Day: March 2, 2017

Defense: Killer of 2 is star witness, not Aaron Hernandez (Sports Betting News)Defense: Killer of 2 is star witness, not Aaron Hernandez (Sports Betting News)

FILE- In this Dec. 27, 2016, file photo, former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez appears in Suffolk Superior Court for a pretrial hearing before Judge Jeffrey Locke in Boston. Opening statements are scheduled for Wednesday, March 1, 2017, in the double murder trial of ex-NFL star Hernandez. (Josh Reynolds/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool, File)

The real killer of two men in a hail of gunfire at a stoplight was not former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez but rather the government’s star witness in the double murder trial, Hernandez’s attorney alleged Wednesday in opening statements, revealing the defense strategy for the first time. Attorney Jose Baez, known for winning an acquittal for Florida mom Casey Anthony in the death of her daughter, said prosecutors want to convict his client so badly that they made ”a deal with the devil,” referring to Hernandez’s former friend, Alexander Bradley. Bradley has said he was with Hernandez the night of the shooting and is scheduled to testify against him.

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Poe, Poe Chiefs: cash-strapped KC declines option on DT Poe (Sports Betting News)Poe, Poe Chiefs: cash-strapped KC declines option on DT Poe (Sports Betting News)

The Chiefs declined to use the franchise tag on defensive tackle Dontari Poe on Wednesday, which means the two-time Pro Bowl selection could become a free agent for the first time next week. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis that general manager John Dorsey has been in communication with Poe’s representatives. The Chiefs got some help Wednesday when the NFL Players Association announced the salary cap will increase by $12 million to $167 million next season.

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LA Rams put franchise tag on CB Trumaine Johnson again (Sports Betting News)LA Rams put franchise tag on CB Trumaine Johnson again (Sports Betting News)

FILE - In this Dec. 11, 2016, file photo, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson (22) get set for a play during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons in Los Angeles. The Rams have placed the franchise tag on cornerback Trumaine Johnson for the second straight year. The Rams announced the decision Wednesday, March 1, 2017, shortly before the deadline for making the move. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)

The Los Angeles Rams placed the franchise tag on Trumaine Johnson for the second straight year Wednesday, likely making him the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback next season. The Rams used the non-exclusive tag on Johnson shortly before the deadline, deciding their defense couldn’t afford to lose its best defensive back – even at a cost of nearly half of the team’s current salary cap room if he plays under the franchise tender next season. Johnson and the Rams can negotiate a long-term deal until July 15, or he can sign a deal for next season at roughly $16.8 million, thanks to a raise from the $14.212 million tender because he was franchised for a second year.

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