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Greece winger Alexandros Kyziridis has left Heart of Midlothian to join Turkish club Corum for a fee understood to be around 1.7m.The 25-year-old, capped for the first time this year, moved to Tynecastle under freedom of contract. last summer from Slovakian side Zemplin Michalovce.Kyziridis scored six goals and provided 11 assists in 45 appearances for Hearts.Corum, who have been promoted to the Super Lig for the first time, say Kyziridis has signed a three-year deal, with the option of a further 12 months.Speaking after Sunday's 4-0 win over Dundee United, Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken told BBC Scotland: "It's a good deal for the club, a good deal for him. "He came in for nothing and goes out for a good deal. This is football, we focus on the players who are here."Hearts news, views, and analysisEuro navel gazing & early troubles for Scottish title hopefuls

There will finally be football on TVs and radios this week when the Minnesota Vikings face off against the New York Giants. They go on the road in their first action of the preseason after several weeks in training camp. As a result, some younger players are poised to make a strong first impression.The Vikings need to see some things from their rookie class on offense and defense. There are UDFAs who will play a significant number of snaps, and the coaching staff needs to show they can handle new roles.With the stage set, we wanted to drop three bold predictions for the Vikings against the Giants in their preseason opener.1) Kyler Murray makes a big play with his legs Kyler Murray has an electric arm that is on display so far in camp. What he hasn't been able to boast about are his legs and his ability to make plays with them. In camp, they tend to protect quarterbacks so it doesn't show the true ability to make plays, but in the preseason game, Murray could break one open. Not suggesting he will have a long run, but converting a pivotal third down or extending a play to deliver a ball downfield could help his case in the quarterback battle. 2) Demond Claiborne finds the endzone Reports coming out of camp of rookie running back Demond Claiborne have been very positive. Claiborne will likely get a decent amount of work with veterans Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones getting little to no work. Look for Claiborne to find the endzone and show folks why he is getting as much hype in camp as he has been. 3) The defense forces three turnoversBrian Flores and his defense always make plays in the preseason. Going against the Giants' backups, the secondary and pass rush should be able to make a play or two. I think forcing one or two turnovers is a given, but forcing three would be impressive even by preseason standards. This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: 3 Bold predictions for the Vikings preseason opener against the Giants

Hunter Henry is sticking around New England.The veteran tight end has reportedly signed a two-year extension with the Patriots worth up to $20 million, keeping him in Foxborough as a key target for quarterback Drake Maye and a veteran leader on the team.Excited to be part of this team, feel like we have a really good football team too and excited to kind of be a piece of that, he said.Henry is entering his sixth year with the Patriots and is coming off a career year that featured 768 receiving yards.Its a true blessing, to be able to do this 11 years, and you know, coming up, this is my 11th year and then some more years to go. Im excited.Henrys consistency has been a defining part of his tenure in New England. Hes played in 14 games or more in each of his five seasons with the Patriots and recorded at least 40 receptions in each of those seasons.Its been really fun to just be able to be consistent and just try to be that consistent guy out there that no matter what my guys can rely on me being out there. I think thats the first thing and then obviously trying to make plays and just do my job on a play-to-play basis is obviously the biggest toll too.His teammates and coaches also praised Henrys leadership and consistency.Hunter is a gifted route runner. At the end of the day, hes a great leader, hes a great man on and off the field and hes someone you just look at and youre like, oh thats how you want to do it. As a player, as young guys when they look up to vets, they see Hunt, and theyre like, thats how you want to do it, Christian Elliss said.Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel also highlighted Henrys impact on the team.I love being around Hunter. I mean, we talked about his consistency, his production. And the more that I can be around Hunter Henry, the better, because hes been a great football player. Hes a great leader for us, a very consistent player.With Henrys future now secured, the Patriots remain on contract watch with star cornerback Christian Gonzalez.Gonzalez continues to practice with the team while awaiting a potential major contract extension. Patriots owner Robert Kraft previously alluded to the possibility of a historically large deal for the cornerback.This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW

Angels fans won't enjoy seeing where their team sits in latest power rankings originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Things have not gone well for the Los Angeles Angels lately. They have failed to put together consistent wins, and that has seemingly gotten harder after the trade deadline.The Halos parted ways with Jo Adell, Logan O'Hoppe, Chase Silseth, Jose Soriana, Brent Suter, Ryan Zeferjahn, and Kirby Yates ahead of the deadline.These moves have helped reset the club's lackluster farm system, fully committing to the rebuild, but it has left the big-league club searching for answers as they continue to lose games.MORE:Angels claim 4.53 ERA rookie reliever from Red Sox after trade deadlineAngels fans won't enjoy seeing where their team sits in latest power rankingsThe Angels came into last week limping as they had dropped their last three series, and matching up against the Baltimore Orioles and the Miami Marlins was not going to be an easy task as both teams have a postseason spot in their sights.They were only able to win one game in the three-game series against the Orioles, and the same went in the series with the Marlins, making for a 2-4 record on the week.With this, Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter has bumped this team down from No. 29 to No. 30 in his latest power rankings."With five consecutive series losses, the Angels have cratered to a .385 winning percentage, putting them on pace to be the worst team in the 66-year history of the franchise. Will they keep selling this winter by moving Zach Neto and Reid Detmers?"This Halos club has the chance to be the worst team the franchise has seen, according to Reuter, and he wonders just how the team's offseason will look. Will they continue to trade away MLB players to help boost the farm system, or will they stay quiet, add a few players around Mike Trout, and try this thing again in 2027?More MLB news:Why Phillies are recalling Chase Shugart, not Alex McFarlane amid bullpen roster movesWhy latest Jazz Chisholm Jr. contract prediction is best-case scenario for YankeesMets receive bold Tarik Skubal prediction with Steve Cohen influenceGiants get significant trade update amid Matt Chapman's surgery

It was an off day for the Commanders on Sunday, and there was no real competition in training camp.Yes, we are all concerned and mystified at losing left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Yes, left tackle might be the second- or third-most important position in a team's offense. Yet, it is also true, "How many NFL games come down to a missed or made field goal?"Keeping an eye on that kicker competition.Jake Moody vs. Drew Stevens pic.twitter.com/y1uQ5NSEep Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) August 4, 2026Simply consider the 2024 Commanders season, where Washington had five games decided by a final margin of three points or less. Meanwhile, the 2025 Chicago Bears had seven of their 17 games end with a final margin of three points or less. Therefore, how significant might it be having a kicker who can successfully make field goals in the final seconds?The Commanders have a kicking competition; a kicking duel taking place in this year's training camp. Jake Moody returns as the Washington kicker, and he is being challenged by Iowa Hawkeye rookie Drew Stevens. A typical competitive drill has the two kickers given six field goal attempts, each from a different distance. Typically, the range is from 30 to 55 yards.Saturday saw Stevens successfully put all six of his field goal attempts through the uprights. In fact, for all of the days this competition has been made public, Stevens has missed only two field goal attempts through Saturday. Moody, on the other hand, missed two in Saturday's competition and has missed seven thus far in the competitive drills against Stevens through Saturday. If I've added these correctly, Stevens is 34 of 36, and Moody is 29 of 36.Just when it appeared that Stevens was running away with it, Moody had another bad day on Monday. This time, Stevens did, too. Jake Moody just missed 4 consecutive FG attempts. Drew Stevens followed and missed 3 FG attempts. Welp. pic.twitter.com/SxRDHlAWXT Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) August 10, 2026Of course, these are not actual NFL games, where the pressure is much more intense. Last season, Moody made 10 of his 11 attempts for Washington after being released by the Bears. It is worth noting that Moody has already kicked for the 49ers, Bears, and Commanders in his NFL career.Preseason games will no doubt count more than attempts in practice. So, Commanders fans will want to watch closely to see how the Commanders rotate the two kickers during the three preseason games and how Moody and Stevens execute during their opportunities.This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: What's the latest on the Commanders' kicking competition?

