Another day, another shocking NFL trade, plus expert Sweet 16 picks as the men's NCAA Tournament resumes

Tyreek Hill is headed to the Dolphins for five draft picks as this wild NFL offseason continues

By Zachary Pereles

Mar 24, 2022 at 9:12 am ET • 6 min read

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Happy Thursday, all! Hope you're ready for a huge day of sports.

Let's get right to it.

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Good morning to everyone but especially to...

THE MIAMI DOLPHINS...

On Tuesday night, the Dolphins signed arguably the best free agent available in offensive tackle Terron Armstead. Less than 24 hours later, they acquired arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL.

Tyreek Hill is headed to South Beach. Here are the details of the latest blockbuster trade in this whirlwind offseason:

Dolphins receive: WR Tyreek Hill
Chiefs receive: 2022 first-round pick (29th overall), 2022 second-round pick (50th overall), 2022 fourth-round pick (121st overall), 2023 fourth-round pick, 2023 sixth-round pick

Shortly afterward, Hill agreed to a four-year, $120-million extension -- which makes him the highest-paid wide receiver ever on a per-year basis -- with $72.2 million guaranteed.

Yes, it is a ton to give up, both in draft picks and in money, but yes, it is worth it, writes our NFL expert Bryan DeArdo in his trade grades:

DeArdo: "The Dolphins now possess one of the NFL's best receiving duos in Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who caught 104 passes during his rookie season. Hill's presence should bring out the best in quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is looking for a breakout season after two good but not great campaigns. In large, Hill's presence should help bolster a Dolphins offense that oftentimes failed to carry its weight over the past two seasons. Grade: A-"

I agree with Bryan here, and I'll use a couple of similarities to previous moves this offseason to show you why:

The Dolphins can go all-in because their quarterback is still extremely cheap on his rookie deal, similar to the Chargers making big moves such as signing J.C. Jackson and trading for Khalil Mack while Justin Herbert is on his rookie deal.
The Dolphins still have two first-round picks in 2023 thanks to a pair of prescient moves by GM Chris Grier. The 2019 Laremy Tunsil trade got Miami two first-round picks, and the 2021 draft pick swap with the 49ers got Miami three first-rounders (including the one headed to Kansas City in this deal). This reminds me of the Broncos, who have three top-100 picks in this draft even after the Russell Wilson trade.

The Dolphins took their medicine and were bad when it made sense for them to be bad. They had a plan during those down years and, because of that, have emerged with a terrific supporting cast for Tagovailoa after a flurry of moves this offseason.

Of course, it now comes down to Tagovailoa. Can he stay healthy? Is he actually good when he is healthy? If the answer to either of those is no, this trade may never pan out as the Dolphins envision. But if the answers are yes, add the Dolphins to the long list of contenders in the loaded AFC.

For more on this trade, check out:

How NFL expert Jeff Kerr now ranks the AFC teams
Where the Chiefs go from here at wide receiver
How players reacted to the trade on Twitter and statements from Andy Reid and Brett Veach
The updated NFL Draft order and team needs
The Jets' trade offer that came up short

... AND ALSO A GOOD MORNING TO KYRIE IRVING AND THE BROOKLYN NETS

It's a new day in New York, and the sun is shining brightly on the Brooklyn Nets. Today, New York City mayor Eric Adams is expected to change the city's private sector COVID-19 vaccine mandate to allow an exemption for performers and athletes in the workplace. That means Kyrie Irving is back full time.

Irving was not with the Nets to start the season as they didn't want to make concessions for a player who could only play away games. He did not make his season debut until Jan. 5, 2022 -- the team's 36th game of the season -- and has played in just 20 of a possible 73 contests overall.

This is obviously a huge boost for the Nets' title hopes. They're currently +550 at Caesars Sportsbook, only behind the Suns, and the numbers show just how good Irving makes Brooklyn:

Irving and Durant both on court: +15.9 net rating
Durant on court, Irving off: +3.9 net rating
Irving on court, Durant off: -1.1 net rating
Both Irving and Durant off: -6.4 net rating (the Nets can now avoid this)

This rule also applies to the Yankees and Mets with Opening Day right around the corner.

Honorable mention

Zion Williamson is dunking again.
Saint Peter's March Madness hero Doug Edert got a nice NIL deal.
The big names shined on the first day of the WGC-Dell Match Play.

Not so honorable mention

Check out this argument that forced Jimmy Butler, Udonis Haslem and Erik Spoelstra to be separated in the Heat's loss to the Warriors.

The Sweet 16 starts tonight! Our experts reset their predictions 🏀

I know it's only been a few days, but it seems like it's been forever since the last men's NCAA Tournament games. Thank goodness the action starts again with four games tonight:

7:09 p.m. (1) Gonzaga vs. (4) Arkansas on CBS
7:29 p.m. (2) Villanova vs. (11) Michigan on TBS
9:39 p.m. (2) Duke vs. (3) Texas Tech on CBS
9:59 p.m. (1) Arizona vs. (5) Houston on TBS

Now, in all likelihood, your bracket is not looking great. Mine certainly isn't. And that may be putting it nicely. But we gave our experts another shot to make their picks from here on out, and here's who they picked to win it all:

Gonzaga: Four votes
Arizona: Two votes
Kansas: One vote

As for storylines for tonight's games, Duke-Texas Tech will get the limelight, but the 1 seeds are very much on upset alert, writes our Chip Patterson:

Patterson: "In No. 4 seed Arkansas, Gonzaga will find a team that is happy to play its up-tempo brand of basketball. In fact, Eric Musselman's Razorbacks might welcome the challenge after drawing Vermont and New Mexico State -- both teams with below average pace metrics on the season -- in the first two rounds. ... Arizona should have no worries about taking its opponent seriously after No. 5 seed Houston dispatched No. 4 seed Illinois by double digits... Arizona wants to run, while Houston wants to grind. The contrast of styles will make for a fascinating game."

USMNT, Mexico renew rivalry in crucial World Cup Qualifying match ⚽

The US Men's National Team begins its final window of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying matches tonight when it takes on Mexico at 10 p.m. on CBS Sports Network/Paramount+.

Here's how the top of the table looks currently:

Canada: 25 points
United States: 21 points
Mexico: 21 points
Panama: 17 points
Costa Rica: 16 points

Now, considering the top three teams automatically qualify for Qatar 2022, the United States should be in decent shape. That is, until you remember that key players Weston McKennie (broken foot) and Brenden Aaronson (knee) are both out and that the United States has never won a World Cup Qualifying match at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca.

So, what's the key for the US to make a little history tonight? Our soccer reporter Roger Gonzalez says it starts in the middle:

Gonzalez: "Not having Weston McKennie due to injury is a huge omission, and you could argue he is the team's most important player because of what he offers in each third of the pitch. ... I would expect Kellyn Acosta to join Tyler Adams in the middle if Gregg Berhalter does what I think he should do -- which is be a bit more defensive. Yes, it would impact attacking quality, but it is necessary in a match like this where so much pressure is on El Tri to prove something in attack."

As for other stories to get you ready for tonight: