The Tennessee Titans made several significant free agent additions during the 2026 offseason, hoping their new pieces would help the franchise turn the corner.

After the first week of preseason action, Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report took another look at some of the NFL’s biggest free-agent signings and re-graded their early performances. Four Titans appeared on the list, and the results were mixed.

Wan’Dale Robinson and Alontae Taylor received the lowest marks with D grades, while John Franklin-Myers received a C and Cor’Dale Flott received a B-. Here’s a closer look at each evaluation.

The Titans signed Robinson expecting him to become an important piece of Brian Daboll’s offense, as the two previously worked together with the New York Giants.

However, Gagnon wasn’t impressed enough with Robinson’s role to coincide with his price tag (4 years, $70 million) to give the move a strong grade. Therefore, Robinson received a grade of D, with the following explanation:

He is coming off a breakout 1,000-yard campaign, but that's a hell of a price tag for an undersized slot receiver with nine touchdowns in four NFL seasons. There are too many limitations.

The Titans have a crowded receiver room featuring Calvin Ridley, first-round pick Carnell Tate, second-year wideout Elic Ayomanor, and Robinson. However, Daboll should have plenty of opportunities to move Robinson around the formation and create favorable matchups once the regular season begins.

John Franklin-Myers received a more respectable grade of C from Gagnon, but that is nothing to be excited about.

The veteran defensive lineman was brought to Tennessee to help strengthen the defensive front and provide another disruptive presence alongside Jeffery Simmons. However, Bleacher Report didn’t agree with his price tag as a near-30-year-old who might be close to the end of his prime, as explained below:

I like the idea of an ascending team like the Titans adding a proven veteran from a strong and established defense like Denver's, but Franklin-Myers turns 30 next month and might be well beyond his prime by the time Tennessee is competitive. Tennessee is also now committing more than $56 million merely to the starting defensive tackle spots. It's overkill.

The Titans are counting on their defensive line to generate pressure without constantly relying on blitzes, and Franklin-Myers’ ability to rush from the interior gives coach Robert Saleh another weapon to work with. Although he will provide pressure from the inside rather than the outside, his impact will become more apparent as the defense continues installing Saleh’s system.

Of the four Titans mentioned, Cor’Dale Flott received the best grade with a B-. Since this re-grading came after his disappointing Week 1 of the preseason, the general public still has hope he can succeed in Tennessee. Here’s Gagnon’s explanation of his grade:

I'm not as high on Flott as a lot of folks were this offseason. Need to see more consistency. Still, he's only turning 25 this week and has limited wear and tear. There is a lot of room for him to grow with this roster, and the three-year deal is a bonus.

His grade suggests that his potential aligns with the Titans’ rebuild. If Flott displays growth with the young Titans team, Tennessee could have found a valuable piece for Saleh’s defense.

Taylor’s D grade isn’t as surprising, as his signing came with a lot of questions because of his price tag (3 years, $58 million). The Titans acquired Taylor to help anchor their new-look secondary, but his inconsistencies will be something to monitor as their new number one corner, as explained by Gagnon here:

That's No. 1 corner money for a guy who really hasn't done much to earn it. The Titans are overpaying for the ceiling, but Taylor's consistency in coverage will have to improve significantly for this to pay off.

However, Taylor predicted that he and Flott would become the NFL’s best cornerback duo in 2026. If he can live up to a fraction of that kind of talk, then this grade will look silly in a couple of months. The Titans brought him in to become a reliable starting cornerback in Saleh’s defense, and the opportunity to prove the early grade wrong will come quickly.

This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: Bleacher Report re-grades Titans' biggest free-agent signings

On Friday night, Mexican giants Tigres UANL take on Atlante in exciting Liga MX soccer action, airing on FOX Deportes, FOX Sports 2, and NBC Universo; all are available to stream live on Fubo.

Aug 7, 2026; Saint Paul, MN, USA; UANL Tigres midfielder Fernando Gorriaran (8) takes a penalty kick after regulation time against Minnesota United FC during the Leagues Cup Phase One match at Allianz Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

• When: Friday, August 21, 2026
• Time: 8:55 PM ET
• TV Channel: FOX Deportes, FOX Sports 2, NBC Universo
• Live Stream: Fubo (try for free)

Tigres UANL is off to a difficult start to the Liga MX Apertura season, sitting 16th in the table with just one point through four matches. While Tigres has scored a respectable six goals, its struggles have come defensively, conceding 10 goals, which is the second-most in Liga MX.

