Fresh off launching the low-cost MacBook Neo, Apple is reportedly preparing at least three new products that will fit into its highest-end “ultra” lineup. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gruman, the next batch of releases may not bear the “ultra” name, like its Watch, but will all command price premiums over their mainline counterparts.
There’s the oft-rumored foldable iPhone, which is expected to cost around $2,000, and a touchscreen MacBook Pro is supposedly slated for the fall. Those are pretty straightforward plays for the higher end of the market. More interesting are the next-gen AirPods, which are rumored to include cameras to feed visual context to Siri. Since AirPods already use the Pro and Max branding, similar to Apple Silicon, a set of AirPods Ultra could very well be on the docket.
Between the Neo and multiple foldables in the works, it seems that Apple is simultaneously trying to go further up- and down-market.
Jeremy Fowler is a senior national NFL writer for ESPN, covering the entire league including breaking news. Jeremy also contributes to SportsCenter both as a studio analyst and a sideline reporter covering for NFL games. He is an Orlando, Florida native who joined ESPN in 2014 after covering college football for CBSSports.com.
Multiple Authors
The NFL’s free agency negotiation window begins Monday at noon ET, and teams have been hard at work making trades and preparing for the coming frenzy.
League executives and coaches are buzzing about a huge potential payday for Alec Pierce and the market for Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III. We also have intel on the Eagles’ ambitious plans and their price for A.J. Brown, as well as what the Cowboys offered for Maxx Crosby before the Ravens ultimately pulled off a trade for the star edge rusher.
The Las Vegas Raiders leveraged the highest bidders to squeeze maximum draft capital out of the Maxx Crosby sweepstakes, leaving the Dallas Cowboys disappointed but ultimately justified in their decision to bow out.
Dallas kept a hard line throughout. The franchise wasn’t willing to part with two first-round picks, hoping its 12th pick in April’s draft, plus a future second-rounder, would be enough to entice Las Vegas. Dallas was also willing to package a veteran player to sweeten the deal, but Vegas wasn’t interested in that. The Raiders prioritized picks.
After dealing first- and second-round picks for Quinnen Williams at the trade deadline, Dallas set hard limits for how far it would go for Crosby, despite the pain associated with losing him. “We loved him,” said a Dallas source of the Crosby pursuit. This was a player the Cowboys eyed for a long time.
The Chicago Bears monitored the situation, but the sense was they weren’t major players in the end.
That Baltimore, one of the league’s most draft-oriented teams, was willing to give up two firsts is a bit shocking. But Green Bay, which has a similar discipline and philosophy, gave up two first-round selections for Micah Parsons in August, serving as a reminder of just how crucial elite pass rushers are to contention for teams in win-now windows.
Dallas must now pivot to free agency to land its pass rusher. It has monitored Trey Hendrickson dating back to the trade deadline. He’s now a free agent. Jaelan Phillips, Odafe Oweh and Boye Mafe will be firmly on Dallas’ radar in the coming days.
One person involved in the trade made an interesting point about the Patriots‘ chances at Crosby: ‘No way Tom [Brady] was sending Maxx to [Mike] Vrabel.”
Eagles busy in new league year
The Philadelphia Eagles are worth watching for reasons beyond A.J. Brown. Philly is asking for a steep price for Brown — one executive said it wants a first- and second-round pick for him. Perhaps that changes. New England is in the mix.
While I never sensed Philly heavily pursued Crosby, the Eagles are active in the pass-rush market. People inside the league believe Philly is attempting to re-sign Phillips to a deal that would pay him well above $20 million per year. But Phillips will have a strong market if he chooses to enter free agency.
play
2:24
Is there any way the Eagles don’t trade A.J. Brown?
Mike Tannenbaum, Dan Orlovsky and Peter Schrager debate whether the Eagles should trade A.J. Brown.
As a contingency, the Eagles are believed to have inquired about Minnesota‘s Jonathan Greenard. The Vikings have received many inquiries on Greenard, who will be far cheaper to acquire than Crosby. A Day 2 pick probably gets a deal done. But complicating matters is Greenard’s contract. Teams say he wants a new deal. His current contract is set to pay him $38 million over the next two years. Mafe is also considered a viable edge option if the Phillips deal doesn’t materialize.
With defensive tackle Jordan Davisnow extended, Philly also must weigh whether to extend Jalen Carter, who is eligible for a new deal. I’m told Philly has received trade calls on Carter.
