ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos locked up a shutdown cornerback, only his name wasnt Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The Broncos spent the first day of free agency bolstering their defensive backfield, agreeing to a four-year deal with Pro Bowl safety T.J. Ward on Tuesday afternoon and then hours later reaching an agreement on a six-year contract with cornerback Aqib Talib. Talib and Ward will play in a secondary that will be without Champ Bailey, who was released last week, and may be moving on from Rodgers-Cromartie, who entered free agency without a new deal from the Broncos. The 28-year-old Talib had quite a year for New England last season, with teams largely choosing to go the other way rather than pick on him. Sound familiar? It was the same way for Bailey in his prime. By agreeing to a deal, Talib seemed to show theres no bad blood between him and the Broncos after he hurt his knee early in the AFC championship game against Denver when he was bumped by Wes Welker on a crossing route. The leagues officiating chief later ruled it a legal hit by Welker. ESPN first announced the agreement with Talib, which is reportedly worth $57 million. The Broncos also are reportedly interested in defensive lineman DeMarcus Ware, who was released by Dallas on Tuesday in a salary-cap move. Talib will be reunited with cornerback Chris Harris Jr., whos also a former Kansas Jayhawk. Harris played opposite of Rodgers-Cromartie last season before blowing out a knee against San Diego in the divisional round. Harris later posted on his Twitter account: "I had to call my Fam Talib to see if it was real." Yep, its real. The Broncos also brought in Ward, who had 129 tackles and two interceptions for Cleveland in 2013. The Broncos are looking for some stability at a position that got juggled last year, with the loss of Rahim Moore and the inconsistent play of Duke Ihenacho. Veteran Mike Adams, also formerly of Cleveland, started the season as a reserve but ended up in the starting lineup. "Hes a young, explosive strong safety who is going to bring a lot of energy and toughness to our secondary," Broncos boss John Elway said of Ward. Denvers big receiving news Tuesday was a two-year extension for fourth receiver Andre Caldwell, who could move up a notch if the Broncos part ways with Eric Decker. Caldwell came on late in the season when Welker was sidelined with a concussion. The 28-year-old Caldwell had 11 of his 16 receptions over the final three games of the season. His most productive game in 2013 was against San Diego on Dec. 12, when he had six receptions for 59 yards and two TDs. Caldwell was held without a catch in the 43-8 loss to Seattle in the Super Bowl. "Hopefully I can compete for an extended role this year and contribute a lot more to the team," Caldwell said. Caldwell received an invitation from Peyton Manning to attend off-season workouts at Duke University. Last spring, only Welker, Demaryius Thomas and Decker were invited to work on their chemistry with the five-time NFL MVP quarterback. "Its just a process of building confidence with those guys all the way from April," Caldwell said. Ward is expected to be a main piece around which the Broncos reshape a defence that was obliterated by an injury epidemic last season, losing Von Miller, Harris, Derek Wolfe, Kevin Vickerson and Moore. The Broncos also could seek a replacement for linebacker Wesley Woodyard, a free agent who is exploring other options. Theyll need a new starting guard now that Zane Beadles has agreed to terms with Jacksonville. Running back Knowshon Moreno is a free agent as well after rushing for 1,038 yards and 10 TDs in 2013. The Broncos also hired two new coaches on Tuesday, bringing in assistant offensive line coach James Cregg and offensive quality control coach Bo Hardegree. . - Erick Torres scored his 10th goal of the season on a stunning volley, and Chivas USA edged 10-man Real Salt Lake 1-0 on Saturday night. . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win.
http://www.sharksauthority.com/authenti ... ks-jersey/. Jamies number grades given are out of five, with five being the best mark. Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins (5) – He had a brilliant game; it was a huge response for his average games before. . Before that, Rousey needed a total 23 minutes and 26 seconds to take care of her last eight opponents - and one of those fights lasted 10 minutes and 58 seconds. .Y. - For once, Clayton Kershaw was glad to see a long shutout streak end.Chicago, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - So much for Atlanta being tested on its four-game road trip. Kyle Korver hit seven 3-pointers and finished with 24 points, as the Hawks completed the trek undefeated with a 107-99 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night. Al Horford posted 22 points and nine rebounds and Jeff Teague filled the stat sheet with 17 points, 11 assists, three steals and three blocks for the Hawks, who have won 12 straight. I felt like tonight we were a little tired ... but guys kept fighting, nobody made excuses and we just kept playing, Horford said. Atlanta, which routed the Raptors 110-89 on Friday night, won its four games on the trip by an average of 15.25 points. The Hawks have also won 12 consecutive contests away from home. The Hawks have won 26 of their last 28 games overall and are two games away from matching the longest winning streak in franchise history. The 1993-94 team won 14 in a row. Pau Gasol tallied 22 points and 15 rebounds, while Derrick Rose provided 23 points, 10 helpers and eight boards for Chicago, which has dropped five of its last seven games. Very frustrating, but got to get it together if we want to go far, Rose said. Aftter Nikola Mirotic sunk a pair of foul shots to stake the Bulls to a 21-16 advantage late in the first quarter, the Hawks went on a 15-6 run that bled into the second.dddddddddddd Mike Scott nailed a 3-pointer at the first quarter buzzer to jumpstart the surge and a Korver triple preceded a Paul Millsap layup to cap it and give Atlanta a 36-22 margin at the 7:30 mark of the second. The Hawks were up 48-39 at the break and 76-67 after three. Taj Gibsons dunk pulled Chicago within 76-69 early in the fourth, but a Korver four-point play increased the cushion to 80-69 and the Bulls never got within less than five the rest of the way. Rose drove in for a reverse to claw the Bulls within 93-88 with 4:25 to play, but Horford hit a jumper and two Millsap foul shots gave Atlanta a 97-88 spread with 3:29 to go. The Hawks cruised to the victory from there. Game Notes Atlantas 26-2 mark over its last 28 games is the best extended stretch in the NBA since the Miami Heat won 27 straight two seasons ago ... Chicago has lost four of its past five home games ... Horford was 11-of-14 from the floor, while Korver was 7-of-9 from beyond the arc. ' ' '