Those problems continued last Saturday in a 2-1 loss to Atlas. Tigres was unable to capitalize even after Atlas went down to 10 men following Juan José Sánchez Purata’s red card in the 70th minute. Juan Brunetta scored Tigres’ lone goal in the defeat.

Tigres has enjoyed much better results in Leagues Cup action, where it remains unbeaten. However, each of its three victories has come via a penalty shootout, with Tigres advancing past MLS opponents Real Salt Lake, Minnesota United, and Vancouver. The club will now look to carry that success back into Liga MX play when it takes on Atlante.

Atlante, meanwhile, hasn’t fared much better this Apertura season in Liga MX, sitting 13th on the table with five points in four matches. Most recently in Liga MX play, Atlante drew 0-0 with Toluca. Atlante hasn’t fared as well in Leagues Cup, though, defeating Vancouver FC 1-0 before falling 4-0 against Real Salt Lake and 3-1 against Minnesota United.

Will Tigres find its first win of the season on Friday night? Or will Atlante keep Tigres in the gutter of the Liga MX table? Find out on FOX Deportes, FOX Sports 2 or NBC Universo at 9:00 p.m. ET on Friday night, available to stream live on Fubo.

Live stream Tigres UANL vs Atlante with Fubo: Start your free trial now!

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Murphy football star running back Cameron Clem is out for its season opener against Franklin on Aug. 21 after tweaking his hamstring last week, Murphy coach Joseph Watson told the Citizen Times.

His absence is a big blow to the No. 5 Bulldogs as they come off a state championship game appearance and face No. 4 Franklin in a top-five matchup.

Clem has been one of Western North Carolina's top running backs since he was a freshman. He rushed for 1,831 yards and 30 touchdowns on 177 carries, with 1,146 of those yards coming during Murphy's playoff run.

The Bulldogs will likely turn to running back Blake Davis in Clem's absence. He ran for 740 yards and five touchdowns on 72 carries.

Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Murphy football's Cameron Clem will miss season opener vs. Franklin with hamstring injury

The Los Angeles Lakers are poised to be highly competitive next season, but there are already some early speed bumps in the new ownership era. With Mark Walter out and new co-owners running the show, the team is still in an active transition to accommodate the incoming executives.

The problem is that, between Walter’s abrupt exit and a dispute within the Buss family, the Lakers are unable to conduct their usual operations. In fact, until the situation upstairs is resolved, the Lakers are stuck with unfilled front office positions, leaving holes in the entire operation.

“According to a pair of league sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to publicly discuss the Lakers‘ internal operations, there is a belief around the NBA that the team cannot complete the buildout of its basketball operations department until the ownership situation is resolved,” wrote Dan Woike.

The previous Lakers owner, Mark Walter, had only just taken over when he suddenly sold his shares. As the majority owner of the Dodgers as well, he planned to “merge” the two franchises by overlapping executives and matching their team-building formula. He managed to make a few hires, but the Lakers never finished filling out their staff before his sudden exit. Now, without a clear plan, vision, or chain of command, the Lakers are effectively on hold until executive matters are resolved.

“The Lakers were in the middle of this makeover for their team… I know of one guy who was a front office guy who was in the middle of leaving one team to go to the Lakers, and now all of a sudden they’re in a hiring freeze,” said ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on ‘The Hoop Collective.’ 

The Lakers were still in the middle of a full culture reset, defined by a total restructuring of the front office. The intent was to build a contender from the top down, using Walter’s influx of resources and connections to maximize the chances of success. While new owners Bob Iger and Josh Kushner have similar ambitions (and even deeper pockets), we don’t yet know how they plan to see it through.

Regardless of their vision for the future, it will be impossible to make any progress with so much uncertainty. Nobody in that front office knows if their job is safe, including the GM and Vice President, Rob Pelinka. Even the acting team governor, Jeanie Buss, could be on the way out, as she fights with her siblings for control of the shares.

Ultimately, what happens next depends entirely on the Iger/Kushner duo. They have said all the right things after buying the team, but they won’t get far with so much internal chaos. That’s why, while the players are getting together in Luka’s minicamp, the Lakers can focus on finding stability and completing the transition into a new regime. The process has been challenging so far, and there’s much work to be done, but the team remains optimistic about where they stand heading into the new season.