Also, Brown isn’t the only receiver potentially available. Baltimore’s Rashod Bateman, Los Angeles’ Quentin Johnston and Green Bay’s Dontayvion Wicks have come up in my talks. Teams have interest in Green Bay’s Jayden Reed, but I don’t sense the Packers would trade him at this point.
What’s next for top WRs?
Expect negotiations between Alec Pierce and the Colts to go down to the wire as the team tries to keep him off Monday’s open market.
That’s going to be a challenge. Pierce appears poised to make at least $27 million per year on a new deal. The Patriots, Commanders, Raiders and Titans are among teams in the mix.
What helps Indy’s case is that Pierce is close with Colts quarterback Daniel Jones and, if everything is equal, would like to stay in Indianapolis. There’s still hope for Indy, but Pierce’s market will dictate his direction. His upside and penchant for chunk yardage are attractive to teams.
Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs plans to hit the market. Talks with Green Bay did not result in a new deal. He’ll have several suitors. The Patriots, Commanders and Titans are closely watching his market, along with the 49ers. Doubs is considered by some evaluators to be the best all-around receiver in the group.
I’m expecting the Raiders to make a run at Rashid Shaheed depending on how the dominoes in the receiver market fall and the price point. New coach Klint Kubiak loves him. But Vegas’ bigger need is the offensive line.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain aggressive in attempting to re-sign Mike Evans. Buffalo would have been an ideal fit for Evans before the D.J. Moore trade occupied some of its available cash. The Commanders could emerge as a sleeper for Evans. Remember, he wants a quarterback and targets. Tampa remains in a good spot with Evans but is not a lock to sign him.
Tennessee has been linked to Wan’Dale Robinson. There is mutual interest, but Robinson will have other suitors.
Running backs on the move
Running back is a hotter market than usual, with the stage set by the New York Jets slapping a franchise tag worth $14.3 million on Breece Hall.
Kenneth Walker seems to be the market-setter as it stands, but Travis Etienne Jr. will be right there in the mix. Some teams I’ve talked to are setting the market’s ceiling at around $12 million. That could go up if enough teams get involved.
I’m hearing Walker will consider the Giants and Commanders among his options, with the Titans as a possibility, too. Etienne has AFC West love via Denver and Kansas City. Both of those teams could check on Walker and others, too, depending on price ranges.
play
1:07
Seahawks decide not to tag Kenneth Walker III
Brady Henderson reports on the Seahawks not tagging Kenneth Walker III, allowing him to become a free agent.
Most around the league suspect Kansas City will come away with a running back, whether one of the top players or a player in the middle tier.
Power back Rico Dowdle has been linked to the Commanders by some people around the league.
Defensive dollars
The Chicago Bears freed up around $17 million in cap space with the D.J. Moore trade, which they will need in free agency to aid the defense. Yes, they could use pass-rush help. But I don’t sense Chicago is desperate for a splashy pass rusher. Much will depend on price. Interior rush help could be the way to go. To replace Tremaine Edmunds, Alex Anzalone is a name to watch. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was with him in New Orleans and he’s good in coverage. At safety, my sense is the Bears will attempt to re-sign Kevin Byard III over the weekend but will let Jaquan Brisker walk.
The team that could prove most aggressive on the defensive free agent market is Cincinnati, which is exploring just about every position group. Edge rusher Rashan Gary is a name to watch here should the Packers move on. New Bengals defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery was with Gary in Green Bay. Cincinnati has been linked to safety Nick Cross and several defensive linemen, too.
Carolina is lurking in several markets, likely seeking pass-rush and linebacker help. Players such as edge rusher Odafe Oweh and linebacker Devin Lloyd are considered good fits for the Panthers’ defensive scheme. General manager Dan Morgan also was with Buffalo when the franchise drafted free agent linebacker Edmunds.
In command of free agency
The Commanders were listed frequently in our running back and receiver breakdowns above. The pulse inside the league is that this year could be Washington’s most active offseason of the Adam Peters era that began in 2024. The Commanders have an interest in other positions such as cornerback, edge rusher and possibly tight end. Washington has a roster with holes, nearly $90 million in cap space and star quarterback Jayden Daniels on a rookie deal. So, while the Commanders might not spend big on every position, they will be a presence.
Quick hits
Last year, the Ravens pulled off an extension with left tackle Ronnie Stanley two days before the tampering period. Can they pull off the same with center Tyler Linderbaum? He will have the center market cornered, so if he gets to Monday, he’ll be tough to keep. The Raiders, Giants and Titans could be involved to some extent. The number should easily surpass $20 million per year.
Soon-to-be free agent quarterback Kyler Murray could choose to be methodical in picking his next destination. Once released around the start of the new league year, he’ll want to speak to potential suitors and possibly make a few visits. Minnesota will be an option. The Colts and Falcons have talent and quarterbacks who might not be ready to start the season. That could become a factor for veteran quarterbacks weighing options, too.
The Seahawks will attempt to re-sign safety Coby Bryant, one of the hotter names on the defensive side of the market. He has interest in returning to Seattle but will have other suitors.
The Jets and Bengals come up often in conversations about safeties at or toward the top of the market. Kansas City’s Bryan Cook remains a key figure in this market. The Chiefs could look to backfill at the position if they lose Cook, too.
I continue to hear that John Franklin-Myers will hit it big in free agency. He’s the top interior rusher on the market and the draft isn’t overly strong at his spot. He has several teams in the mix.
The clock is ticking on 49ers left tackle Trent Williams, whose $38 million cap hit is a challenge. San Francisco must make a decision, and teams are wondering whether he’ll be available as a result. Common sense says San Francisco will try to work something out with the 12-time Pro Bowler.
The Jaguars would like to re-sign corner Montaric Brown before free agency. If they can’t, San Francisco is among the teams expected to show interest.
Linebacker Kaden Elliss has fans around the league among the previous staffs he has played for: San Francisco (defensive coordinator Raheem Morris) and Cleveland (defensive coordinator Mike Rutenburg), among others, though Cleveland has interest in re-signing Devin Bush at linebacker.
In backup QB news, Mitchell Trubisky has garnered interest as a quality No. 2. The Titans, Bills and Jets are among teams on the radar here. One name to potentially watch as a backup in Carolina: Kenny Pickett.
Pregnant Hailee Steinfeld Shows Off Baby Bump in Sweet Photo With Husband Josh Allen
Brody Jenner will soon have another little one to keep up with.
The Hills alum and his wife Tia Blanco—who tied the knot in July—announced that she is pregnant and expecting their second baby, due later this year.
In a joint post on Instagram March 7, the couple shared a kiss on the beach as Brody, 42, held out their impending arrival’s sonogram. They were joined by their daughter Honey, 2, who twinned with Tia, 28, in a white top, jeans and red rubber boots while planting a kiss of her own on her mom’s pregnant belly.
Alongside the sweet family photo, the reality star wrote, “Our little Honey is going to be a big sister this September.”
Brody’s loved ones also expressed their excitement about the impending arrival including his brother Brandon Jenner, who offered an enthusiastic “Wooohooooo!!!!” in the comments section of the announcement post, while their mom Linda Thompson shared her joy at becoming a grandma again.
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Charles Leclerc led the race on lap 1 after a blistering start stunned George Russell on pole, but as the race has worn on, Mercedes have taken control of the race in the same manner as they did the qualifying session. As Oscar Piastri’s pre-start crash shows, though, there’s plenty of drama in store for us, and you can follow it all live on ESPN:
Reigning champion Lando Norris — who qualified sixth — did not hold back on his disappointment at F1’s new hybrid cars saying after Saturday’s qualifying session that “we’ve come from the best cars ever made in Formula 1 and the nicest to drive to probably the worst.”
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen starts from 20th on the grid after crashing out of Q1. Despite Verstappen’s crash, he actually took part in the session by leaving the pits, whereas both Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz failed to make it on track at all, so he was 20th out of 22 on the final classification.
A site calledPSprices has been tracking prices on Sony’s digital game store and noticed something unusual: some games were being offered at different prices to different users. What’s more, those offers are tracked in the PlayStation API with experiment identifiers like IPT_PILOT and IPT_OPR_TESTING.
Dynamicpricing is nothing new and is used across a number of industries. But it’s often met with backlash and isn’t typically found in online game stores. According to PSprices, Sony is running A/B testing on prices for over 150 games in 68 regions, though the US doesn’t currently appear to be part of the experiment. For now, at least, Sony isn’t toying with raising prices. Instead, the program appears to offer discounts to select users, ranging from 5 percent to 17.5 percent, on titles like Spider-Man 2, God of War, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Still, even if Sony’s version of dynamic pricing is focused on lowering costs for some users, it’s likely to draw ire. Customers receiving a 10 percent discount on Sid Meier’s Civilization VII probably won’t be thrilled when they find out their next-door neighbor was offered 25 percent off.
