Former Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons is a potential first-round pick in this year’s draft and he’s scheduled a couple of meetings with possible employers.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Simmons is visiting with the Packers on Monday. He is slated to move on to a visit with the Ravens on Tuesday.
The Packers have left tackle Rasheed Walker and right tackle Zach Tom back from last season. Last year’s first-round pick Jordan Morgan is expected to have a chance to win a starting job as well.
The Ravens re-signed left tackle Ronnie Stanley last month and 2024 second-round pick Roger Rosengarten is set for the right side of the line.
Simmons began his college days at San Diego State and played at Ohio State the last two seasons.
Former William & Mary offensive tackle Charles Grant is set for a busy week.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Grant will have a top-30 visit with the Titans on Monday.
He is also set to meet with the Ravens, Eagles, and Bengals soon. Last week, Grant visited the Texans.
Grant appeared in 50 games for William & Mary in his collegiate career. He was a two-time first-team FCS All-American, earning the distinction in 2023 and 2024. He was also selected to participate in the 2025 Senior Bowl.
The Ravens are starting the week by taking a look at a linebacker in the incoming rookie class.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, UCLA’s Carson Schwesinger is taking a top-30 visit with Baltimore on Monday.
Schwesinger was a first-team All-Big Ten and first-team All-American in 2024. He ended the season with 136 total tackles with nine tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, and two interceptions.
While he initially walked on with the Bruins, Schwesinger developed into a quality defensive player after spending much of two seasons playing special teams.
The Ravens have the No. 27 overall selection in the first round of this month’s draft.
The sudden and unexpected trademark battle between Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. has suddenly and unexpectedly ended.
Via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, Earnhardt announced on Friday that he has secured the rights to a different No. 8, and that he’ll abandon the effort to secure trademark protection of the stylized No. 8 that drew an objection from Jackson.
It was a subtle surrender by Earnhardt, in the face of a challenge from Jackson that someone regarded as having enough merit to justify taking a different approach.
Jackson’s separate trademark battle with Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman is still pending.
Nearly seven years since the Supreme Court opened the floodgates for state-by-state legalized sports wagering, it’s still the Wild West. And with the federal government doing little if anything to regulate the sports-betting industry, it’s up to litigation to apply guardrails to our current BET! BET! BET! reality.
The latest lawsuit was filed not by an individual but a city full of them. Baltimore has sued DraftKings and FanDuel for allegedly exploiting problem gamblers.
“These companies are engaging in shady practices, and the people of our city are literally paying the price,” Baltimore mayor Brandon Scott said in a press release, via ESPN.com. “DraftKings and FanDuel have specifically targeted our most vulnerable residents -- including those struggling with gambling disorders -- and have caused significant harm as a result. This lawsuit is a critical step to hold them accountable and protect all Baltimoreans.”
The lawsuit alleges that the companies hope to lure bettors to bet, until they’re addicted to betting. Neither company provided comment to ESPN.com in response to the lawsuit.
“Defendants are not interested in people merely dipping their toes in the water,” the complaint alleges. “They want bettors to bet, in significant amounts, over and over. Some get hooked, and that’s the point.”
Attorney Adam Levitt, who represents Baltimore in the lawsuit, told ESPN.com that this is the first lawsuit brought by a public body against online sportsbooks since the Supreme Court allowed nationwide legalized sports betting in May 2018. And Levitt explained that, unlike individuals who agree to arbitration clauses that limit their legal options, public entities aren’t bound by efforts to force lawsuits into forums that will be far more favorable to the companies involved.
Baltimore demands both statutory penalties and a court order forcing the sportsbooks to end practices that allegedly create and/or cater to problem gamblers.
The industry needs fair and proper protections for consumers, because the natural incentive to develop and maintain a robust array of gamblers who consistently lose is strong. (Obviously, if they consistently win, they’re at risk of getting banned.)
Sports betting isn’t the stock market. Investors can make a lot of money, over time. Bettors will lose, over time. That’s why it’s so attractive to be the house.
This doesn’t mean people should never bet. But when they do, they should always bet responsibly. And they should only spend money they’re prepared to lose. Because, over time, they will.
Treat the money like entertainment dollars. Expect to lose it. If you don’t lose, treat the winnings like the found money it is.
