SOUTHINGTON, Conn. – Summit USRA Weekly Racing Series competitors will be recognized as the FK Rod Ends Hard Charger, for the highest-finishing driver that most improves his or her starting spot to finishing position, in select feature races this year.

A premier manufacturer of precision rod ends and spherical bearings, FK Rod Ends is returning as the Official Rod End of the USRA and will present the FK Hard Charger Award at 20 select events in 2020.

The FK Rod Ends Hard Charger Award recipient will collect a $100 cash award in those selected events and select divisions.

FK Rod Ends came onto the scene more than 35 years ago and quickly won over their customers with fair pricing and plenty of inventory. While the industrial market struggled to get product from the old standbys, the racing market embraced a supplier that would maintain inventory through a limited season.

Over the years, the FK Rod Ends product line has grown to encompass many different industries, including the wilds of Baja Mexico and the touring modifieds of the USMTS.

ALTOONA, Iowa — Real-Geese Silhouette Decoys will sponsor the sprint cars wheeled by Terry McCarl and Austin McCarl.

The partnership will kick off during Florida Speedweek.

Based in Bradner, Ohio, Real Geese manufactures several different models of silhouette decoys for the waterfowl hunter.

“We are really excited to start our partnership with Terry and Austin McCarl,” said Craig Mintz of Real-Geese, who is no stranger to sprint car racing, having won the 2010 Fremont Speedway track championship. “Terry has been an iconic figure in the racing world and has represented the hunting industry very well before; so, we felt it was a great fit for Real-Geese. From giveaways, to product discounts based off finishing positions, we are really looking forward to some exciting things with Terry, Austin and the Real-Geese team.”

“We are really excited to start our partnership with Terry and Austin McCarl,” said Craig Mintz of Real-Geese. “Terry has been an iconic figure in the racing world and has represented the hunting industry very well before; so, we felt it was a great fit for Real-Geese. From giveaways, to product discounts based off finishing positions, we are really looking forward to some exciting things with Terry, Austin and the Real-Geese team.”

Terry McCarl drives the Destiny Motorsports No. 4, while his son, Austin McCarl, will steer his own No. 17a.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A central theme of the Silver Anniversary Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance is visionary leadership through innovation.

It is also confirmation that the Amelia is as much – and perhaps even more – about people than cars.

The Amelia’s Silver Anniversary honoree entered American auto racing at a time when racing was either blue collar – dirt and oval track racing – or the blue blood motorsport of the amateurs who embraced the Sports Car Club of America’s no professional racing edict.

Yet Roger Penske, in just five pro sports car races, won more than $34,500 in 1963, half again more than the winner of the 1963 Daytona 500.

Penske won his first national championship – in SCCA D Modifieds – in 1961, racing a Maserati T61 and a Cooper Monaco. Sports Illustrated named him “Driver of the Year.”

He retired from the cockpit with a stunning record of 51 victories in 130 races. He also logged top-five finishes in another 60 races. That record stands with even the greatest racers.

Yet it was merely preface for Penske, who applied solid business practices and an insistence that every component of his racing organization be executed to the highest standards.

In 1962, he brought Dow-Jones-listed commercial sponsorship to sports car racing, changing American road racing and leaving his mark on North American motorsport forever.

In 1966, he formed Roger Penske Racing. That ultimately became Team Penske, which has logged a record 18 victories in the Indianapolis 500, multiple wins in NASCAR, victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring, plus a trio of Trans-Am titles.

Penske delivered McLaren’s first Indy 500 victory in 1972 and Porsche’s first Can-Am title in the same year. In all, Penske racers have earned more than 500 race victories, 591 pole positions and 34 championships.

The same sort of praise could be ladled on the Rennabteilung (racing department) that was created in 1936 to design and build the mighty Silver Arrows of Mercedes-Benz.

They created the template for professional racing operations and swept all before them.

Mercedes-Benz’s Silver Arrows changed the grammar of racing car design, construction and management. Mercedes-Benz created the Rennabteilung after a troubled 1936 season with the W25.

Led by engineer Rudolph Uhlenhaut, the Rennabteilung quickly restored Mercedes competition successes and dominated the 1937, 1938 and 1939 Grand Prix seasons with the variants of three new cars.

In the 1950s, a new generation of Silver Arrows won the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 1954 and 1955 Formula 1 championships and the 1955 World Sports Car Championship.

Mercedes-Benz produced grand prix car designs and an engineering orthodoxy – engine in front, gearbox in back, coil/wishbone front suspension and de Dion rear suspension – that endured until the emergence of the revolutionary rear-engined F1 cars of 1958.

Mercedes-Benz team management shaped a new code of race car development and team organization that still echoes in the 21st Century.

Das beste oder nichts – the commandment of Gottlieb Daimler to have the best or nothing – still resonates within Mercedes-Benz and their World Championship-winning racing organization.

To honor their inestimable contribution to motorsport the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance chose the Silver Arrows of Mercedes-Benz as a signature class for the Silver Anniversary celebration.

The Cars of Harley Earl class features the great stylist’s most famous dream cars and successful productions cars. Winnowing that group down was no simple task.

Eight decades ago General Motors’ Art & Colour Section was the auto industry’s first attempt to invest the business of creating and selling automobiles with aesthetics as a marketable commodity.

GM chief Alfred Sloan put Harley Earl in charge and Earl changed the car business forever.

Every American auto company followed his lead, employing designers who trained under or worked for Earl.

Earl created an industry within the biggest industry in the world, set the design and esthetic parameters for the American car industry and led General Motors from a 12 per cent market share in the 1920s to a 55-plus per cent market penetration during the decade when he retired.

For nearly four decades, Earl was the arbiter of style for the entire American auto industry.

In the decade before he reached GM’s mandatory retirement age (65) he oversaw the creation and the rise of America’s storied, celebrated and sometimes unloved “tailfin era.”

“Misterl” as his disciples called him, left his mark on the American industry and on the GM Technical Center at Warren, Mich., the definitive monument to Earl’s towering contributions to GM and the automobile industry.

The 50th anniversary of Porsche’s first of 19 victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans will also be recognized.

By 1969, Porsche chief Ferdinand Piech must have grown weary of hearing his family’s famous Stuttgart marque constantly called “giant killer” or “underdog”.

When new international rules were written for the 1969 World Championship he saw a loophole and organized a radical program, creating the Porsche 917 that delivered Porsche’s first 24 Hours of Le Mans victory.

The 917 won Le Mans again in 1971 with yet another World Championship of Makes as a bonus. The international rules for endurance sports car racing were rewritten for 1972.

Then, Porsche turned their attention to North America’s unlimited Can-Am Championship, turbocharged the 917 and formed an alliance with Team Penske. That coalition swept through the mega-dollar/mega-horsepower Can-Am series winning back-to-back titles in 1972 and ‘73.

With Penske’s organization and procedures, it was all very reminiscent of the dominance of the Rennabteilung in Grand Prix racing decades earlier.

“In each instance a culture has been created within these organizations that accept only the very best. The result is people who see themselves as members of an elite corps and work consistently to that high standard,” said Bill Warner, founder and chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. “It works because of uncompromising principles and an insistence on the relentless pursuit of excellence. It creates legends and legendary cars.

“We’ve all benefitted from the efforts of these visionaries.”

It may be a new year, but Abraham Ancer is still facing questions about what he considered an innocent remark he made months ago.

It was at the Mayakoba Golf Classic that Ancer was asked by reporters who he might like to face in singles' play when he made his Presidents Cup debut at Royal Melbourne.

"I would like to play against Tiger (Woods)," Ancer said. "But the truth is that our objective is to do everything we can to win. Winning a match in the singles would be very special, so we need to try to get the cup."

Ancer got his wish last month in Australia, having gone 3-0-1 through the first four sessions as the International team built up a lead. But Woods was well aware of Ancer's quip, placed himself against the Mexican in Sunday's opening match and took the point, 3 and 2, to spark an American comeback victory.

"Abe wanted it, and he got it," Woods said.

Teeing it up this week for the first time since the Presidents Cup, Ancer explained to reporters at the Sony Open that his initial comment that made the rounds was given in Spanish and that some of his intent was lost in translation when the comments were transcribed.

"I was like, well, out of the 12 guys who I would like to play on a big stage in a big event like that ... obviously I would like to play my hero growing up, Tiger Woods. (It would) be an incredible experience," Ancer said. "And so I didn't only learn from the golf course and from golf. I learned a lot about media and how it can get twisted. Yeah, definitely got twisted and just the context of how I said things. And maybe Tiger didn't know the way I said it."

Ancer won the 2018 Australian Open but remains in search of his first career PGA Tour win, a drought he hopes to end this week in Honolulu coming off a season in which he made his first trip to the Tour Championship. Despite the loss to Woods and the American comeback, he took plenty of positive memories from his Presidents Cup debut Down Under.

"Playing on a big stage like that was a lot of fun," Ancer said. "It was a week that I will never ever forget. The feeling of playing in front of the Aussie crowd and really the people from all over the world made the trip, it was really special."

We live in an age when analysts believe almost everything can be measured. Win-rates, strike-rates, heart-rates, economy-rates… you name it, someone can put a figure on it.

And there's no doubt such statistics can provide insight and illumination. But not everything that counts can be counted.

So it is with Ben Stokes. He finished the Cape Town Test with the unremarkable figures of 3 for 69 with the ball and 119 runs between his two innings with the bat. Decent, for sure. But unremarkable.

But anyone who was lucky enough to be at Newlands in recent days - and on Tuesday, in particular - will know they saw a special performance by a special cricketer at the peak of his powers. And they will know, too, that figures don't just mislead: they lie and cheat and try to sell you double-glazing.

The point is this: Stokes was magnificent in Cape Town. With bat and ball and in the field, he produced performances that contributed heavily to England's first win at this ground since 1957. And while our sport can sometimes seem unhealthily preoccupied with personal statistics, it should never be forgotten that this is a team game. So while some players - quite a lot of players, really - always have an eye on their average or personal milestones, Stokes is interested only in the team dynamic and the result.

Consider his second innings here. Stokes thrashed a half-century in 34 balls. That means Ian Botham is the only man to have hit one in fewer deliveries for England (albeit with the caveat that the number of deliveries was not always counted). More importantly, it meant England were able to build on Dom Sibley's foundations and set up a position whereby they could declare. Bearing in mind that they achieved this victory with just 50 balls left in the match and Stokes' input seems more important than ever.

You can't play that sort of innings if you are worried about your average. You can't think of reverse-sweeping seamers and spinners alike if you have any thought in your head other than accelerating your side's innings. You don't get caught at long-on if you are eking out the runs required to bring up a century.

He was no less impressive with the ball. You could make a strong case to argue that Stokes is, at this stage, one of the best swing bowlers available to England. Just consider his performance at Trent Bridge in 2015 when, with James Anderson absent, it fell to him to fulfil the role of swing bowler. He responded by moving the ball in and out at pace for figures of 6 for 36.

Equally, you could make a case to argue that he is England's most hostile bowler. True, he has never quite generated the pace of Mark Wood in St Lucia or Jofra Archer at Lord's. But, day in, day out, when those two are either injured or struggling to find their mojo, it is Stokes who responds to his captain's call to ensure the batsmen aren't too comfortable at the crease. Take his performance in Colombo in 2018, when he complemented the spinners by bowling long, fast spells (all four of his wickets in that match came from short balls) that ignored the risk of leaking runs. Not all bowlers are prepared to embrace that equation.

In the second innings here, Stokes did not come on until the 40th over. By then, the pitch had died and the ball offered nothing. He was England's seventh-choice bowler. And yet he bowled as fast as anyone in the match (regularly over 90mph) and somehow found some life - and not a peaceful life, but a hellish, hate-filled life full of searing pace and rearing bouncers - to discomfort everyone who faced him.

It will be his final spell, the spell that clinched the match, which draws attention. But his spell on the fourth evening - seven overs of wonderfully hostile bowling which brought no personal reward - really stood out. At a time when the batsmen had started to look ominously settled, he offered threat and peril. And who can measure whether his unsettling spell led, in part at least, to Zubayr Hamza's tentative prod at Anderson shortly afterwards?

And then there's that final spell. The stats tell us it can be measured in terms of its three wickets for the cost of one run in 28 balls. What they don't tell us is that, by then, Anderson was broken, Stuart Broad and Sam Curran were looking impotent and that the spinners were required at the other end. They don't tell us, either, that Stokes had decided that he wasn't going to relinquish the ball until the job was done. That, when the pressure was at its greatest, he was the man who wanted to be in the thick of the action.

This was a spell that brought back memories of that Leeds game. In that match, Stokes had second-innings figures of 24.2-7-56-3. Which again look decent but unremarkable. Until you realise it was achieved in a single spell split only by stumps on one night and four balls from Archer before he suffered an attack of cramp.

There was a revealing moment in that match. In the fourth innings, he reached his century with 37 runs still needed for victory. "I didn't really care," he said afterwards. "Personal milestones mean nothing." And you believed him. Because he didn't celebrate at the time or give it all away immediately afterwards. He had his eyes set only on the win. Only after that was achieved did he celebrate.

ALSO READ: 'Stokes is a golden nugget' - Joe Root

The great disadvantage Stokes has as a bowler is that he does not have himself as a catcher in the slips. Here, in the first innings, he claimed a record five catches; no England player (other than a keeper) has held as many in an innings; no player from any country (other than a keeper) has held more. Truly, Stokes could catch Moriarty, Blofeld and Lord Lucan.

Nobody should be surprised by any of this. When the World Cup was slipping away, it was Stokes who delivered. When the series against Australia was all but lost at Leeds, it was Stokes who delivered. And when Root had nowhere to turn in Cape Town, it was Stokes he trusted and Stokes who delivered. There are, basically, two types of cricket lovers: those who appreciate what a fine player Stokes is. And idiots. It speaks volumes for the worthlessness of the ICC rankings that he is placed third in their Test allrounder rankings.

As Stokes was the first to point out after the match, the most pleasing aspect of this performance, from an England perspective, was that the whole team contributed. Yes, some players - Dom Sibley and Anderson - registered personal milestones which will jump out from scorecards when people review them in a hundred years. And yes, shortly after that, the inputs of Ollie Pope, with his first-innings half-century, Root, with his second-innings runs, may gain a nod of appreciation.

But then there's the likes of Zak Crawley, who held a couple of vital catches, Broad, who moved Anderson to leg slip and trapped Rassie van der Dussen there with his next delivery, Joe Denly, who claimed the two left-handers, Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock, with his legspin aimed into the foot-holes, Dom Bess, who allowed England's bowlers to rotate and recover in the first innings and Curran, who took a couple of key wickets from nowhere. There were countless other cameos, too. All contributed.

But most of all there was Ben Stokes. And what the analysts won't be able to measure is the way he makes the man next to him want to perform better; the way he makes the man next to him retain belief when logic suggests it should be waning; the way he inspires and leads and keeps going when others are wearied and broken.

Forget the stats. You can't measure love or loyalty or most of the things that really matter. It's more that their veracity becomes apparent to us at times of need. Ben Stokes is a great team player. There's no higher praise than that.

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Raiders running back Josh Jacobs was once homeless as a child, he and his four siblings sometimes living out of a car with their dad Marty on the north side of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Tuesday, the No. 24 overall pick of the draft and a leading candidate for NFL offensive rookie of the year, took to social media to say he had purchased a house for his father.

Blessed just bought my pops a house ????

— Josh Jacobs (@iAM_JoshJacobs) January 7, 2020

The Raiders also tweeted out video of Marty's reaction and said the home was in Oklahoma.

An unforgettable gesture.@iAM_JoshJacobs thanked his father for his sacrifices growing by buying him a home in Oklahoma.

More: https://t.co/KGdnecQbl4 pic.twitter.com/Jj5B39U6rN

— Oakland Raiders (@Raiders) January 7, 2020

Jacobs rushed for 1,150 yards and 7 touchdowns in averaging 4.8 yards per carry and caught 20 passes for 166 yards and 8 first downs, despite missing three of the Raiders' final four games with a fracture in his right shoulder. His 88.5 rushing yards per game ranked third in the NFL, behind the Tennessee Titans' Derrick Henry (102.7) and the Cleveland Browns' Nick Chubb (93.4).

In fact, Jacob had played through the pain after suffering the injury in Week 7. He was selected with a pick acquired in the Khalil Mack trade of 2018.

Jacobs' journey from homelessness to high school stardom to Alabama to a first-round pick of the Raiders was documented in an ESPN SportsCenter Featured piece last spring.

"Sleeping in the car, I always look back on it," Jacobs said at the time. "It's always going to be something that molded me into who I am. It might have been rough but, I mean, it's my life."

As the 2019 NFL playoffs cruise along, 24 teams already have turned their heads to the 2020 offseason -- and the rest of the pack isn't far behind. From the two-win Bengals to whomever ends up being the Super Bowl champion, every team will need something in the offseason.

Many teams will address weaknesses in free agency, while others will focus on the 2020 draft. And at least a handful of teams have to fix front-office and coaching concerns before thinking about on-field personnel changes. It promises to be an intriguing offseason for all 32 teams.

With that in mind, we asked our NFL Nation reporters to identify the biggest area of need for each team as we enter the offseason.

Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE
NO | NYG | NYJ | OAK | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

Add an offensive playmaker. The Bills struck gold this offseason with the additions of John Brown, Cole Beasley and Devin Singletary. The trio immediately improved a well-below-average offense from 2018. But Buffalo still lacks a home run hitter -- a player who is a threat to score from anywhere on the field. Such an addition would help quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills' offense, turning Buffalo into a true contender. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Miami Dolphins

Fix the trenches. The Dolphins are definitely in the market for a franchise quarterback, but the big guys on both lines were the biggest problems in 2019. Miami needs to use a good bit of its $100-plus million in cap space and projected 14 draft picks (including three first-rounders) on at least two starting-caliber edge rushers and as many offensive linemen as possible. The Dolphins finished last in the NFL in sacks and tied for last in sacks allowed, as well as last in rushing yards and 27th in rushing yards allowed. Miami won't be a contender until it has more success up front. -- Cameron Wolfe

New England Patriots

Acquire an impact tight end. In retrospect, the Patriots' plans to replace Rob Gronkowski were flawed, in part due to the timing of Gronkowski's decision to retire, which had a trickle-down effect on their ability to sign free agent Jared Cook. Without a real pass-catching threat at tight end this year, the Patriots were easier to prepare for thanks to limited options for coordinator Josh McDaniels. Obviously New England wasn't going to replace a Hall of Fame-caliber talent in Gronkowski with one player, but the drop-off shouldn't have been as steep as it was. -- Mike Reiss

New York Jets

Improve the offensive line. The Jets' once-formidable line deteriorated over the past decade due to neglect; the team hasn't used a first- or second-round pick on an offensive lineman since 2010. In 2019, the line especially struggled as a run-blocking unit. Le'Veon Bell averaged only 3.22 yards per rush, the lowest single-season mark in franchise history (minimum 200 carries). Though it's not likely, the Jets could conceivably have a new starter at all five positions up front. -- Rich Cimini

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens

Land a pass-rusher. The Ravens, whose 37 sacks ranked in the bottom half of the NFL, struggled all season to get pressure on the quarterback without blitzing. Baltimore's four-man rush ranked among the league's worst in generating sacks, and the need for an edge rusher will increase even more if Matthew Judon, who led the team with 9.5 sacks, isn't retained -- either with a long-term free-agent contract or the franchise tag. Ryan Kerrigan would be a good fit for Ravens if he's cut by the Redskins. -- Jamison Hensley

Cincinnati Bengals

Figure out a long-term option at quarterback. That void could be potentially filled by taking LSU's Joe Burrow (or another highly touted QB prospect) with the top overall pick in this year's draft. The Bengals' current starter, Andy Dalton, is entering a contract year in 2020 and is expected to be on the trading block. -- Ben Baby

Cleveland Browns

Add offensive line help. The Browns especially need to address left tackle -- but right tackle and right guard as well. If the Browns aren't able to grab their left tackle of the future in the draft, look for them to be aggressive in making a trade to protect quarterback Baker Mayfield's blind side. -- Jake Trotter

Pittsburgh Steelers

Firm up the quarterback position. Ben Roethlisberger is the starter when he comes back from elbow surgery. But the timeline for the 37-year-old is unclear, and the Steelers already got an ugly glimpse in 2019 of what a Roethlisberger-less offense looks like. They were the only NFL team that failed to score at least 30 points in a single game this season (the first time since 1971 that they didn't do so). Roethlisberger's return solves a lot of those problems, but the team needs to develop or bring in an insurance policy. Mike Tomlin said Mason Rudolph is Pittsburgh's fallback option, but he also left the door open to bringing in a veteran signal-caller. -- Brooke Pryor

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

Decide what to do at general manager. After firing Brian Gaine in June, Houston decided to go with a general manager-by-committee approach, giving head coach Bill O'Brien even more say in personnel decisions. The Texans initially pursued Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio before New England filed tampering charges against the organization. Houston could try to hire a general manager (perhaps Caserio again) or decide the approach it used this year worked. -- Sarah Barshop

Indianapolis Colts

Revamp its group of pass-catchers. T.Y. Hilton, the team's No. 1 option, will be 31 next season. Devin Funchess, who didn't even play a full game this season, is a free agent. Parris Campbell, a 2019 second-round pick, played only seven games because of injuries. Tight end Eric Ebron is a free agent, and the Colts have very little interest in re-signing him. You get the picture. Zach Pascal was leading receiver (607 yards) for the Colts, who finished 30th in the NFL with just 196 passing yards per game. There's a chance quarterback Jacoby Brissett remains the starter, despite his struggles late in the season, but Indianapolis needs to help him out. General manager Chris Ballard has admitted as much. -- Mike Wells

Jacksonville Jaguars

Fix the interior of the defensive line. The Jaguars finished 28th in rushing defense and gave up more than 200 yards on the ground four times. They're not bringing back defensive tackle Marcell Dareus ($20 million cap savings), and 2018 first-round pick Taven Bryan, who played well in the season finale, has been largely disappointing. Jacksonville has major needs at other positions (linebacker, left tackle, receiver and cornerback), but the defensive front is the key to the team's resurgence in 2020. -- Mike DiRocco

Tennessee Titans

Find a dynamic pass-rusher. Bringing back Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry is pretty much a given. That being said, the Titans need to get a pass-rusher in free agency or the draft who consistently can wreak havoc. Harold Landry III showed promise but had a lower-impact presence down the stretch. Tennessee has done a decent job getting pressure but doesn't have a finisher who demands attention from opposing pass-protectors. -- Turron Davenport

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

Figure out the full answer at quarterback. Broncos boss John Elway said the day after the season it would be "unrealistic'' to say Drew Lock isn't the starting quarterback in 2020. But Denver has nothing but questions about the developing Lock, who has just five starts under his belt. Joe Flacco doesn't yet know if he will need surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck, and his contract includes cap figures of at least $23.65 million in each of the next two years. The Broncos may have to address quarterback depth both in free agency and the draft. -- Jeff Legwold

Kansas City Chiefs

Give Patrick Mahomes a new contract. Mahomes has one definite season left on his rookie deal, though the Chiefs could use the fifth-year option on Mahomes in 2021 if it still exists in the next CBA. But that's just kicking the can down the road. The Chiefs can get some much-needed clarity on their salary cap for years to come by re-signing Mahomes long-term now that he's eligible for a new contract. -- Adam Teicher