We reached out to Sony for comment, but have yet to receive a response.
Brooke Shields could have had an endless kiss with John F. Kennedy Jr.
Indeed, the Mother of the Bride star—who previously opened up about having a brief romance with the late magazine…
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The star freshman has been sidelined since the Feb. 10 loss at Miami, when he originally suffered a fracture to his left, non-shooting hand. He was “progressing” toward a return when he broke his thumb.
What does his absence mean for North Carolina’s chances against Duke on Saturday (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) — and through the NCAA tournament? What about Wilson’s outlook in the 2026 NBA draft? ESPN’s college basketball reporters Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf break down the impact for the Tar Heels, and ESPN’s NBA draft analyst Jeremy Woo details how it could influence the draft.
What does this mean for North Carolina’s chances against Duke?
Myron Medcalf: Having Wilson on the court would have changed the entire dynamic in the game.
Remember, the Tar Heels were down by 12 points entering halftime of the first game in Chapel Hill on Feb. 7. You could sense that the vibes in the building were tough — until Wilson quickly scored, got a steal and scored on another layup seconds later on his team’s first possessions after the break. That sequence changed the environment and boosted the energy in the building.
You could make the case that Cameron Boozer (24 points, 11 rebounds) met his match in Wilson, who was KenPom’s MVP in that game after scoring 23 points and recording a ridiculous 158.0 offensive rating compared to Boozer’s 107.0 that night.
On Saturday, the Tar Heels will miss the length, explosiveness and two-way playmaking of their brightest star against a Blue Devils team that looks even better than it did entering the first matchup. The good news is UNC is 5-1 without Wilson and sustained its top-50 defense during that stretch. But Duke is a different monster, and Boozer is a unique threat. North Carolina will have to turn this game into a battle that doesn’t allow Duke to get comfortable in its offensive flow. Henri Veesaar might have to play the offensive and defensive game of his career to make that happen. The Tar Heels will need Jarin Stevenson, Seth Trimble, Derek Dixon and Jonathan Powell to force the Blue Devils into tough looks, too. That’s a far more challenging feat without Wilson — even though we’re not sure how healthy and game-ready Wilson would have been if he had been available to play for the first time in nearly a month. His energy and physical impact on this matchup would have mattered either way, though.
North Carolina needed a miracle to win the first game. They’ll have to walk on water for 40 minutes to do it again.
Jeff Borzello: It’s unclear how much it actually changes UNC’s bottom-line, given that Wilson wasn’t a lock to play Saturday. But it makes what was already an uphill climb — at Cameron Indoor Stadium, in Boozer’s final home game, with the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament potentially on the line — even more difficult.
Wilson is such a game changer at both ends of the floor because of his size, athleticism, ability in transition and motor that he seems to play with every minute of every game. While Boozer had great counting stats in the first meeting between the two teams (24 points, 11 rebounds), he wasn’t nearly as efficient as he has been the rest of the campaign, taking 21 shots to get his points and turning the ball over four times. Much of that had to do with Wilson and the size of North Carolina’s frontcourt alongside Veesaar and Stevenson.
Without Wilson, it’s hard to see where Carolina has the advantage on Duke. The Tar Heels have improved defensively in recent weeks, but they’re still susceptible to teams that can get hot from the perimeter. Duke isn’t a high-volume perimeter team, but it has a slew of shooters, and it combines that 3-point ability with the best offensive rebounding and most efficient 2-point offense in the country. Hubert Davis will need huge performances from Trimble and Luka Bogavac on the perimeter, a sound effort from Dixon at point guard and Veesaar to hold his own in the post. It’s a tall task.
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0:17
Caleb Wilson makes a nice move to the rim
Caleb Wilson shakes his defender and gets the floater to fall.
How does this impact North Carolina’s ceiling in the NCAA tournament?
Medcalf: After that first Duke match-up, Wilson and the Tar Heels announced themselves as a team with the potential to beat anyone in the field. The Wilson news reverses that perception. Just two weeks ago, Davis said on his radio show that Wilson could do everything but shoot with a cast on his left hand. He was in practice dribbling, competing and defending — and now this.
Wilson was the difference for North Carolina in its matchups against elite opponents. Look at his performances in the team’s most impressive victories. He had 23 points in last month’s win over Duke; 20 points in a January win over Virginia; 15 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 block in a December win over Kentucky; and 24 points in a November win over Kansas. He’s the X factor, and now he’s unavailable.
While the Tar Heels have steadied the ship without him, they lost by 24 points at NC State with Wilson and Veesaar injured last month. The floor is much lower without Wilson, and the burden is heavier for Veesaar and other veterans. The Tar Heels have been a quality team without Wilson, but they’re far more vulnerable to an early upset without him.
Borzello: With Wilson in the lineup,, Carolina had the potential to make a run in the tournament. He was remarkably consistent for a freshman, scoring 20 or more points in 17 of his first 23 games and ranking in the top 30 nationally in both scoring and rebounding before his injury. He gave Davis a legitimate top-five pick who could change games at both ends of the floor.
Without Wilson, the record looks fine in a vacuum: 5-1, with wins over Louisville, Virginia Tech and Clemson. But as Myron said, North Carolina also lost by 24 to NC State — the Wolfpack’s only win in the past month. According to CBB Analytics, the Tar Heels are worse both offensively and defensively when Wilson is off the floor; they force fewer steals, block fewer shots and are more reliant on their perimeter shooters. Since Wilson went out, they’re down at No. 33 in BartTorvik’s adjusted efficiency rankings, a notable drop-off from their No. 25 ranking in the first 23 games of the season.
In reality, they likely weren’t a Final Four team with or without Wilson, but they had the ceiling of a team that could make a deep run with their most talented player on the floor. Wilson’s injury drops them into a different bucket of teams come tournament time.
How could this impact Wilson’s NBA draft outlook?
Jeremy Woo: Wilson did plenty to help himself during the regular season, with remarkably consistent production that solidified him for NBA teams as a top-five prospect. While he’ll be deprived of the additional exposure the college postseason provides — something that might have enhanced his chances of moving up from his current No. 4 spot on my projections — NBA decision-makers have had plenty of exposure to Wilson already. His excellent showing against Boozer and Duke last month will remain front of mind for many.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Wilson is expected to be cleared during the predraft process, meaning he should have the opportunity to help himself in private workouts. However, the potential negative impact of a thumb injury on his jump shooting — a key growth area that teams will want to get a better sense of projecting out — could be a setback. Regardless, Wilson’s stock is pretty firm, with his landing spot now hanging more on how the draft lottery ultimately falls.
In March, all it takes is a single sequence to change an entire game — even in high school basketball.
At the Iowa Class 4A state championship tournament on Thursday night, Dallas Center-Grimes’ girls’ basketball team delivered an ending that was reminiscent of Reggie Miller’s eight points in nine seconds in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference finals.
While facing elimination in the semifinal round, the Dallas Center-Grimes team found itself trailing Norwalk 42-38 with 35.9 seconds remaining in regulation.
Dallas Center-Grimes had possession of the ball on their baseline before inbounding to a cutting Ava Smid for an easy layup, to shrink the gap to two.
In high school basketball, the clock doesn’t stop after a made basket. But Smid didn’t let that stop her.
Off the basket, Norwich took the ball out with two timeouts in the chamber. Smid smothered her matchup on the inbound pass, eventually coming up with a steal and a short bank shot to tie the game.
Norwich took the ball out again — and once again, Smid collected another steal. This time, finishing another layup through contact for continuation to give Dallas Center-Grimes the lead, 44-42.
“It was the quickest six points I’ve ever witnessed in my life,” head coach Adam Jones said of Smid’s heroics.
“I was just trying to defend her, and I somehow got the ball and scored every time,” Smid said with a smile.
Dallas Center-Grimes guard Tessa Jones described the moment as “insane,” with each Smid bucket hyping the gym up more and more.
“Probably the craziest three seconds of my life,” Tessa Jones said.
Though the game has concluded, Smid is still living in the moment.
“I don’t even feel like we’re going to the state championship right now. I feel like I’m still like in the game, mentally,” Smid said.
She finished the game with 16 points, six steals and five rebounds.
Dallas Center-Grimes won the semifinal matchup 47-42 to advance to the state championship and extend their win streak to 15 games.
They’ll play in the championship on Saturday with hopes of winning their second state title.
Brooke Shields could have had an endless kiss with John F. Kennedy Jr.
