacz 4-6 6-2 6-4, and eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime knocked out Francisco Cerundolo 7-5 6-4.
Giannis Antetokounmpo refused to let his Milwaukee Bucks lose to the Sacramento Kings on Monday, dragging them back from an early deficit and carrying them to a 133-124 road win.
After missing the past three games while nursing a hand injury, Antetokounmpo started like a house on fire, scoring 15 points in the first quarter.
Despite his early heroics, the Kings led by five at quarter-time, and they jumped out to a 49-33 advantage after a 17-6 start to the second period.
From that point on, the Bucks responded with a 50-29 run, taking the lead as Antetokounmpo racked up a gaudy stat-line of 40 points, 10 rebounds and three assists by the end of the third quarter.
A wildly entertaining fourth period saw the teams combine for 80 points, with Khris Middleton scoring 14 of his 31 in what was his best game of the season.
The three-time All-Star's 31 points were a season-high, shooting nine-of-15 from the field and adding nine assists.
He was the perfect sidekick for Antetokounmpo, who ended up scoring 46 points on 19-of-28 shooting, with 12 rebounds and four assists. It was his sixth game this season with at least 45 points, while no other player has more than Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid's four.
The win is the Bucks' 20th from their past 22 outings, improving their league-leading record to 49-19, while the 40-27 Kings fell to third in the West, overtaken by the 41-26 Memphis Grizzlies.
Warriors ride Klay's 30-point half
Golden State Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson delivered another memorable performance as he shot his side to a 123-112 home victory against the Phoenix Suns.
Thompson had 18 points in the first quarter, and reached half-time with 33 on 12-of-18 shooting, hitting eight of his 12 three-point attempts.
He would score only five more points in the second half, as Jordan Poole picked up the slack down the stretch with 20 points (eight-of-16) and six assists off the bench.
Devin Booker was strong for the Suns with 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting, while Deandre Ayton piled up 27 points (13-of-19) and 12 rebounds in the losing effort.
The result pulls the Warriors (36-33) to within 1.5 games of the fourth-seeded Suns (37-31).
Edwards and 'Slow-Mo' put on a show
Anthony Edwards looked every bit of a franchise superstar as his Minnesota Timberwolves overcame a 41-point performance from Trae Young to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 136-115.
The former top overall draft pick shot 12-of-25 from the field for a team-high 32 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal. He was supported in spectacular fashion by Kyle 'Slow-Mo' Anderson, with 14 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his second triple-double of the season.
Young was terrific for the Hawks, shooting 15-of-25 from the field and adding seven assists, but supporting pieces De'Andre Hunter and Dejounte Murray shot a combined 11-of-32.
Minnesota (35-34) are now just one game behind the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers (36-33).
The Cleveland Browns have made their first major move of the NFL's free agency period by reportedly agreeing to a four-year contract with veteran defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson.
According to NFL.com, Tomlinson’s deal is worth a total of $57million with $27.5m guaranteed.
A second-round pick in the 2017 draft, Tomlinson has started all 93 games he has appeared in over his six-year career, compiling 288 tackles and 13 sacks. The 29-year-old recorded 42 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 13 games for the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings in 2022.
Tomlinson spent his first four seasons with the New York Giants before signing a two-year, $21m contract with Minnesota in 2021.
The 325-pound Tomlinson fills a big need on a Browns defense that ended last season 25th in rushing yards allowed and yards per rush attempt allowed. Cleveland also finished 26th in Stats Perform's efficiency vs. expected rankings against the run after yielding 0.624 yards over expected per attempt.
Cleveland also stands to lose one of its 2022 starting defensive tackles with Taven Bryan an unrestricted free agent.
The Browns have made defensive line a top priority early in the NFL's legal tampering period, as they agreed to a three-year, $19m deal with former Houston Texans edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo earlier Monday.
World number one Iga Swiatek proved too good for 32nd seed Bianca Andreescu as she emerged victorious 6-3 7-6 (7-1) in Monday's third round at the Indian Wells Open.
Swiatek started shakily as her serve was broken in the first game of the match, and although she got it back instantly, both competitors ended up creating eight break point opportunities each in a closer-than-expected match.
She will meet England's Emma Raducanu in the fourth round after the resurgent 20-year-old collected her best win of the year, defeating 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-1 2-6 6-4.
Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, has begun to work her way back up the rankings. Having come into the tournament ranked 77th in the world after an injury-riddled season, she has now won four of her past five matches, with her only loss in that span coming against world number six Coco Gauff at the Australian Open.
World number five Caroline Garcia was pushed to a third set for the second match in a row, but prevailed 6-4 6-7 (7-5) 6-1 against Leylah Fernandez, booking a clash against Romania's Sorana Cirstea after she won 6-3 6-1 against fellow unseeded competitor Bernarda Pera.
Karolina Muchova kick-started a great day for the Czech Republic representatives as she got the better of Italy's Martina Trevisan 6-4 3-6 6-4, and Marketa Vondrousova kept it going with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 victory over world number four Ons Jabeur.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina is shaping up as a threat to win it all, yet to drop a set this week following her 6-3 7-5 triumph over Paula Badosa.
The Denver Broncos continued their splurge on the opening day of free agency by signing versatile defensive lineman Zach Allen to a three-year, $45.75million deal on Monday.
Allen, 25, was a third-round draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2019, and after barely playing as a rookie the former Boston College student racked up 11.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss over the past three seasons.
He spent all four of his seasons in Arizona playing for defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, who was hired this offseason to take over in charge of the Broncos' defense.
Joseph clearly liked the development he saw from the shifty six-foot-four bruiser, having deployed him in multiple different roles across the Cardinals' defensive line.
He is coming off a season where he set career-highs in sacks (5.5), tackles for loss (10), pass deflections (eight) and quarterback hits (20), despite playing in fewer games (13) than his previous record-setting season (15 games in 2021).
Allen is the latest in a string of aggressive moves from the Broncos to open free agency, having also signed offensive linemen Mike McGlinchey (five years, $87.5m) and Ben Powers (four years, $52m), as well as linebacker Alex Singleton (three years, $18m) and backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham (two years, $10m).
The Chicago Bears have signed Tremaine Edmunds to the largest four-year contract ever given to an inside linebacker.
His new contract is worth up to $72million over the next four years, with $50m guaranteed.
Edmunds, 24, was a first round pick by the Buffalo Bills back in 2018, before going on to make the Pro Bowl in 2019 and 2020.
His number the past two seasons have been nearly identical to his Pro Bowl years, eclipsing 100 total tackles for the fifth straight campaign despite playing a career-low 13 games in 2022.
A giant for his position at middle-linebacker, the six-foot-five Edmunds has tallied 6.5 sacks, 35 pass break-ups, 32 tackles for loss and five interceptions in his 74 career regular season games.
While Edmunds is undoubtedly a premier player at his position, it is curious to see the franchise invest so heavily at middle linebacker after trading away former top-10 draft pick Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens at the deadline for a second-round pick and a fifth-round pick.
Smith, who is a year older at 25, proceeded to sign a five-year deal worth up to $100m, making him the highest-paid middle-linebacker in league history, although at an average annual value not far away from Edmunds' new contract.
Despite the salary cap issues facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they made sure to make space to keep Jamel Dean.
The 26-year-old cornerback is re-signing with the Bucs for four years and $52million, according to multiple media reports.
Dean, considered among the best cornerbacks available in this year’s free agent class, made 53 total tackles last season with two interceptions.
Tampa Bay selected Dean in the third round of the 2019 draft out of Auburn. He has played 57 games for the Bucs over the last four seasons with seven interceptions and 41 pass breakups.
The move comes as a bit of a surprise after the franchise had appeared focused on cutting costs to get under the salary cap.
In money-saving moves earlier this offseason, the Buccaneers released a number of ageing veterans, including left tackle Donovan Smith, running back Leonard Fournette and tight end Cameron Brate.
Tampa Bay also restructured the contracts of key players like defensive tackle Vita Vea, wide receiver Chris Godwin and center Ryan Jensen.