Los Angeles Chargers

Find a long-term solution at QB. The Chargers did not win a game in the AFC West in 2019 and have not finished atop in the division since 2009. Even if Philip Rivers returns, Los Angeles needs to secure a long-term answer at quarterback who can help it unseat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs atop in the division. Finding a young franchise QB should be this team's top offseason priority. -- Eric D. Williams

Oakland Raiders

Find a WR1. Sure, Tyrell Williams caught a touchdown pass in each of his first five games. And Hunter Renfrow became a weapon late in the season with 13 catches for 209 yards and two touchdowns in two games after returning from a broken rib, while Darren Waller proved to be an elite tight end with 90 catches for 1,145 yards. But the void left by Antonio Brown's preseason meltdown was massive, and the Raiders' need for a top-flight receiver to secure the passing game is obvious. It will help their complementary pieces become even more dangerous. -- Paul Gutierrez

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

Fill out the staff. Now that Mike McCarthy will be the coach, the Cowboys' top need is to determine the direction of their coaching staff. Do they keep offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, line coach Marc Colombo, quarterbacks coach Jon Kitna and receivers coach Sanjay Lal, who are under contract through at least 2020? Do they make a shift defensively away from the Seattle-type scheme they have run since 2014 with Rod Marinelli and Kris Richard out of contract? McCarthy was the big piece to the Cowboys' puzzle but now filling in the rest of the pieces will determine the direction they go with their personnel. -- Todd Archer

New York Giants

Add impact defenders. With the Giants having found a coach in Joe Judge, they must now address the defense. They desperately need playmakers, and they could start with a dominant edge rusher, such as Jadeveon Clowney or Yannick Ngakoue in free agency. The Giants defense didn't have a single true difference-maker this season. It's hard to survive like that, and it must be seriously addressed this offseason. -- Jordan Raanan

Philadelphia Eagles

An infusion of young talent. The Eagles loaded up the 2019 roster with veterans to make a Super Bowl push, but their age showed itself in the form of injuries and low energy. The offense took off when younger players like Miles Sanders rose to the forefront, and they need more of that to set up Carson Wentz as he enters Year 5. -- Tim McManus

Washington Redskins

Finalize the coaching staff and front office. The Redskins hired Ron Rivera as head coach and Jack Del Rio as defensive coordinator but still have to name an offensive coordinator (Kevin O'Connell has been interviewed twice and remains a strong in-house option, while former Panthers quarterbacks coach Scott Turner also has been interviewed). And who will be Rivera's main man on the football operations side? Who will stay or go in the front office? Once all that is settled, Washington can move forward with roster reconstruction. -- John Keim

NFC NORTH

Chicago Bears

Find the right backup quarterback behind Mitchell Trubisky. The Bears can ill afford to stand idly by if Trubisky struggles again next season. Chicago needs its version of Ryan Tannehill, who replaced starter Marcus Mariota in-season and led Tennessee to the playoffs. The Bears desperately want Trubisky to succeed, but the organization has to protect itself. Too many jobs are on the line for Chicago not to have a proven backup ready to go in case of emergency. -- Jeff Dickerson

Detroit Lions

Upgrade the talent on defense. One of the biggest issues for Detroit all season was top-end talent on its defense. Darius Slay, Trey Flowers and Tracy Walker are players to build around. Otherwise, every player either has injury questions or has shown he isn't at an elite level. For Detroit to really be able to compete, it needs to add one or two elite players to its defense this offseason, either through the draft or free agency, for a major fix. -- Michael Rothstein

Green Bay Packers

Acquire weapons for Aaron Rodgers. Maybe the quarterback's skills aren't what they used to be, but how can you tell when the only consistent weapon at receiver is Davante Adams? GM Brian Gutekunst rightly focused on the defense last season and loaded up in free agency (Za'Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Adrian Amos) and at the top of the draft (Rashan Gary and Darnell Savage). This time around, receiver and tight end should be the priority. -- Rob Demovsky

Minnesota Vikings

Sign Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Cook to contract extensions. The Vikings' offense needs both players to be effective for the long haul. Cousins solidified the likelihood that he will be extended before his three-year deal runs out by leading Minnesota to its first playoff road win in 15 seasons, while Cook has routinely demonstrated his importance to this team. Minnesota's finances are tight next season, and extensions for both Cousins and Cook could alleviate pressure off the salary cap in 2020. -- Courtney Cronin

NFC SOUTH

Atlanta Falcons

Upgrade at edge rusher. The Falcons need to find one or two players who can consistently get to the quarterback in unison with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. They finished tied for 29th in sacks. Vic Beasley Jr., the former No. 8 overall pick, is not the answer and has an expiring contract. We'll see if the Falcons uncover a pass-rusher in free agency or find help via the draft. -- Vaughn McClure

