dddddddd. Peppers learned Monday that he was the only defensive player selected as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.Foster, who had 94 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble this season, also had a strong sea

When the New York Rangers limped off the ice after being whacked by the Pittsburgh Penguins in five games in the first round of the playoffs last spring, it was hard not to imagine that it likely marked the end of an era. Goalie?Henrik Lundqvist had been yanked twice and looked beaten down. The Rangers defense that had backchecked the team to the Stanley Cup finals in 2014 and conference final appearances in 2012 and 2015 looked broken. Rick Nash was a nonfactor.In short, it was hard not to imagine the future as anything but bleak for the Broadway Blueshirts. But credit general manager Jeff Gorton with somehow retooling the Rangers on the fly by acquiring highly touted college free agent Jimmy Vesey, intriguing center Mika Zibanejad and free-agent forward Brandon Pirri. Was it a shuffling of the deck chairs or a bold reinvigorating of the Rangers lineup that will help get them back in the playoffs for the 11th time in 12 seasons?Biggest new facesI must admit Im still not sure how Vesey ended up with the Rangers, given how they finished the season and the fact that it looked like the window was closing on their championship potential. But good on Gorton and assorted New York celebrities for making the Rangers an attractive option for the collegiate star.Pirri had 22 goals in just 49 games for the?Florida Panthers?in 2014-15 but has struggled to find a permanent NHL home, having bounced from the?Chicago Blackhawks to the Panthers to the Anaheim Ducks,?for whom he played just nine games last season before signing with New York. But he has impressed from the get-go with the Rangers and could be another important depth piece.Zibanejad came at the expense of Derick Brassard, but hes younger, brings more size and has, in theory, a better two-way game. Michael Grabner and Nathan Gerbe?will help fill in spaces among a much-different-looking forward contingent. On the blue line, neither?Nick Holden?--?acquired from the Colorado Avalanche -- nor?Adam Clendening?will replace Keith Yandle,?who likely was the Rangers most consistent defender over the last half of the season but who ended up signing a big contract with Florida.Biggest unknownsWill the blue line return to its former state, or are those days gone forever? I chatted with Ryan McDonagh in Minnesota during the offseason, and the Rangers captain said he is committed to returning to his former status as a nightly difference-maker. The same must happen for Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, both of whom saw their games slide dramatically last season.Up front, how will all the new, younger faces meld together? And is there enough offense there to keep the Rangers comfortably in the playoff picture? The talent is certainly there, so its up to coach Alain Vigneault to get the most out of this group. Speaking of Vigneault, can he help the Rangers penalty kill get up off the mat after the unit finished 26th last season?Sure thingsWe actually wrestled with where to slot in The King in this preview. Is Lundqvist a sure thing or big question mark? As noted, the playoffs ended on a sour note for the one player most responsible for the Rangers significant success over the past decade, with Lundqvist sporting a 4.39 goals-against average. Its fair to say this season looms large for the 34-year-old Lundqvist. But he was excellent at the World Cup of Hockey (even if his Swedish teammates were less so).The bottom line is that Lundqvist has to be, well, Lundqvist, and if he is, the team is playoff bound and should be a handful. If hes not, if time is starting to wear down the former Vezina Trophy winner, then it wont really matter what else has been done to this lineup. The Rangers will be in trouble.PredictionI still think Lundqvist is capable of delivering the goods, and I like what the Rangers have done to get younger and faster up front without really sacrificing skill. I fully expect them to be better in their own zone and ultimately finish where they end up pretty much every spring -- in the playoffs. Fourth in the Metropolitan Division. Discount Hydro Flask Cheap . -- Bryant McKinnie came out of his stance and lowered his shoulder into a practice squad player, causing a crisp thud to reverberate in the Miami Dolphins practice bubble. Hydro Flask Sale .2 billion agreement with Rogers Communications for the leagues broadcast and multimedia rights. http://www.discounthydroflaskcheap.com/ . After Gasquet beat fifth-seeded Ivan Dodig of Croatia 7-5, 6-3, Tsonga followed up with a 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-2 win against sixth-seeded Edouard Roger-Vasselin in an all-French match. Cheap Hydro Flask Sale . The Brazilian goalkeeper signed a loan deal with the Major League Soccer club on Friday as he looks to get playing time ahead of this summers World Cup in his home country. Hydro Flask Clearance . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Team success is breeding individual success for members of the Alabama Crimson Tide.Alabama senior defensive lineman Jonathan Allen won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy on Monday night given annually to the nations best college defensive player.Allen was selected over four other finalists, including Crimson Tide teammate Reuben Foster, a linebacker. Florida State cornerback Tarvarus McFadden, Michigan linebacker Jabrill Peppers and Clemson defensive end Christian Wilkins were also among the finalists who attended the awards ceremony hosted by the Charlotte Touchdown Club.Alabama (13-0) is ranked No. 1 in the country, in large part due to its dominant defense.The 6-foot-3, 291-pound Allen has 56 tackles and nine sacks this season for the Crimson Tide, tied for third-most in the Southeastern Conference. He had four tackles and 1 1/2 sacks this past weekend as Alabama defeated Florida 54-16 to win its third straight SEC title.Allen is perhaps best known for his flying hit on Texas A&Ms Trevor Knight earlier this season in which he leaped over running back Trayveon Williams, who tried to chip him, and took down the Aggies quarterback. The highlight reel tackle earned him a spot on the national stage.Later in that same game linebacker Ryan Anderson ripped a ball loose and Allen picked it up, threw off a would-be tackler and rambled 30 yards for a touchdown.Allen was projected as a likely first-round draft pick last year but decided to return to Alabama because he wanted to win a national championship.Allen beat out some solid competitionn for the award, including Peppers, who has 66 tackles -- 13 for a loss -- and one interception for the Wolverines this season.dddddddddddd. Peppers learned Monday that he was the only defensive player selected as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.Foster, who had 94 tackles, four sacks and a forced fumble this season, also had a strong season at Alabama.McFadden, a 6-foot-2, 198-pound cornerback, had 17 tackles and eight interceptions for the Seminoles.And Wilkins had 44 tackles and 3 1/2 sacks for the playoff-bound Tigers, who held on to beat Virginia Tech 42-35 in the ACC championship.The 2016 Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalists represent the very best college football has to offer, said John Rocco, executive director of the Charlotte Touchdown Club. Each of these young men has distinguished himself as a player and as a leader.Allen joins an elite list of former Nagurski Trophy recipients that includes defensive linemen Aaron Donald, Warren Sapp and Ndamukong Suh, linebackers Luke Kuechly, Derrick Johnson and Terrell Suggs, and defensive backs Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson and Roy Williams.The Charlotte Touchdown Club also announced that Andrew King, a cadet at the United States Military Academy at West Point, as recipient of its inaugural Defender of the Nation Award. The new award honors the nations military academies and their top student-athletes.The keynote address was given by Duke football coach David Cutcliffe. ' ' '