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When Trent Baalke was the General Manager of the 49ers, the team had a habit of taking players coming off serious injuries with the intent to “redshirt” them for a year before expecting on-field contributions.

Thus, it was a coup when the Chiefs traded Smith to the Washington Redskins for promising young cornerback Kendall Fuller—who had four interceptions and an opposing passer rating of just 55.0 last season, according to Pro Football Focus—as well as a third-round pick, which they used to trade up to add defensive end Breeland Speaks in Round 2.

Mahomes is a strong candidate to become a franchise quarterback, and he has a much higher ceiling as well as a much lower salary than Smith. The Kansas City defense is now in better shape, too. 

Anthony was initially drafted by the Saints with the 31st overall pick in the 2015 draft, but was traded to the Dolphins for a 2018 fifth-round pick. That pick wound up as No. 147 overall and property of the Rams, who used it to select linebacker Micah Kiser.

Anthony had 15 tackles in eight games for the Dolphins last season. He’ll try for better results this year in hopes of setting himself up for another contract.

The NFL said Thursday that it will review a 1996 sexual assault allegation against Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia.

In a statement, an NFL spokesman told CNN’s Jill Martin: We will review the matter with the club to understand the allegations and what the club has learned.

Robert Snell of the Detroit News wrote an article Wednesday regarding a 1996 sexual assault allegation that Patricia was indicted on. The former New England Patriots defensive coordinator was never tried.

When the Jets drafted quarterback Sam Darnold third overall last month, it marked the second-highest draft position for a quarterback in franchise history.

Two solo home runs by designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton had the Yankees up, 2-0, but the Red Sox answered with a pair of RBI singles to tie the game.

Left fielder Andrew Benintendi brought home second baseman and former Yankee Eduardo Nunez to make it 2-1 in the top of the fifth. Nunez reached on a wild pitch on a strike out to start the inning.

Strait was one of four AHL players within the Devils’ organization eligble for unrestricted free agency on July 1. Forwards Michael Latta, Bracken Kearns and Ben Thomson can all become UFAs if they don’t sign new deals by then.

Does Red Sox lineup vs. Yankees include Mookie Betts (shoulder)?

Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts will be in the lineup on Tuesday, batting leadoff when Boston opens a three-game series with the Yankees, according to manager Alex Cora.

Betts leads the majors with 13 home runs and a.355 batting average.

He left Boston’s 6-1 win against the Texas Rangers on Sunday after being hit with a throw in the shoulder while running the bases.

As the son of a former major league baseball player and current coach, new San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Dante Pettis didn’t get to share his NFL moment with his father Friday night.

That’s because Gary Pettis, who played 11 seasons in the majors, was busy coaching third base for the Houston Astros against the Oakland Athletics as the NFL draft’s second round was playing out.

The Pettis family athletic legacy isn’t limited to Gary and Dante Pettis. Dante’s cousin, Austin, also was a wide receiver and a 2011 third-round pick of the then-St. Louis Rams. Dante’s brother, Kyler, is currently an actor appearing on the soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” Dante said having a professional athlete as a father only helped guide the way to his own journey to the NFL.

“It was awesome growing up,” Dante said. “I’ve been around professional sports my whole life. I already have the lay of the land. Obviously, football is a little bit different than baseball, but for the most part, it’s still a professional sport. They all go about their business pretty much the same way. I’m just excited to actually be here now.”

There were only 34 Russian skaters in the NHL last season, but five of the NHL’s top 20 scorers hail from that country. Fourteen of the Russians in the NHL had at least 30 points last season as well. Teams will continue making gambles on these players in the draft.

The safety net is that once a player is drafted out of the Russian system, the team basically holds his draft rights in perpetuity due to the lack of a formal player agreement between the NHL and KHL. When that player wants to come over, if he ever does, his options are often limited to the team that drafted him, unless a trade can be made.

There are quite a few intriguing prospects who recently completed their KHL seasons and are worth tracking a little more closely. Some are under KHL contract for a few more years, and while it used to be moderately common for a player to buy out the remainder of his contract to bolt to the NHL, it is my understanding that is no longer a viable option in most cases. Therefore, we’re seeing more players stay in Russia longer than they might have in the past.

Giannis Antetokounmpo made Game 7 a reality for the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.

After taking only 10 shots in a Game 5 loss on Tuesday night, Antetokounmpo knew he had to be more aggressive and assertive in finding ways to lift his team’s offense — so that’s exactly when it mattered most late in a 97-86 victory over the Boston Celtics. The 23-year-old superstar finished with 31 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists, carrying his team down the stretch. The visceral performance helped even up the series at 3-3 and forced a winner-take-all Game 7 in Boston on Saturday night.

As the game came to a close, Bucks fans gave their team a rousing standing ovation, chanting “Bucks in 7!” as the final horn sounded in what could be the final game played at the Bradley Center. If the Bucks want to keep their current home open for a couple of more weeks, they must find a way to win at TD Garden — something they have yet to do in this series. Does Antetokounmpo have another monster night left in what has been a grueling series for both teams? The Bucks certainly believe he does as they walk into the most important game of their season knowing that the best player on the floor wears Milwaukee cream and green.

Detroit and Pittsburgh will make up the game with a straight doubleheader on Wednesday starting at 4:05 p.m.

This is the second time the teams will play a doubleheader this season and the third time they’ve had to reschedule due to weather. Wintry conditions pushed back Opening Day at Comerica Park on March 29 and their game on March 31 was also postponed. Pittsburgh swept a doubleheader from the Tigers on April 1. Detroit also had two games against the New York Yankees wiped out earlier this month.

Pittsburgh will send out Jameson Taillon (2-1, 2.86) in Game 1 against Detroit’s Jordan Zimmermann (1-0, 7.71). Chad Kuhl (2-1, 4.57), who had been scheduled to start on Tuesday and was originally slated to take the hill for the opener of the doubleheader, will face Matthew Boyd (0-1, 1.40) in the nightcap.

The Pirates have dropped six of seven following a hot start, while the Tigers have won five of seven.

Pittsburgh’s offense has cooled off during its current slide and manager Clint Hurdle believes his team’s struggles are part of a somewhat larger trend, one the weather is impacting. There could be more strikeouts than hits across the majors in a month for the first time, and Hurdle pointed to frigid temperatures as an issue.

“This has been the most challenging weather I’ve ever been a part of, and I’m not playing,” said Hurdle, who spent a decade in the majors as a player from 1977 to ’87 before going into coaching. “It’s hard to hit when it’s cold.”

The Cubs are in a wait-and-see mode in regard to star third baseman Kris Bryant, who was hit in the helmet by a pitch in a game against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. Bryant missed his third full game Thursday when the Cubs faced the first-place Milwaukee Brewers.

Bryant cleared all concussion testing the day he got hit, but the Cubs say he isn’t quite ready to return.

“I learned how resilient we are,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. “I also learned the Diamondbacks are a good club. There’s a really good lineup over there.

“There’s a very athletic defense on the infield and in the outfield. It’s challenging middle of the lineup. If you don’t have your best stuff, they’re going to punish you and they did today.”

Dyson hit a two-run homer in the first and Chris Owings added an RBI double off Ben Lively (0-2) to give the Diamondbacks a 3-0 lead.

Kelly was suspended April 18 for his role in the brawl.

“It’s disappointing,” Kelly said. “Suspensions are always not fun. Went in there and went through the appeal process. Obviously it didn’t work out too well.”

Both he and Austin threw punches after Austin rushed the mound at Fenway Park when he was hit by a pitch from the right-handed Kelly.

“I always like sticking up for myself,” he said. “It kind of helps me sleep at night going in fighting for what I believe in.”

New York has won six straight, and Austin is batting .350 with three homers and nine RBIs in his past five games, raising his average to .290.

“I obviously don’t want to be suspended at any point in time, but it’s happened, we’ve got to deal with it and move forward,” Austin said after Thursday’s game. “I’m happy they knocked one game down. I’m thankful for that.”

The Yankees managed to win the ALDS, despite the Indians completely shutting down Judge. He struck out in 16 of his 20 at-bats against the Indians last postseason, going just 1-for-20 (.050) overall.

Stanton has never hit a home run against the Indians. They’re one of just four teams Stanton has not homered against (the Orioles, the Royals and the Marlins are the others). Stanton’s career vs. the Indians: 3-for-20 (.150), with no home runs or RBIs, four walks and nine strikeouts.

The most recent meeting between the rivals … well, let’s just say it wasn’t exactly friendly.