Carolina Panthers

Settle the quarterback position. Now that the Panthers have a coach in Matt Rhule, they will need to decide if Cam Newton is worth the big-time money he would demand in his next contract. When Rhule arrived at Baylor he signed quarterback Charlie Brewer, who had unique skills as an undersized (6-foot-1, 188 pounds) pro style quarterback who adapted well to the run-pass option. This sounds more like Kyle Allen or Will Grier than Newton, the top pick of the 2011 draft who is recovering from Lisfranc surgery. While owner David Tepper has indicated a healthy Newton is good enough to lead Carolina to a Super Bowl, Rhule's hiring sounds like the beginning of an overhaul that likely won't include Newton. -- David Newton

New Orleans Saints

Find a No. 2 wide receiver. Michael Thomas is sensational, but he had 119 more catches than any other WR on the team in 2019. The addition of tight end Jared Cook helped a lot this season, but he turns 33 in April. Luckily for the Saints, this year's draft class appears to be loaded with high-end receivers. -- Mike Triplett

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Determine if Jameis Winston is their guy. Winston threw for 33 touchdowns but turned the ball over 34 times (30 interceptions, four lost fumbles) in 2019. He coughed it up in seven of the Bucs' nine one-score games, in which Tampa Bay had a 2-5 record. So while his turnovers weren't the sole reason for losses, they didn't help -- and they can't continue. -- Jenna Laine

NFC WEST

Arizona Cardinals

Solve the wide receiver issue. Whether or not Larry Fitzgerald returns, the Cardinals need to find a No. 1 receiver for Kyler Murray. They can do that in free agency, but the better -- and cheaper -- option is with their top-10 pick. The Cardinals do have the three wideouts they drafted last year, but none of them contributed on a regular basis. Christian Kirk, drafted in 2018, is the most talented on the depth chart other than Fitzgerald but hasn't stayed healthy. If Arizona can draft a true playmaking WR1, Kliff Kingsbury's offense can take off in Year 2. -- Josh Weinfuss

Los Angeles Rams

Offensive line. Offensive line. Offensive line. It was the biggest concern going into the 2019 season and unsurprisingly the most glaring issue during the campaign. It's not bound to get better, especially with left tackle Andrew Whitworth and guard/center Austin Blythe about to hit free agency. With no first-round pick and little room to maneuver under the salary cap, the Rams must find a way to construct a better, more experienced line. -- Lindsey Thiry

San Francisco 49ers

Take care of their own. The 49ers could use reinforcements at plenty of spots, notably at receiver and in the secondary. But before they can get into any of that, they have to try to keep some of their own key players. That includes multiple pending unrestricted free agents: defensive end Arik Armstead, receiver Emmanuel Sanders and free safety Jimmie Ward. But there also are some foundational players heading toward free agency they want to take care of too, such as tight end George Kittle, cornerback Richard Sherman and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner -- all of whom have just one year left on their deals. -- Nick Wagoner

Seattle Seahawks

Add playmakers on defense. The Seahawks allowed 6.02 yards per play during the regular season, fourth most in the NFL and their worst mark under Pete Carroll. Seattle's lack of a pass rush has been the most glaring issue on that side of the ball, but it's not easy to find impact edge players late in the first round, where the Seahawks will again be picking. They also need another difference-maker or two in the back seven in addition to their front four. -- Brady Henderson

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- LeBron James was "under the weather" at shootaround Tuesday morning, according to Los Angeles Lakers coach Frank Vogel, but the team still has hope he plays Tuesday night against the New York Knicks.

"Not feeling good at all," Vogel said. "But still hopeful he'll play tonight, but we wanted to get him out of here as quickly as we could so he can rest up."

James was excused from shootaround before reporters were allowed onto the practice court. The 35-year-old Lakers star has missed only one game all season and is averaging 24.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 11.0 assists for L.A., which is No. 1 in the Western Conference with a 29-7 record and comes into the Knicks game riding a five-game winning streak.

While James' status is uncertain, the Lakers will welcome Avery Bradley back to the lineup Tuesday. Bradley, L.A.'s starting shooting guard for much of the season, suffered a sprained right ankle that kept him out of the second half of the Lakers' win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.

After the game, Bradley received X-rays on the ankle -- which came back negative -- and an MRI on Monday revealed no further damage beyond the sprain.

"I feel a lot better. Unfortunate play. The training staff did a great job of getting me prepared play today," Bradley said. "Just a little freak accident."

Bradley previously missed 13 straight games from mid-November until early December with a hairline fracture on the fibular head of his right leg. Vogel said he immediately thought of Bradley's previous injury when he saw him go down to the court against Detroit.