Last week, the Indianapolis Colts signed running back Jonathan Taylor to a multi-year contract extension.The 2026 season was originally going to be the final year of Taylor's contract, but he will now remain in Indianapolis through the 2028 season after signing a two-year extension.This deal is worth $44 million and has a max value of $47 million, with $39 million guaranteed.In new money, Taylor's deal averages out to $22 million per year, which puts him behind only Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs and Atlanta's Bijan Robinson in that category, according toSpotrac.According to Ian Rapoport, Taylor's extension is the largest third contract that a running back has received.While appearing recently on SiriusXM NFL radio, Colts' GM Chris Ballard discussed Taylor's extension for the first time."There's some common sense that goes into it," Ballard said. "When you have a guy that's touching the ball 300-350 times for you offensively and as unique as he is, those guys don't grow on trees, and they're hard to find, there's not 32 of them. We like where Jonathan's going, he's still young -- that's the thing, I know he's got a lot of mileage from college but he is still a young man. He's 27 years old, his body, he's in unbelievable shape, so we look forward to him having a big season and going forward, thinking he can play for a few more years.""As unique as he is, those guys don't grow on trees..."@Colts GM Chris Ballard discussed the contract extension for RB Jonathan Taylor https://t.co/1S6vayal9l#Colts | #ForTheShoe | @SolomonsWisdom | @BigAntHerronpic.twitter.com/X2Z0JIdZow SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) August 10, 2026Taylor remains one of the most productive backs in football, while continuing to shoulder a heavy workload out of the backfield. He played in 13 games in 2024 andall 17 gameslast season, rushing for 1,431 yards and 1,585 yards, respectively.Success for the Colts' offense often begins with Taylor. There is the obvious with his high-level production, but by providing a strong running game for the offense, that opens up the playbook for Shane Steichen and helps take some of the burden off the passing game.This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Colts GM Chris Ballard weighs in on decision to extend RB Jonathan Taylor

The 2027 NFL Draft will take place in Washington, D.C. next year. In that draft, theVikingsstill have their first-round pick, but a lot could happen in the next 9 months. Before then, though, there will be plenty of speculation and buildup for the team and who they may add to the roster through the draft in a class that many are saying could be one of generational wealth.While we will always look at mock drafts from analysts around the space, we will also keep up with our Mock Draft Mondays here onVikingsWire.While this used to be just an exercise used for the Fall to introduce players, the 2027 NFL Draft class is too good to be contained to those select months. Instead, we are going to do them in the summer. As we progress and complete Summer Scouting, we get to look at the roster more through camp, and also share our opinion on players that fans can watch this upcoming college season.So with that in mind, let's dive into a 3-Round 2027 NFL Mock Draft for the Vikings.Round 1: Ellis Robinson IV, CB, GeorgiaThe Vikings' secondary added James Pierre in free agency. Opposite Pierre is Isaiah Rodgers,but they need a true CB1 to complement Byron Murphy Jr., who is thriving in the nickel. If Ellis Robinson IV were to fall to them in their projected spot of 13th in the draft, they should SPRINT that selection in. Robinson is a big corner with great ball skills and instincts, and projects to be the best Georgia cornerback prospect in some time.Round 2: Ty Benefield, SAF, LSUThe Vikings need someone who can play the pass and also defend the run out of the safety position. Benefield can do that in waves and work swimmingly alongside Joshua Metellus on the backend of the Vikings' defense. Transferring from Boise State to LSU should allow Benefield to showcase his skills more and become a big riser through the fall and into the draft process. Round 3: Mark Fletcher Jr., RB, Miami (FL)Mark Fletcher Jr. helped the Hurricanes' offense run all the way to the National Championship in January. While they didn't finish the job, Fletcher confirmed himself as one of the top runners in college football. He has some questions as a prospect, but could easily be a part of a handcuff with someone like Demond Claiborne in Minnesota. Round 3: Whit Weeks, LB, LSUWeeks is a bit of a throwback linebacker type and could be a replacement for Blake Cashman alongside Eric Wilson. He can protect the run with his range and also shows a good knack for finding the ball in the air as well. Weeks has his flaws, but putting him alongside someone like Wilson will help cover up some of those while Brian Flores develops him further. This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Vikings Mock Draft Monday: What do they need ahead of the preseason?