With one big throw, and an even bigger swing, Curtis Granderson gave a somber city reason to smile.

Granderson threw out the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the top of the ninth inning, then hit a walk-off homer in the 10th to give the Toronto Blue Jays a 4-3 win over Boston on Tuesday night and hand the Red Sox their season-worst third straight defeat.

Tyler Clippard (3-0) worked a scoreless 10th for the win as Toronto snapped a seven-game home losing streak against the Red Sox.

Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna was handed a 3-1 lead in the ninth but allowed the Red Sox to tie it, his first blown save in seven chances.

“It’s a big game for us,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “If you don’t win that one, that’s a kick in the teeth.”

Hanley Ramirez singled to begin the ninth, went to third on a one-out hit by Rafael Devers and scored on Eduardo Nunez’s single to right. It was the first run off Osuna this season.

Jackie Bradley Jr. struck out and Nunez stole second before Christian Vazquez walked to load the bases for Brock Holt, who scored Devers with an RBI single to left. Left fielder Granderson threw out Nunez at the plate to prevent Boston from taking the lead.

Brian Anderson singled leading off the inning against Pedro Baez (1-1) and scored on Maybin’s double to deep left field. Miami had lost eight of its previous nine and 11 of 13, including a 2-1 decision in the series opener Monday.

“Hopefully, we can start to put some momentum together and then you can start to feel like you’re going to win these games,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “That’s the difference between good teams and teams that aren’t at that caliber. They feel like they’re going to win these games.”

Drew Steckenrider (1-0) got the win with one inning of relief. Brad Ziegler retired the side in the ninth for his second save.

Maybin was back at Dodger Stadium, where he celebrated winning the World Series in Game 7 last year with the Houston Astros. In a matter of months, the 31-year-old outfielder has gone from the sublime to the somewhat ridiculous with Miami’s losing streak.

“I always try to take a positive out of a negative,” Maybin said. “A positive is we feel like we’ve been in every game this year except for two ballgames. For a young team, it’s about, how do you finish? Being in the game is the first step and we were in every game.”

The surprising Pittsburgh Pirates enter the second full week of the season a cool 7-2, after taking three of four games from the Cincinnati Reds over the weekend. Sunday’s heroes are not exactly new names to fantasy managers, but right-hander Jameson Taillon and outfielder Gregory Polanco did not emerge as the statistical superstars so many predicted they’d become last season; Taillon fell out of the top 200 in ESPN average live drafts and Polanco was a 14th-round selection. The upside for each is, of course, considerably greater, presuming health. Ah, there it is. Health cures all!

Next up, rest. That’s Landeskog’s plan anyway — lay on the couch with his dog and watch the Masters on Sunday. Then, get ready for Nashville.

“If we play the way we played tonight, we have a good chance,” Bernier said.

Leading 2-1 late in the third, MacKinnon beat Allen with a shot over the goaltender’s shoulder. MacKinnon had been held without a goal since March 18 when he had two against Detroit. He finished with 97 points — the most by an Avalanche player since Joe Sakic had 100 in 2006-07.

But with NFL viewership falling nearly 20% over the past two seasons, Manning is viewed as a game changer.

The five-time NFL MVP was the league’s most popular player during his career. With his multiple endorsements and “Saturday Night Live” appearances, Manning would appeal to both advertisers on Madison Avenue and viewers.

“Peyton is worth every penny. Advertisers love him — and the league wants this to happen,” said another source.

With Manning’s vast knowledge of football and penchant for film study, network executives are hoping he is getting bored with retirement.

His new life has been filled with charity events, such as singing with country music star Thomas Rhett last week in Indianapolis, and ceremonial appearances like Daytona. He sold his stake in 31 Papa John’s restaurants in the Denver area just two days before the league dropped the brand as its official pizza sponsor.

TV networks can’t wait around forever for Manning to make up his mind.

In the span of two minutes Monday, the Bills announced moves that completely revamped their offensive line.

Buffalo first announced the signing of center Russell Bodine, and then followed it up shortly after with the signing of offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse.

Another addition to the offensive line. We have signed OL Marshall Newhouse to a one-year deal.

Bodine signed a two-year contract, while Newhouse settled for a one-year deal.

