CREATED BY SPORTS BETTORS FOR SPORTS BETTORS
LET’S HEAR YOUR STORY
The Detroit Lions will head into summer break with another of their draft picks under contract.
Tight end Sam LaPorta signed his four-year contract Thursday, the team announced after its final organized team activity practice of the spring.
LaPorta received a slotted four-year deal worth $9.465 million as the No. 34 pick of April's draft. His contract includes a signing bonus of $3.884 million, according to Spotrac.
The Lions took LaPorta with the third pick of the second round, one spot ahead of Notre Dame's Michael Mayer, who signed his slotted four-year deal Wednesday.
LaPorta is expected to serve as the Lions' top receiving tight end this fall after catching 153 passes for 1,786 yards in four seasons at Iowa. He finished as the school's all-time leader in receptions by a tight end and was a finalist for the Mackey Award given to the nation's top tight end last season, and impressed coaches and onlookers with his play this spring.
"He’s right where he needs to be," Lions tight ends coach Steve Heiden said Monday. "He’s doing a good job every day coming and trying to implement the things that we’re teaching within the gameplan and scheme, so he’s right where he needs to be."
LaPorta faces a significant learning curve playing the tight end position that, because of complexity, has historically been tough on rookies. But he showed the ability to separate from defenders in OTAs and last week's veteran minicamp and did not encounter any of the drop problems some worried about coming out of college.
The Lions also return Brock Wright, James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra from a tight end room that caught a franchise-record 12 touchdowns by the position last season.
The Lions traded top tight end T.J. Hockenson, another Iowa product, to the Minnesota Vikings at midseason last year.
"I think the biggest thing (with Sam) is just try to put him in as many positions as possible, that includes in the classroom, showing him film, what can go on," Heiden said. "And then, to be honest, it’s really about getting out here, getting on the field and feeling the speed of the game and just learning on the field and on the grass. That’s the best way to go about it. Throw him out there, feet to the fire and then let’s go. Let’s go learn."
The Lions have seven of their nine draft picks under contract. First-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs (No. 12 overall) and second-rounder Brian Branch (No. 45) are the only Lions draft choices left unsigned.
Daniel Weinman was crowned winner of the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on Monday, taking home a record breaking $12.1 million in winnings. Weinman had to outlast the other 10,043 entrants to take home the prize and get his hands on his share of live poker’s largest ever prize pool – a staggering $93,399,900. As well as taking home the prize money, 35-year-old Weinman also got his hands on the WSOP Main Event bracelet. The huge bracelet contains 500 grams of 10-karat yellow gold, as well as 2,352 various precious gemstones.
Daniel Weinman won the World Series of Poker's main event world championship on Monday in Las Vegas, earning $12.1 million along the way. Playing in the tournament for a 16th year, Weinman was tops in a deep pool of 10,043 players vying for $93.39 million. His victory came after just 164 hands at the final table. "I was honestly on the fence about even coming back and playing this tournament," the 35-year-old Atlanta native told reporters afterward. Weinman's final table featured Jan-Peter Jachtmann, who landed in fourth place and took home $3 million, as well as Toby Lewis, who finished seventh and secured $1.42 million. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the main event's entry pool far outpaced the previous record of 8,773 set in 2006. "I've always kind of felt that poker was kind of going in a dying direction, but to see the numbers at the World Series this year has been incredible," Weinman said. "And to win this main event, it doesn't feel real. I mean, [there's] so much luck in a poker tournament. I thought I played very well." Steven Jones finished second, securing $6.5 million. And Adam Walton settled for third and a $4 million prize.
Your experience on this site will be improved by allowing cookies.
