As soon as Jordy Nelson was released by the Green Bay Packers Tyler Anderson Colorado Rockies Jersey , the Oakland Raiders put on a full-court press to acquire the former Pro Bowler.

His former position coach and coordinator in Green Bay, Edgar Bennett, and new Raiders coach Jon Gruden immediately called to bring him out for a free-agent visit. Quarterback Derek Carr picked him up at the airport and gave him a tour of the Bay Area.

Then the Raiders offered a two-year deal worth a reported $15 million that persuaded him to cancel his other scheduled visits and sign with Oakland.

”The plan was to make some other trips, but you never know what’s going to happen,” Nelson said Thursday. ”You get to place and you enjoy it and they enjoy it. Obviously, there’s a financial part of that. One thing I didn’t want to do is fly around the country just because. I didn’t want to waste my time or anyone else’s time.”

The Raiders wasted little time Thursday attempting to rebuild under their first-year coach, releasing receiver Michael Crabtree to make room for Nelson; signing safety Marcus Gilchrist, linebacker Tahir Whitehead, running back Doug Martin and fullback Keith Smith; and finalizing deals with blocking tight ends Derek Carrier and Lee Smith that had been agreed to earlier in the week.

But the most high-profile move came at receiver, where Nelson hopes to bounce back from a down season and help Carr and the Raiders get back to the high level they produced at in 2016.

The 32-year-old Nelson struggled last season with 53 catches for 482 yards and six TDs, recording a career-low 9.1 yards per reception as Aaron Rodgers missed more than half the year with injuries.

”I can make plays,” Nelson said. ”I look forward to just getting out Logan Cooke Color Rush Jersey , getting in rhythm with Derek and start forming that chemistry with him that I’ve had with Aaron for the last 10 years. Continue to build off that. Just see what happens. Go out there and play my role in this offense. Make the plays that are available.”

Nelson had made the Pro Bowl in 2014 and won AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2016 when he led the league with 14 touchdown catches a year after missing the entire season with a right knee injury.

Nelson had four 1,000-yard seasons in Green Bay, including 1,519 yards on 98 catches in 2014. In 136 career games, he has 550 catches for 7,848 yards and 69 TDs.

Crabtree had a $7.7 million cap hit for this season but there is no dead money with his release. The 30-year-old Crabtree had 232 catches for 2,543 yards and 25 touchdowns in three seasons with the Raiders.

The other big moves came on defense where Oakland added two potential starters to fill holes at safety and linebacker.

Whitehead joins the Raiders after spending his first six seasons with Lions. He has 378 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries, four interceptions and 18 passes defensed in 93 career games.

Gilchrist has played seven seasons with the Chargers, Jets and Houston. He has 11 interceptions Authentic Josh Allen Jersey , 33 passes defensed, four sacks, five forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He will likely step in as a starter alongside Karl Joseph.

Martin, who grew up in nearby Stockton, is a two-time Pro Bowler but averaged just 2.9 yards per carry the past two seasons, the lowest for any back in the league. That was part of what led to his release by the Buccaneers last month.

He joins a running back room that is currently led by Marshawn Lynch, along with youngsters DeAndre Washington and Jalen Richard.

”I have been the lead back for most of my career, but what enticed me in coming here is the potential for this team,” Martin said. ”We have Gruden coming. The front line and just being home. I was born here. This is my homecoming. Those are the things that enticed me on signing here.”

The 29-year-old Martin rushed for 1,454 yards as a rookie in 2012, including 251 in a win at Oakland. He also ran for 1,402 yards in 2015 but has failed to reach 500 yards in any of his other four seasons as he was hampered by injuries and a suspension for performance-enhancing substances.

Keith Smith gives the Raiders another fullback along with Jamize Olawale. Smith http://www.eaglesauthorizedshops.com/authentic-dallas-goedert-jersey , a converted linebacker, played only sparingly on offense with the Cowboys but was an important part of the special teams under coordinator Rich Bisaccia, who now holds the same job with the Raiders.

Carrier has 36 catches for 327 yards and one TD in 50 games in his career. He caught eight passes for 71 yards last season with the Rams.

Lee Smith joined Oakland originally as a free agent in 2015 and has been a strong run blocker in his three years with the team. He played 35 games, missing most of the 2016 season with a leg injury. He has 26 catches for 175 and one touchdown with the Raiders.

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LeBron James scored 46 points and preserved his reign atop the Eastern Conference for at least one more game as the Cleveland Cavaliers shook off losing All-Star Kevin Love with a head injury and beat the Boston Celtics 109-99 on Friday night to force a Game 7.

James, playing in perhaps his final game for the Cavs in Cleveland, delivered another sensational performance – he added 11 rebounds and nine assists while playing all but two minutes – to avoid elimination and delay any decisions about his future.

The king is not dead, and he still has a chance to make his eighth straight NBA Finals.

This back-and-forth series, in which home court has meant everything, will have a climatic conclusion Sunday at TD Center, where the Celtics are 10-0 this postseason.

George Hill added 20 points, and Jeff Green 14 for the Cavs. They won their eighth straight at home and will play their second Game 7 of these playoffs.

Terry Rozier paced the Celtics with 28 points, and Jaylen Brown had 27.

HOUSTON (AP) – The Houston Rockets will be without star guard Chris Paul for Game 6 because of a strained hamstring Dalton Schultz Color Rush Jersey , a huge blow for a team trying to close out the Golden State Warriors.

Paul was injured in the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s victory that gave the Rockets a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals.

”I hate it for him, above all,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. ”He’s practically won us the last two games. But great opportunity for other guys and we have plenty to choose from and we’ll be ready.”

Eric Gordon, the star of Game 5, will start in Paul’s place Saturday night. He started 30 games this season while Paul and James Harden dealt with injuries.

”It will not change anything that we do or how we do it,” D’Antoni said.

PHOENIX (AP) – Phoenix Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said the ”overwhelming likelihood” is that the team will keep its No. 1 overall pick and not trade it away.

McDonough made the comment after the first of what will be many pre-draft workouts of players on the Suns’ practice court.

The leading candidates for that No. 1 almost certainly will be worked out privately, with the exception of Luka Doncic, the European sensation who still is playing in Spain.

”Obviously the agents have a lot of say,” McDonough said. ”They have a strong voice in the process. They’re worried about injuries, which we understand is part of it. So we’d love them to come in and compete against the other top guys at their position. I think for the guys in the mix at No. 1 that’s going to be tough for us to put together.”

SOCCER

TERESOPOLIS, Brazil (AP) – Disgruntled fans broke into a Brazil training session for the World Cup on Friday and some booed the national team over a lack of contact with local supporters. A few dozen even mocked chanted ”It was 7-1! It was 7-1!” in a reference to the team’s humiliation against Germany four years ago.

The open training in Teresopolis was the only chance local fans had to be with Brazil players since the beginning of preparations Monday. Brazil gave up on its traditional pre-World Cup friendly on home soil before the tournament and will only play again June 3 in Liverpool against Croatia.

In the first and only meeting with players before they travel to the tournament in Russia, about 200 people were initially allowed in the Granja Comary training ground http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-harrison-phillips-jersey , but many others broke into the venue after being stopped by police for hours at the gates. No one was injured, but the frustration was evident.

BASEBALL

BOSTON (AP) – Hanley Ramirez has been designated for assignment by the Boston Red Sox, who are responsible for the $15.25 million remaining on his contract but avoided him triggering a $22 million salary for 2019.

Boston made the move Friday to clear a roster spot for All-Star second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who was activated from the disabled list and after recovering from knee surgery.

”We’ve been looking at making a move because we knew that this day with Dustin would come,” Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Friday prior to a game against Atlanta. ”We talked about all different types of possibilities.”

Dombrowski said the final call was his to make, but credited manager Alex Cora with the idea, saying the first-year manager told him he wanted to get Mitch Moreland more regular time in the lineup. Dombrowski said the move was less about saving on Ramirez’s salary next year than it was about improving this year’s team.
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