Royals: C Salvador Perez (left knee sprain) hit and ran bases for the first time prior to the game, and reported feeling “pretty good.” Yost said his All-Star could be back early in the four-to-six-week timeframe that was given when Perez got hurt just before Opening Day.

Royals LHP Eric Skoglund makes his season debut against RHP Felix Hernandez as the three-game set continues Tuesday night. Skoglund has not pitched in a game since an exhibition March 17, thanks to rainouts and postponements that have wrecked the Royals’ early schedule.

Baltimore had previously expressed interest in signing Kaepernick during the 2017 offseason, but the two sides never reached a deal.

Kaepernick filed the grievance against the NFL in a complaint that teams have colluded to keep him out of the league as a result of his stance on social issues that sparked when he took a knee in protest during the national anthem, and Newsome and Harbaugh are the latest to be questioned.

The depositions come a day after the Ravens signed Robert Griffin III, who also hasn’t played since the 2016 season, to a one-year deal.

Newcomb became the third starting pitcher to toss at least six scoreless innings with no walks and at least nine strikeouts at Coors Field. Jon Gray and Hall of Famer Randy Johnson are the only other two to accomplish the feat.

Two men, Quinton Peron and Napoleon Jinnies, will be making history as the first male dance cheerleaders in the NFL as members of the Los Angeles Rams’ squad.

I thought,’Why not me Why can’t I do this’ And called my friend and I asked her when auditions were for the Rams and she told me Sunday (March 11) and I showed up, Peron told Good Morning America in an interview after the announcement.

If you don’t make changes to make it safer, we’re going to do away with it. It’s that serious, Murphy said of what the message to the collection of coaches and coordinators would be. It’s by far the most dangerous play in the game.

It seems highly unlikely a change would occur in time for the 2018 season — they’re not there yet, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport said Wednesday on Up To The Minute Live. But in looking further down the road, it’s not difficult to imagine a game that simply switches possession by placing the ball on a team’s own 25.

The most important indicator that this is more possible than one might have expected: Concussions are even happening on kicks that aren’t returned.

When you’re a playoff team, you’re trying to eliminate all the distractions that you can. And we’re going to be a playoff team and we’re going to have these issues, Ballard said. It becomes a slippery slope. We have rules in place for a reason. I think they’re good rules. It gives you a chance to interview and then, after the season, whatever happens, happens. In our case, he changed his mind and we moved on.

According to Holder, the rule proposal never underwent a vote. Instead, it was simply tabled, which means we don’t know which way the Colts would’ve voted. But based on the way Ballard is talking, it certainly sounds like they would’ve voted against it if it were entirely up to him.

What if you hire a guy and he’s halfway in Ballard said. Even though it was painful, and everybody reacted, I kind of didn’t see what the big deal was. You move to the next scenario. That’s just what we do. People are so scared of the unknown. I say just keep moving forward. What if a guy signs a contract and then, two weeks later, has second thoughts What are you going to do What are the legal ramifications

It’s not ideal, Tobin said at the Annual League Meeting this week, per The Cincinnati Enquirer. The situation he has put us in is not ideal. We are a player-oriented business. Players that can make a difference are important and we recognize that. The more he’s not available to us the more it hurts us.

Unless it’s reduced or overturned on appeal, Burfict will miss the first four games of the 2018 season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. It’s the third suspension of Burfict’s career. If the punishment sticks, the seventh-year defender will have missed a total of 10 games due to suspension while playing in 36 of a possible 64 regular-season tilts since 2014.

It’s not ideal when a guy is not available to us and we recognize that, but our over-riding thought is how to field the best football team we can possibly field.

Unless it becomes a decision rooted in finances, Burfict’s place on the Bengals doesn’t appear to be in danger based on what Tobin and Lewis are saying. Whether his tenure with the team can survive another suspension beyond the one slated for September remains to be seen.

Ebron’s departure leaves the Lions short-staffed at tight end. Michael Roberts, the second-year pro out of Toledo, is the only player on the roster who saw meaningful snaps last season. As a rookie, he was primarily asked to focus on blocking and finished the year with four receptions.

And a thin market has already seen some of the top options reach agreements. Jimmy Graham is headed to Green Bay for a three-year contract, and Trey Burton, who many speculated would draw interest from the Lions if they moved on from Ebron, agreed to a four-year, $32 million deal with the Chicago Bears.