This offseason will be key for the organization as it transitions to life without legendary quarterback Tom Brady.
The Atlanta Falcons made a splash by bolstering their defensive secondary on the first day of NFL free agency.
After spending his first five seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, safety Jessie Bates III is signing with the Falcons for four years and $64million, according to multiple reports.
According to NFL Network, the contract will pay Bates $23m in its first year. With an average annual salary of $16m, Bates becomes among the top five highest-paid safeties in the league.
Bates, who was a second-round draft pick in 2018, was expected to leave Cincinnati after playing under the franchise tag last season.
The Falcons' defense allowed 3,942 passing yards last season, 25th in the NFL.
While Bates will immediately be expected to make an impact and provide veteran leadership with the Falcons, the void he leaves in the Bengals' secondary is likely to be filled by 2022 first-round draft pick Daxton Hill.
Earlier on Monday, the Falcons announced a five-year, $105m contract extension for guard Chris Lindstrom.
After a 7-10 campaign last year, Atlanta are likely to continue spending in free agency. The Falcons also have the number eight pick in April's draft.
The San Francisco 49ers have their insurance policy at quarterback, having agreed a one-year deal with Sam Darnold.
San Francisco last season saw their Super Bowl hopes derailed by injuries at the game's most important position, literally running out of healthy players at quarterback in their NFC Championship Game defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles.
That game saw Brock Purdy suffer a torn elbow ligament on the first offensive series for the 49ers. Josh Johnson was then concussed in the second half.
Purdy, the final pick in last year's draft, had previously improbably led the 49ers to the Conference Championship.
He won all five of his starts in the regular season after taking over from an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13 to lift them to a 13-4 record and the second seed in the NFC, and he then helped San Francisco to playoff victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys.
Purdy last week had surgery to repair his torn ligament, giving 2021 third overall pick Trey Lance, whose season-ending ankle injury suffered in Week 2 forced the Niners to turn to Garoppolo, a chance to stake his claim for the starting job during the offseason programme.
Yet with Garoppolo departing in free agency for the Las Vegas Raiders, the 49ers needed an experienced third-stringer, and they have turned to 2018 third overall pick Darnold.
Darnold has failed to live up to his draft slot in spells with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers, though he did go 4-2 as a starter for the latter in 2022.
That relative success came with Steve Wilks serving as interim head coach. Wilks has since replaced new Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans as San Francisco's defensive coordinator.
In 2022, Darnold delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 83.2 per cent of his pass attempts, 13th among quarterbacks with at least 100 attempts, according to Stats Perform data.
Those are encouraging numbers, but the 49ers will hope Purdy and Lance can display the durability to ensure Darnold is not asked to replicate that level of accuracy in 2023.
The Kansas City Chiefs moved quickly to find their new left tackle on the first day of the NFL's free agent negotiating window.
Having elected not to place the franchise tag on Orlando Brown Jr., the Chiefs agreed a four-year, $80million deal with Jawaan Taylor, according to multiple reports.
Taylor was the right tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars and, with the Chiefs also losing Andrew Wylie in free agency, would be a natural fit to play the same position for Kansas City.
But he will reportedly shift sides and take the spot vacated by Brown for the Super Bowl champions.
A second-round pick of Jacksonville in 2019, Taylor is coming off the best season of his career, one in which he helped the Jags to the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs, where they lost to the Chiefs.
Taylor allowed a pressure rate of 5.8 per cent in 2022, ranking seventh among right tackles with at least 100 pass protection snaps.
He now faces the challenge of replicating that form on the left side. That is no easy feat for any offensive lineman, but playing for Andy Reid and in front of the reigning MVP in Patrick Mahomes, Taylor could not ask for a better situation in which to make the switch.
Ireland will be without Garry Ringrose and Iain Henderson for Saturday's Grand Slam decider against England in the Six Nations after the duo suffered injuries in Sunday's win in Scotland.
Andy Farrell's side are on the brink of a first Grand Slam since 2018 after following up wins over Wales, France and Italy with a 22-7 triumph over Scotland at Murrayfield.
However, Ireland's latest win was marred by a serious-looking head injury sustained by Ringrose, with the centre requiring an oxygen mask as he left the field on a stretcher.
Henderson, meanwhile, will also miss the final game of Ireland's campaign as he undergoes surgery on a forearm fracture, a medical update revealed on Monday.
"Garry Ringrose is doing well today and has returned to Dublin," the update read. "He will take no further part in this year's Championship.
"Iain Henderson is due to undergo surgery today on a fractured forearm sustained in the first half of yesterday's game.
"The uncapped Ross Molony is added to the squad to provide additional second row cover."
Ireland said Dan Sheehan and Ronan Kelleher will be monitored ahead of Saturday's contest at the Aviva Stadium after both men sustained shoulder injuries, with Ulster’s Tom Stewart called up to the squad as cover.
Ireland's victory over Scotland was their seventh in succession in the Six Nations – their joint-best run in the Championship alongside a seven-game winning sequence between 2004 and 2005.
France still retain an outside chance of defending their title, however, and will be hoping to pile the pressure on Ireland with a bonus-point victory over Wales before Farrell's men meet England.
Full Ireland squad:
Forwards: Ryan Baird, Jack Conan, Gavin Coombes, Tadhg Furlong, Caelan Doris, Cian Healy, Rob Herring, Ronan Kelleher, Dave Kilcoyne, Ross Molony, Peter O'Mahony, Tom O'Toole, Andrew Porter, Cian Prendergast, James Ryan, Roman Salanoa, Dan Sheehan, Tom Stewart, Josh van der Flier.
Backs: Bundee Aki, Ross Byrne, Craig Casey, Jack Crowley, Ciaran Frawley, Jamison Gibson Park, Mack Hansen, Robbie Henshaw, Hugo Keenan, Jordan Larmour, James Lowe, Stuart McCloskey, Conor Murray, Jimmy O'Brien, Johnny Sexton, Jacob Stockdale, Nick Timoney, Kieran Treadwell.
Jamaican netball player Gezelle Allison is planning for a life after sport and she is banking on bags to help her make that transition.
The 27-year-old Allison, who has represented Jamaica’s national team and Wasps in the Vitality Netball League in the United Kingdom, has come to realize that there isn’t much money in the sport and wanted to find a means of supplementing her income.
In the summer of 2022, a friend, a beautician, planted a seed in her mind that began to grow.
“It's my best friend, Suneak Rhoden, who had mentioned it to me and I decided to try,” said Allison, a six-footer who has also represented Jamaica at basketball. “Being a professional playing and still not earning a lot, plus paying for your own tuition fee, it only gives you the drive to try something else and have faith that it works.”
Allison, who is pregnant with her first child, has plans to play for another four years after she gives birth, said so far her gamble has been paying off.
“I didn't own a business before so obviously I was hesitant on the decision if I should. Eventually, I give it a try and It has been great,” she said gleefully.
“It has been great. I even start selling authentic bags and I still have the support like when I was selling the cheaper bags. So business has been fantastic!
“The only challenge I had was with myself. I didn't have the faith to start the business. My friend constantly asked when I'm going to open the business and I followed her advice and now I have no regrets.”
One of the top free agents at right tackle is off the board.
Mike McGlinchey agreed to a five-year, $87.5million contract with the Denver Broncos on Monday, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
The deal includes over $50m in guaranteed money.
The 28-year-old McGlinchey had spent the last five seasons with the San Francisco 49ers and has established himself at being one of the best at his position in the NFL after being selected ninth overall in the 2018 draft.
He started all 16 games at right tackle as a rookie in 2018 and all 20 contests the 49ers played this past season en route to a berth in the NFC championship game.
In 2022, McGlinchey helped bolster an offensive line that allowed the sixth-fewest sacks in the NFL (31) and open up holes for Christian McCaffrey and a ground attack that ranked eighth in the league in average rushing yards (138.8).
He now joins a Broncos team looking to shore up its offensive line after struggling to protect quarterback Russell Wilson in 2022.
Denver surrendered an NFL-worst 63 sacks last season and scuffled in the ground game as well, ranking 21st in average rushing yards (113.8).
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