"I felt like it was going to be [more serious]," Vogel said. "First just seeing the ankle roll, and then his reaction right when it happened. It seemed like he could barely put pressure on it. But it loosened up, and then overnight, very, very minimal swelling. So he felt good today. He's good to go."

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Anthony Davis might be one of the NBA's most prolific dunkers in terms of volume, but the Los Angeles Lakers star has no intention of taking those slams to the contrived stage that is the annual dunk contest at All-Star Weekend.

"That's not me," Davis said Tuesday. "In-game dunker only. The stuff I see Dwight [Howard] do and all these other guys -- Zach LaVine -- I can't do that. No."

Even with next month's All-Star Game being hosted in his hometown of Chicago, Davis -- whose 99 dunks rank third in the league behind Giannis Antetokounmpo (118) and Rudy Gobert (102) -- won't be swayed.

However, if his teammate Howard enters the dunk contest after being extended an invitation -- as reported by The Athletic this week -- Davis is willing to participate.

"I might go out there and help him with something if he wants me to do something," Davis said. "I actually thought about it when I heard he's going to do it. But me actually participating myself, it probably won't happen."

It has been more than a decade since Howard last participated in the dunk contest in 2009, when he was one of the darlings of the league as a rising superstar for the Orlando Magic. He headlined the event from 2007 to 2009, winning the trophy in 2008 by donning a Superman costume and soaring in from a step inside the foul line to send the ball home.

"I think he just got a lot of joy with him again, being here," Davis said of Howard's renaissance season at age 34. "The stuff he does in warm-ups and game time, it's just something we want to see more of. Obviously he won before and we're excited for him to go back out there. Even some of the stuff he does in practice, he still has his bounce. Still can get off the floor. So if he wants my help, I'd be more than happy to help him."

Lakers coach Frank Vogel said it is just another step for Howard -- a former three-time Defensive Player of the Year -- to remind basketball fans what he's capable of after his stints in Atlanta, Charlotte and Washington did not live up to the earlier promise he showed in his career.

"I don't really have a whole bunch of strong feelings about the dunk contest, but I do feel like part of his mission, so to speak, for this year was to repair his image," Vogel said. "I wanted to put him in the position to do that. He's really done it with his play, even before he came here, with how he changed his body, in terms of losing the weight, and just getting him in a different kind of shape for the next phase of his career. Like I said, it's off to a great start, and hopefully he can keep going."

NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson participated in 5-on-5 drills at practice on Tuesday as he took another step towards making his NBA debut.

It was the first time since his knee surgery on Oct. 21 that Williamson was able to participate in 5-on-5 action with teammates. Up until this point, he had been working on 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 drills with a mixture of coaches, staffers and players.

While there is a plan outlined for Williamson's return, there isn't a specific date circled on the calendar just yet, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said on Tuesday.

"We're hoping that it's soon," Gentry added.

Williamson will have to participate in more full practices before he's allowed to make his return. The problem for New Orleans in that regard is the team's upcoming schedule.

New Orleans hosts Chicago on Wednesday night and then travels to face the New York Knicks on Friday. The Pelicans play at Boston on Saturday before a game at Detroit on Monday night.

Gentry said the Pelicans were also limited in numbers for practice as Jrue Holiday rested while he's nursing an elbow injury. Veterans Derrick Favors and JJ Redick were given time to rest as well.

"So what we tried to do was get a lot of work in in the hour that we're out there," Gentry said.

When Williamson does make his NBA debut, there will be some restrictions. Last month, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations said Williamson will "very likely will not be asked to take the pounding of back-to-backs initially."

Gentry took it one step further Tuesday and said Williamson will be on a minutes restriction when he's back in action.

"It's not worth the gamble of just trying to make this thing something that it's not right now," Gentry said. "We want to make sure that everything is in place and we'll take our time. Obviously he's not going to come out and be a 30-minute-a-game guy. It's going to be a slow process to get him to the minutes that everybody wants to see him."

New Orleans is 12-25 after Monday's loss to the Utah Jazz, but the Pelicans have won six of their past nine and are just four games out of the playoff race.

The Pelicans made some defensive changes in the past three weeks that have led to the surge, and adding Williamson to that mix should only help New Orleans' chances of improving their record.

"I think that's always a possibility, but who he is and the way he plays, it's not going to be like starting completely new again," Gentry said. "It'll take a while for everything to come together. It'll take a while anyway, doesn't matter who it is. I think because of his basketball knowledge and the IQ that he has, I think we can skip some of the steps, and I think he'll be okay."

Even when Williamson does return, Gentry and the team don't want to put too much pressure on the No. 1 overall pick too soon.

"We got a glimpse of what we think he could be in the preseason, but obviously the regular season is much different," Gentry said. "He's going to be a really good player. It doesn't matter time-wise, but we know that that's going to happen. As coaches, as administrators, as fans, we just have to be a little bit patient. It's not anything that'll happen overnight."