Mike Kolen, a key member of the Miami Dolphins’ championship teams in the early 1970s, died on Wednesday, according to his alma mater, Auburn. He was 76.
Nicknamed “Captain Crunch” for his fierce tackling, Kolen went from a 12th-round pick to a starting member on one of the greatest defenses in NFL history. An immediate starter (he arrived in Miami the same year as Hall of Fame coach Don Shula), Kolen started at linebacker in each of Miami’s three consecutive Super Bowl trips from 1971-73. He had 11 tackles and an interception during the Dolphins’ 1971 playoff run.
Kolen had another pick during the 1972 playoffs while helping the Dolphins cap off a perfect season. He set a career high in interceptions the following season as Miami successfully defended its title. Kolen stepped away from football following the 1977 season after spending his entire pro career in Miami.
Prior to his time in Miami, Kolen enjoyed a highly successful college career at Auburn. A 1985 Alabama Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Auburn created an award in his honor that is given annually to the Tigers player who leads the team in tackles that season. Kolen routinely returned to campus to personally present the award to that year’s recipient.
“It’s been a real thrill for me,” Kolen said in 2016. “You’re congratulating a player from the previous year who had a great impact on Auburn’s defensive side of the ball, being the leading tackler. Being there at Auburn, being out on the field, kind of reminds you of some old memories. It’s just a really next experience, and something I’ve thoroughly enjoyed over the years.”
Kolen, who published a book about the ’72 Dolphins, told the Miami Herald in 2017 that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, which he believed was the byproduct of playing football.
“I don’t blame football,” Kolen said, via the Palm Beach Post. “Football’s a great sport. It’s taught me so many values in life. … I consider it a privilege to play football, especially for Auburn and the Miami Dolphins. I wouldn’t give anything for that. It was such a terrific opportunity. I have no regrets whatsoever.”
The Buffalo Bills traded wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans on Wednesday. It will be interesting to see if the trade was an isolated move or the first domino to fall. Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk are a few others who have been rumored to be available.
In today’s thought exercise, we make a handful of trades and explore how Buffalo goes about replacing its Pro Bowl pass-catcher.
Without further ado, let’s kick this off!
For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on “With the First Pick” — our year-round NFL Draft podcast with NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find “With the First Pick” wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Listen to the latest episode below!
After four productive seasons in Buffalo, the Bills traded star wideout Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans along with a 2024 sixth-round pick and 2025 fifth-round pick in exchange for a 2025 second-rounder. It was a shocking move that raised several questions: Are the Texans now a contender? And is the Bills’ championship window closed?
This trade didn’t come as a surprise to everyone. Diggs’ recent activity on social media had people talking, as did his comments at the Pro Bowl. One person that was not caught off guard by the Diggs trade was his good friend and now-former quarterback, Josh Allen.
On Wednesday, Bills general manager Brandon Beane revealed that he told Allen earlier this offseason that teams were inquiring about Diggs’ availability, and that something could happen.
“I did alert (Josh) that there had been some inquiries and it wasn’t 100% off the table,” Beane said, via the Bills’ official website.
“Josh and I have a pretty regular conversation on things and I think it’s important for me to make sure if I think something could happen to make sure he’s not blindsided.”
Allen is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but his rise directly coincides with when Buffalo acquired Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings. In his two seasons before the Bills traded for Diggs, Allen had completed just 56% of his passes, and thrown 30 touchdowns compared to 21 interceptions.
Beane claims the Diggs trade doesn’t signal a Bills rebuild is coming, but at the very least a remake on offense is. Since joining the Bills in 2020, Diggs ranks first in the NFL in receptions (445), fourth in receiving yards (5,372) and is tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns (37). He leaves Buffalo as the franchise’s fourth-leading receiver, and needed just 66 games to rack up those 5,372 yards.
This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.
CBS Sports HQ Newsletter We bring sports news that matters to your inbox, to help you stay informed and get a winning edge.
I agree to receive the “CBS Sports HQ Newsletter” and marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers), and other information from CBS Sports and the Paramount family of companies. By pressing sign up, I confirm that I have read and agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge Paramount’s Privacy Policy. Email Address 🏈 Good morning to everyone but especially … THE HOUSTON TEXANS
The Texans have spent all offseason loading up. The Bills have spent all offseason unloading. On Wednesday, they became trade partners: Buffalo sent Stefon Diggs and a pair of late-round picks to Houston for a 2025 second-round selection.
Diggs, 30, had grown increasingly disgruntled, with cryptic tweets and quotes this offseason after a quiet close to the 2023 campaign. He had 834 yards receiving and seven touchdowns through the first nine games last season, but just 349 yards and one score in eight regular-season games thereafter. He had 73 yards combined in two postseason games, including just 21 in the season-ending loss to the Chiefs.
But Diggs also has 1,000+ yards receiving in six straight seasons and 100+ receptions in four straight. He’s a legitimate No. 1 receiver, and Houston’s receiving corps might just be one of the league’s best. It’s a unit that includes Diggs, 2023 breakout Nico Collins and 2023 rookie Tank Dell, who had 709 yards in just 11 games.
Moreover, the Diggs addition continues an outstanding offseason for the Texans. Here are their other major moves:
Signed Danielle Hunter and Denico Autry on the defensive line Signed linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair Re-signed Dalton Schultz I love it. The Texans have a superstar (and I don’t use that word lightly) quarterback on a rookie deal in C.J. Stroud and are doing exactly what they should be with the money they’re saving: getting star talent around him. Tyler Sullivan gave Houston an “A” in his trade grades.
The Bills didn’t grade out quite as kindly, but GM Brandon Beane says they’ll “trot out a damn good team come September.” Diggs isn’t the first big loss this offseason, either. But Jeff Kerr agrees with Beane’s assessment: The Bills’ contending window is always open as long as Josh Allen is around.
Still, Allen needs someone to throw to on the outside. The good news? There are tons of options in this year’s draft, and Jordan Dajani explored five, including …
Dajani: “Adonai Mitchell, Texas | CBS Sports overall prospect rank: 24 | CBS Sports positional rank: 5 — Mitchell has good size for an outside receiver at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, and the Georgia transfer was named the 2023 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year after leading his new conference in receiving touchdowns with 11. Mitchell also recorded career highs in receptions (55) and receiving yards (845) with the Longhorns in 2023. Out of all the players on this list, Mitchell may be the most realistic target for Buffalo.” Trading up could be on the board, too, Jordan says.
Finally, remember when Jerry Jones promised an “all-in” offseason for the Cowboys? Well, the other team in the state is actually delivering, Garrett Podell writes.
😁 Honorable mentions Shohei Ohtani hit his first home run with the Dodgers. Caitlin Clark won Naismith Player of the Year. Here’s the full list of winners. Angel Reese declared for the WNBA Draft. DJ Burns Jr. didn’t shut down a move to football. Jackson Chourio hit his first career MLB home run. Vince Carter, Chauncey Billups and Jerry West (again) are reportedly part of the 2024 Basketball Hall of Fame class. 😮 And not such a good morning for … uconn-travel-getty.jpg Getty THE UCONN HUSKIES
No team in the NCAA Tournament has been able to slow down UConn. Maybe an airplane — or the lack of an airplane, rather — can. The Huskies dealt with a travel day from hell Wednesday, eventually taking off for the Final Four in Phoenix after midnight this morning. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander got the details straight from Huskies coach Dan Hurley.
The NCAA oversees and handles all travel for all teams in both the men’s and women’s tournaments. The plane UConn was supposed to be on was coming in from Kansas City but ran into multiple technical troubles that prevented it from leaving on time. The crew assigned to the flight would max out its allowable work hours, per FAA guidelines. The team did not leave Windsor Locks, Conn., until 1:33 a.m. Thursday morning. The plane finally landed in Phoenix at 3:14 a.m. PT. Per a statement from the NCAA — “In conjunction with the school and charter airlines, the NCAA worked to develop several options for travel alternatives to Phoenix. We are very disappointed that UConn will arrive later than anticipated and it’s unfortunate the team’s travel experience has been impacted.” UConn’s opponent — Alabama — arrived Tuesday, as did Purdue. NC State arrived Wednesday. The Huskies obviously have plenty of time before their Saturday night contest against the Crimson Tide, but this certainly isn’t the ideal start to the Final Four.
😑 Not so honorable mentions Could the Chiefs and Royals really leave Kansas City? A recent vote has them exploring options. In an interview with CBS Sports’ Bill Reiter, LaVar Ball blamed his sons’ injuries on NBA conditioning programs and “raggedy shoes.” The Yankees set a limit on how many chains Alex Verdugo can wear. The Marlins are the first team ever to make the playoffs one season and start 0-7 the next. Trevor Megill suffered a concussion after fainting during a bout with food poisoning. Justin Thomas and caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay split. 🏀 Malachi Flynn becomes third bench player with 50-point game untitled-design-2024-04-04t005934-464.png Getty Images Jamal Crawford. Nick Anderson. Malachi Flynn.
That’s the list of players to have a 50-point game off the bench, a list Flynn joined Wednesday night in the Pistons’ 121-113 loss to the Hawks.
College basketball fans may remember him as the San Diego State star who was robbed of an NCAA Tournament due to the pandemic, but I’ll excuse you if you didn’t know who Flynn was because he had the lowest career scoring average (5.2 points) prior to a 50-point game in NBA history.
It’s been a winding road for Flynn. He started his career with the Raptors but was traded to the Knicks in the OG Anunoby-RJ Barrett/Immanuel Quickley deal earlier this season and then flipped shortly thereafter to Detroit in the Bojan Bogdanovic/Alec Burks trade.
Jack Maloney breaks down the highlights — and the improbability — of a special night.
Maloney: “Flynn was doing a little bit of everything against the Hawks. He snaked his way into the paint, both for finishes and trips to the line, made them pay for playing drop coverage by hitting mid-range pull-ups and knocked down five 3s. All told, it was a brilliant display of shot-making. … After playing sparingly in his first few weeks with the Pistons, he’s been getting more regular playing time lately, and has had a few double-digit performances, though nothing even approaching a 50-point night. In fact, in his first 17 games with the team he had 98 total points.” It’s another reminder that even the fringiest of fringe NBA players are insanely good … and that even supposedly “meaningless” late-season games for teams well outside the playoff race can produce amazing things.
🔥 Ranking Caitlin Clark’s best NCAA Tournament games untitled-design-2024-04-04t011127-911.png Getty Images We’re one day away from the women’s Final Four, and that means we’re one day away from Caitlin Clark … and Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards and Aziaha James and all of South Carolina’s stars, but I digress.
Clark is the main attraction. She’s the Division I all-time leading scorer. She just dropped 41 points to beat reigning-champion LSU and get revenge for Iowa’s title game loss a year ago. Yet that performance is just second in Jack’s ranking of Clark’s five best NCAA Tournament games. In at No. 1 is …
Maloney: “Final Four, 2023: (2) Iowa 77, (1) South Carolina 73 | 41 points, six rebounds, eight assists, 15-of-31 from the field — The reigning champion Gamecocks, who were on a 42-game winning streak and led by future WNBA No. 1 overall pick Aliyah Boston, were 11.5-point favorites and marching toward another title. Clark brought that procession to a halt. As she’s done so many times in her collegiate career, she put the Hawkeyes on her back and refused to let them lose. Every single action ran through Clark, as she played 39 minutes and either scored or assisted on 58 of the Hawkeyes’ 77 points. That included all 18 of their fourth-quarter points, as she came up with clutch plays time and again to hold off the Gamecocks.” Could we get Iowa vs. South Carolina this year for the title? Perhaps, but first, the Hawkeyes will need to get past UConn and the Gamecocks must beat NC State. Here’s Jack’s look at both matchups.
📺 What we’re watching Thursday 🏀 NIT Championship: Seton Hall at Indiana State, 7 p.m. on ESPN 🏀 Kings at Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on TNT 🏀 Nuggets at Clippers, 10 p.m. on TNT
The Tennessee Titans have been active in free agency, signing running back Tony Pollard, wide receiver Calvin Ridley and trading for cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. Brian Callahan and Ran Carthon have certainly had a successful offseason, but real contenders are built through the draft.
Tennessee still has holes to fill on the offensive line and on the defensive side of the ball, so the draft is important if the Titans want to expedite this rebuild, and compete in this rejuvenated division. Below, we will conduct a full draft as the general manager of the Titans, using Pro Football Network’s mock draft machine. Ready? Let’s jump in.
Stefon Diggs has his new NFL home, as the Buffalo Bills star was traded to the Houston Texans this week. After four consecutive Pro Bowl campaigns, Buffalo made the decision to send Diggs along with a 2024 sixth-round pick and 2025 fifth-rounder to Houston in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick.
Diggs leaves Buffalo as the franchise’s fourth-leading receiver, needing just 66 games to rack up 5,372 yards. He helped elevate the Bills, catching a league-leading 127 passes for a league-leading 1,535 yards in his first season with Buffalo, and caught six passes for 128 yards and a score in Buffalo’s first postseason victory since 1995 that same year.
On Wednesday, Diggs said goodbye to the city of Buffalo and the Bills fan base.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by SD (@stefondiggs)
“I can’t begin to express the amount of love and respect I have for the city of Buffalo ♥️💙. Four of the best years of my life, the city welcomed me with open arms. I’m forever grateful for you all and the @buffalobills organization ! Something special was built over these years with some very special men, that will always have a place in my heart. Billsmafia, so many great memories created throughout the years. Those games were crazy because of you. Sadly good things come to an end until we meet again.”
The Bills went 48-18 during Diggs’ time in Buffalo, and 5-4 in the postseason. Similar to his situation in 2020, Diggs now joins another team on the rise with a young quarterback in place that has dreams of contending.