Credit: X via Minnesota VikingsThe Minnesota Vikings have perhaps the most high-profile quarterback battle this offseason as young J.J. McCarthy competes with veteran Kyler Murray for the teams starting quarterback position. While head coach Kevin OConnell has not been willing to share much about where the battle stands, he did have a few telling comments about Murray.Given that Murray just joined the team over the offseason by way of a trade with the Arizona Cardinals, its been widely assumed that J.J. McCarthys biggest leg up on him in the competition would be his comfort level with the offense, as this is McCarthys third season with the team and he started 10 games in the offense last season.However, that might not be the case after all.On Sunday, OConnell said that Murray is actually further along than expected at this point when it comes to his mental processing and his general comfort level in the offense, even after just a few practices.I think mentally hes definitely probably ahead of where I thought, OConnell said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com.That would seem telling about who will ultimately win the starting job, as Murray has already looked better than McCarthy in practice, with one reporter going as far as to say that the gap between the two quarterbacks was not close based on his observations.That said, OConnell was not willing to name a front-runner just yet.Nothing has really changed from a standpoint of the timeline and things like that, OConnell said. So well see how the reps continue to go and when we feel like were at that place, were going to make sure we communicate that both in house and internally and obviously to you guys as soon as possible.The Vikings play their first game of the preseason when they take on the New York Giants on Saturday. Well have to see how each of the two quarterbacks fares in that showdown.The post Ahead of where I thought: Kevin OConnell has telling comments on Kyler Murray amidst competition with J.J. McCarthy appeared first on The Comeback: Todays Top Sports Stories & Reactions.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) The Atlanta Falcons signed defensive end Cameron Sample on Monday, adding depth at edge rusher less than one week after Jalon Walker's season-ending knee injury.The Falcons announced the signing before Sample participated in Mondays practice in full pads.Sample, 26, is a native of Snellville, Ga., near Atlanta. He was a fourth-round draft pick by Cincinnati in 2021 and signed a one-year deal with San Francisco on April 13 before he was released last week.Sample had 85 tackles and seven sacks in four seasons with the Bengals. He missed the 2024 season with an Achilles tendon injury. He returned to start in two of 14 games with Cincinnati last season and had 17 tackles, two sacks and one forced fumble.Walker was one of the team's two edge rushers selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft. Adding to the uncertainty at edge rusher is the possibility the NFL could impose discipline on the other 2025 first-rounder, James Pearce Jr., the teams sacks leader as a rookie.Pearce faced three felony charges stemming from what police called a domestic dispute on Feb. 7 with his ex-girlfriend, WNBA player Rickea Jackson, near Miami.On April 23, one of Pearces attorneys, Jacob Nunez, said Pearce agreed to enter a six-month pretrial intervention program which would allow him to resolve the felony charges. Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday there has been no update from the NFL on possible disciplinary action with Pearce, including a suspension.Pearce had 10 1/2 sacks last season and his 45 quarterback pressures set a Falcons rookie record. Stefanski said Pearce is doing a nice job in training camp.I appreciate the work that hes putting into it, Stefanski said. Well continue to roll guys in at all positions. We've got a lot of injuries now at the edge in particular, so were gonna ask everybody to do a little bit more. But hes continuing to do everything were asking him to.The Falcons also activated right tackle Jawaan Taylor from the physically unable to perform list. Taylor, who signed a one-year, $5 million deal on April 9, had been recovering from elbow and triceps injuries that shortened his 2025 season with Kansas City.Taylor is a candidate to start at right tackle. Kaleb McGary announced his retirement after missing the 2025 season with a lower left leg injury.Defensive tackle Zach Harrison, who ended the 2025 season on injured reserve with a knee injury, practiced on Monday after being cleared late last week. The Falcons also waived long snapper Philip Florenzo and waived/injured offensive lineman Jack Nelson.___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl