he also added 16 pounds of muscle to his lithe f

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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The Denver Broncos locked up a shutdown cornerback, only his name wasnt Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The Broncos spent the first day of free agency bolstering their defensive backfield, agreeing to a four-year deal with Pro Bowl safety T.J. Ward on Tuesday afternoon and then hours later reaching an agreement on a six-year contract with cornerback Aqib Talib. Talib and Ward will play in a secondary that will be without Champ Bailey, who was released last week, and may be moving on from Rodgers-Cromartie, who entered free agency without a new deal from the Broncos. The 28-year-old Talib had quite a year for New England last season, with teams largely choosing to go the other way rather than pick on him. Sound familiar? It was the same way for Bailey in his prime. By agreeing to a deal, Talib seemed to show theres no bad blood between him and the Broncos after he hurt his knee early in the AFC championship game against Denver when he was bumped by Wes Welker on a crossing route. The leagues officiating chief later ruled it a legal hit by Welker. ESPN first announced the agreement with Talib, which is reportedly worth $57 million. The Broncos also are reportedly interested in defensive lineman DeMarcus Ware, who was released by Dallas on Tuesday in a salary-cap move. Talib will be reunited with cornerback Chris Harris Jr., whos also a former Kansas Jayhawk. Harris played opposite of Rodgers-Cromartie last season before blowing out a knee against San Diego in the divisional round. Harris later posted on his Twitter account: "I had to call my Fam Talib to see if it was real." Yep, its real. The Broncos also brought in Ward, who had 129 tackles and two interceptions for Cleveland in 2013. The Broncos are looking for some stability at a position that got juggled last year, with the loss of Rahim Moore and the inconsistent play of Duke Ihenacho. Veteran Mike Adams, also formerly of Cleveland, started the season as a reserve but ended up in the starting lineup. "Hes a young, explosive strong safety who is going to bring a lot of energy and toughness to our secondary," Broncos boss John Elway said of Ward. Denvers big receiving news Tuesday was a two-year extension for fourth receiver Andre Caldwell, who could move up a notch if the Broncos part ways with Eric Decker. Caldwell came on late in the season when Welker was sidelined with a concussion. The 28-year-old Caldwell had 11 of his 16 receptions over the final three games of the season. His most productive game in 2013 was against San Diego on Dec. 12, when he had six receptions for 59 yards and two TDs. Caldwell was held without a catch in the 43-8 loss to Seattle in the Super Bowl. "Hopefully I can compete for an extended role this year and contribute a lot more to the team," Caldwell said. Caldwell received an invitation from Peyton Manning to attend off-season workouts at Duke University. Last spring, only Welker, Demaryius Thomas and Decker were invited to work on their chemistry with the five-time NFL MVP quarterback. "Its just a process of building confidence with those guys all the way from April," Caldwell said. Ward is expected to be a main piece around which the Broncos reshape a defence that was obliterated by an injury epidemic last season, losing Von Miller, Harris, Derek Wolfe, Kevin Vickerson and Moore. The Broncos also could seek a replacement for linebacker Wesley Woodyard, a free agent who is exploring other options. Theyll need a new starting guard now that Zane Beadles has agreed to terms with Jacksonville. Running back Knowshon Moreno is a free agent as well after rushing for 1,038 yards and 10 TDs in 2013. The Broncos also hired two new coaches on Tuesday, bringing in assistant offensive line coach James Cregg and offensive quality control coach Bo Hardegree. Archie Manning Saints Jersey . -- Manchester United thrilled a record crowd with a brilliant opening goal -- and even Cristiano Ronaldos unexpected entrance proved futile for Real Madrid. Rickey Jackson Saints Jersey . Gauteng High Court Judge Dunstan Mlambo ruled Tuesday that South African media houses will be allowed to install three remote controlled cameras in court for the Olympic athletes trial starting next week to capture images that likely will be seen by millions around the world. http://www.jerseysaintssportsauthentic. ... ld-jersey/. "He started putting me on the ice to strengthen them at the suggestion from a doctor," he said. Weight said it wasnt a pretty sight at the rink in St. Clair Shores, Mich. "I looked like Forrest Gump," he joked. Stanley Jean-Baptiste Saints Jersey . -- Keith Aulie has joined the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jahri Evans Saints Jersey . Napoli beat high-flying Hellas Verona 3-0 to keep up the pressure on the top two while AC Milan had another disappointing night as four goals from teenage forward Domenico Berardi saw relegation-threatened Sassuolo come back from two goals down to win 4-3.Last April, Nik Stauskass season at Michigan came crashing to a halt with a tough 82-76 loss to the Louisville Cardinals in the NCAA Championship game. The 66" shooting guard started all but six games in his freshman year, averaging 11 points per game and shooting .440 from the three-point line. Based on his post-game comments, it was clear that he took the championship loss hard. "We just got to move on," he said, his eyes clearly filled with tears. "I know myself, Im going to get back in the gym tomorrow to start working on my game." Stauskas wasnt giving lip service. The dozen or so shooting videos, shot from his backyard in Mississauga, Ontario in sun, rain and snow on YouTube, attest to his incredible drive. His quest for improvement was doubly as important as the top two players on the Wolverines, National Player of the Year, Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway, Jr., were both selected as first-round picks in this past Junes NBA Draft. With their departure, someone had to emerge on the team to pick up the slack and Stauskass work ethic would not allow it to be anyone else but him. "It just comes from me loving the game," he said. "I enjoy playing basketball, so its not really work for me. I enjoy getting better and anytime you go out there and see yourself being successful, it motivates you to try even more and get even better. Its kind of like a cycle for me - the better I get, the more I want to work." Already established as one of the best shooters in college basketball, Stauskas spent the summer in Ann Arbor, Michigan, rounding out his game. Working on his ball-handling to take defenders off the dribble and finish at the rim, he also added 16 pounds of muscle to his lithe frame. The result of his efforts was something no one expected him to do, by averaging 18.2 points in his first 11 games of the season. When met with stiffer competition in the Big 10 Conference, he led the Wolverines to a 9-1 record in one of the toughest conferences in the NCAA, all of which translatedd into Michigan moving up the national rankings and garnering the sophomore a spot on the Naismith Award Midseason Top 30 list.dddddddddddd "Ive never really had recognition like that before," Stauskas said. "To be put in that group with those guys, its an honour. Theyre all really talented and its a prestigious award. Im happy that I can be there and that my work is paying off." Yet as Stauskass talent continues to develop with increased freedom and responsibility, opposing coaches have recognized this, as well. In some games, he has been neutralized as defences key in on Michigans primary threat. "I think the biggest challenge for me personally has just been addressing the way teams have been defending me," he said. "A lot of teams have been preparing for me, more than anyone else on our team. Getting double-teamed and being face-guarded has been an adjustment for me, cause Ive never had to deal with that before. Its made me work harder in a lot of areas I havent had to work on before." Stauskass growth, however, isnt solely physical, as he has had to make the adjustment to being a leader on his team. "Its tougher to pick up the rest of the team and stay positive and encourage everyone else while you struggle personally," Stauskas. Yet, he recognizes its a necessary adjustment to take his team and game to the next level. His focus and drive to succeed wont allow him to think otherwise. This April, Stauskas has similar visions on what another Michigan group of fabulous freshmen accomplished in consecutive seasons - back-to-back trips to the NCAA Championship game. "After the loss we had in the Final Four, obviously our goal is to get back there and win that championship game," he said. "At the same time, we came two points away from winning a Big 10 Championship. Those are both goals I want to achieve coming back this year. The way were playing right now, I think were right on pace to do that, we just have to keep working hard." Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '