Chelsea midfielder Christian Pulisic, RB Leipzig midfielder Tyler Adams and Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah headline the 26-player roster selected by U.S. men's national team manager Gregg Berhalter for a pair of friendlies during the March international window.

The first match will see the U.S. square off against Jamaica in a game that will be held in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, the second time in the past four months that Berhalter's side has played a friendly at the Wiener Neustadt Stadion. The second match will take place three days later when the U.S. faces Northern Ireland at Windsor Park in Belfast. The players will report to camp in Austria starting on March 20.

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"This is another step forward in strengthening our group in preparation for Nations League, Gold Cup, and World Cup Qualifying," said Berhalter. "It's great to get the group together to continue to build relationships on and off the field. We look forward to the games and the different challenges they will pose."

The youthful roster -- the average age is 23 years, 27 days -- contains three MLS players while the rest ply their trade abroad. Sixteen players are aged 22 and younger. Due to COVID-19 quarantine restrictions, a total of seven players -- Wolfsburg defender John Brooks, Boavista defender Reggie Cannon, Hoffenheim defender Chris Richards, RB Leipzig midfielder Adams, Borussia Dortmund midfielder Gio Reyna, Lille midfielder Timothy Weah and Werder Bremen forward Joshua Sargent -- will return to their clubs after the Jamaica match.

The most notable absentee is Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, who has been nursing a hip injury.

Among the call-ups are Musah, who pledged his international future to the U.S. earlier this week. Pulisic also makes a return after missing out on a training camp last November. Should he play, it would be Pulisic's first national team appearance since Oct. 15, 2019, against Canada.

The roster contains two uncapped players in Bryan Reynolds -- who made his debut for AS Roma last weekend -- and Leicester City goalkeeper Chituru Odunze.

Due to the current conditions related to the global pandemic, the matches will be played without fans in the stadiums. The staging of the camp and the matches will fall under the comprehensive U.S. Soccer Return to Play Protocols and Guidelines and in line with both the FIFA and UEFA Return to Play Protocols, as well as stringent oversight by the Irish Football Association for the match in Belfast. The participants have received an exemption from quarantine provided to professional sports organizations.

DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION (Club/Country; Caps/Goals):

GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge/BEL; 4/0), Chituru Odunze (Leicester City/ENG; 0/0), Zack Steffen (Manchester City/ENG; 19/0)

DEFENDERS (10): John Brooks* (Wolfsburg/GER; 39/3), Reggie Cannon* (Boavista/POR; 13/0), Sergiño Dest (Barcelona/ESP; 5/0), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls; 19/3), Matt Miazga (Anderlecht/BEL; 20/1), Erik Palmer-Brown (Austria Wien/AUT; 2/0), Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 41/1), Bryan Reynolds (Roma/ITA; 0/0), Chris Richards* (Hoffenheim/GER; 1/0), Antonee Robinson (Fulham/ENG; 8/0)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg/AUT; 2/1), Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids; 25/2) Tyler Adams* (RB Leipzig/GER; 12/1), Luca de la Torre (Heracles/NED; 1/0), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy; 18/4), Yunus Musah (Valencia/ESP; 2/0), Owen Otasowie (Wolverhampton Wanderers/ENG; 1/0)

FORWARDS: (6): Daryl Dike (Barnsley/ENG; 1/0), Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen/FRA; 2/2), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea/ENG; 34/14), Gio Reyna* (Borussia Dortmund/GER; 2/1), Josh Sargent* (Werder Bremen/GER; 12/5), Tim Weah* (Lille/FRA; 10/1) * Indicates player will depart after March 25 match against Jamaica

So Barcelona have their new president, Joan Laporta, who also happens to be their old president, and speculation is rife about what might happen next.

Scenarios range from total doom and gloom -- a billion-plus dollars of debt, Lionel Messi's expiring contract, a global pandemic devastating the football economy -- to a "What, me worry?" approach, as best exemplified by presidential candidate Toni Freixa, who had talked about signing Dortmund's Erling Haaland and PSG's Kylian Mbappe.

As often happens, reality is somewhere in the middle. There are reasons to fear the worst, reasons to be cautiously optimistic and some reasons to be cheerful, even a few days after failing to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2007.

Some clever and responsible stewardship from Laporta can keep Barcelona at, or near, the very top of club football for the next few seasons. Equally, he could screw things up further beyond all recognition. But here's the good news...

1 . There are two outstanding teams in Europe, and the rest is ... well ...

Manchester City are a notch above everybody else and, probably, so are Bayern Munich. They're financially solid and while they'll need some tweaks in the summer (the former needs a striker, the latter a central defender), they're sitting pretty. Everybody else has issues to work through either on the pitch, on the bench or in the club accounts. Barca may be worse off than Europe's other big clubs in many respects, but everybody has problems.

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2. Their debt is monstrous, but debt is only a problem when it can't be serviced

That nearly $800 million of "short-term" debt is pretty terrifying. Financial blogger Swiss Ramble explains in detail just how Barcelona's is so huge relative to other clubs, along with why it's a concern. However, as long you can refinance, there's wiggle room. The fact of the matter is that right now, there is a lot of private equity money circling around football and interest rates remain low.

They might not get a great deal and, to some degree, it may be kicking the can down the road, but they will get a deal.

3. 'Mes Que Un Club' ('More than a club') rules apply, which is a double-edged sword, but probably a net positive here

Barcelona's club structure -- with a board elected by members -- means that loaning them money is more like lending money to a local government. On the surface, it's not a good thing: elected officials don't have the same sort of skin in the game because ultimately, unlike private investors, it's not their money they're playing with. They may be more prone to outside pressure and taking unreasonable risks for short-term popularity so lenders charge them more.

That's true to some degree, though, perhaps less so than in the past. On the flip side, though, Barcelona's public status gives them a little more clout with lenders. It's one thing for a bank to threaten legal action against a club owned by an American hedge fund or Russian oligarch if they're late with payments. It's another to do so against a public trust like Barcelona, with tens of millions of supporters and newly installed management that's inheriting the mess.

From a PR perspective, if Barca owe you money, a lender is more likely to want to renegotiate and get some positive press -- "See? We're helping Barca climb out of their hole and not being mean!" -- than to call in the lawyers and repo men.

4. There's a backbone of world-class talent, and most of it is young

Let's leave Messi to one side for now and look at the rest. Marc-Andre ter Stegen (28), Frenkie de Jong (23), Pedri (18) and Ansu Fati (18) are undoubted A-list players, among the best in the world in their roles. Ronald Araujo (22), Sergino Dest (20) and Ilaix Moriba (18) are on their way to reaching that level.

If you really want to look at the world through Azulgrana-tinted glasses, you might add Riqui Puig (21), Oscar Mingueza (21) and Francisco Trincao (21) to that list and maybe chuck in loanees Carles Alena (23) and Jean-Clair Todibo (21). I'm not going to go that far, but of the latter six there's a pretty good chance that one will become world class and another couple will be serviceable contributors. Given their ages, that's pretty good.

5. Despite highs and lows, there are guys who've been around that have shown they don't need to be immediately replaced

Jordi Alba is 31, but he's having his best campaign in several years and is good for another couple of seasons (and he's locked in through 2024 anyway). Clement Lenglet (25) is also locked in through 2026 and, while not everyone's cup of tea, is a serviceable player. Heck, even Sergio Busquets (32), who had a rocky time earlier this year, when used in the right setup can give you another year or two.

6. Everybody is hurting financially, it's not just you ... which means the football ecosystem has changed

Transfers spending and wages will almost certainly be down in the summer as there's less cash in the system. That hurts you because it's harder to dump assets in order to raise cash quickly. Barca had the highest wage bill in the world for several years, and other clubs simply aren't going to want to pick up salaries of overpaid Camp Nou busts. But the lack of cash in the system works both ways. It also means there's less competition for the guys you want to keep, in particular those whose contracts you may want to extend, like Pedri or Ousmane Dembele. And, if you do need to make signings, they should, by the same principle, be that much cheaper.

7. Bad contracts don't stick around in perpetuity and, in some cases, can be negotiated down

This probably won't work with guys like Samuel Umtiti or Philippe Coutinho: you're on the hook for their contracts until 2023. The same goes for Miralem Pjanic (30) until 2024. That's OK. They'll magically disappear off the wage bill in a few years. (And that's important when you make projections and put together your three-year plan.) But you can go to someone like Gerard Pique -- who is 34, locked in until 2024 and genuinely adores the club -- and say: "Hey, Gerard, help us out ... we're really struggling here. Can we work something out?" He's uber-rich to begin with, he's married to somebody far wealthier than he is anyway, he probably has ambition for a role post-retirement ... why not give it a shot?

Then there's Sergi Roberto, who is out of contract at the end of the next season. This is the only club he's ever known, he's been injured all season, would he say "no" to more years and a little less money?

8. Barca's economic model means they took more of the downside with COVID-19, but they should enjoy more of the upside when it's over

The Camp Nou is the biggest stadium in European football and its closure meant crowds went from an average of 75,000 per game, pre-pandemic, to zero since. Barcelona's museum is the third-most visited in all of Spain -- its revenues also dropped to zero.

You don't have to be a genius to see how, in absolute terms, closures affected Barca more than most. But when things reopen, that revenue will return in a big way. And it will impact Barca more than most too.

9. Ronald Koeman only has a contract through 2022

He has made mistakes and he may or may not be a long-term solution, but the Dutchman and former Barcelona player has surpassed expectations in terms of steadying the ship and getting buy-in from players. The fact that Barcelona are still in the running for a domestic double despite Messi's burofax, despite Jose Maria Bartomeu's resignation, despite the summer transfer mess, despite the financial implosion ... at some point, all this means he deserves credit.

The good thing, though, is that if Barca need to go in a different direction, it won't cost much to let him go. And, if he stays, he's in no position to make major demands the way a high-profile manager might.

10. If you're smart, you turn Messi's situation into a win-win

Simply put, you need to put a number on what Messi brings to the club. A real number, not Laporta's electoral voodoo economics when he said that Messi costs Barcelona 8% of their budget but brings in 30% of revenue. And then you speak to him and treat him like an adult. You tell him that you want him to stay, but if he expects to earn close to the $100m-plus he's making now, it won't happen, because it would be irresponsible on the part of the club. It would mean not paying down the debt and it would mean not surrounding him with players who can win things before he retires.

You don't need to be ashamed to ask for a "hometown discount." He doesn't strike you as a guy who is motivated by money anyway. It doesn't mean he needs to be like Pau Gasol and play for (nearly) nothing. You just need to show him what you will spend the money on if he takes a substantial pay cut and how that matters, whether it's debt servicing or acquiring/retaining talent. Give yourself a number and stick to it. And hope that he agrees.

If he doesn't? Hey, you will have instantly slashed a huge chunk off your wage bill and relieved a ton of financial pressure.

If he does? Well, you get another season of one of the greatest players in history at a price that probably is far less than he's worth.

11. Jose Maria Bartomeu is gone...

Let the law determine what, if anything, he did wrong. But you can draw a line under the final years of his administration and the general air of toxicity that surround everything, like Pig-Pen's cloud in Peanuts. Even Messi was happy to be photographed casting his vote in the post-Bartomeu elections -- something we've never seen before.

---

Those are 11 reasons to be cheerful. You can, no doubt, come up with many more to be terrified. And, yes, a lot of it depends on how much faith you have in Laporta. He's not a businessman, he's fundamentally a lawyer and a politician and, admittedly, that doesn't necessarily bode well. But if he's humble enough to surround himself with smart people, if he doesn't make the mistakes of the past, if he can sell the fan base on his project, he can make this work.

Barca are neither recession-proof, nor too big to fail. But they're darn close.

Big Picture

The colours red and black are more commonly associated with roulette wheels than soil types, but as is the case with that most deceptive of casino games, the surface on which this T20I series has been played has mattered little in the final analysis. What has really made the difference is the spin at the start, because the banker always wins in the end. Win the toss, bowl first, scoop the spoils irrespective of the action.

So it has proven in three consecutive fixtures between England and India at Ahmedabad. Emphatic margins on each occasion - by eight wickets, seven wickets and eight wickets again - with the zippier, dewy conditions for the team batting under lights offering more pace onto the bat, and consequently to the rope, and little wriggle-room for the team that has been asked to post a target.

But why let that not-so-hidden truth detract from the fun that's to be had along the way? After all, you'd struggle to claim that the action to date has been anything other than compelling - with England's surging pace onslaughts in the first and third games giving way to Ishan Kishan's precociously composed destruction in match two.

And, as Virat Kohli set out to prove in arguably the innings of the series on Tuesday, there's always the chance of winning big when your numbers come up. Kohli's outstanding innings of 77 not out from 46 balls gave his team a puncher's chance - and it required Jos Buttler to step up with a career-best innings of 83 not out to snuff out the prospect of a win against the head.

Irrespective of the results, if there is one clear pointer to have emerged from the first three games, it is that England - with just over six months to go until the T20 World Cup - have a far better idea of their best XI than India. When Mark Wood is fit (and the management of his pace-stressed ankles is a full-time job for the support staff), the raucous hostility that he and Jofra Archer can produce in the powerplay is a perfect dovetail for their pedal-to-the-metal batting approach. Full throttle in both disciplines makes for a very compelling sight, and a very compelling affirmation of their No.1 T20I ranking.

But India aren't so far away from a similarly devastating line-up - their faith in youth has already reaped huge dividends in the Test arena, and with a groundswell of IPL starlets itching to step up into the international spotlight, they are well placed to peak exactly when they'd want to, at the start of that home World Cup campaign in October.

And yet, as their selection in the third match revealed, there's still some unresolved tension between the platform-building team of death-over accelerators that they used to be, and the more fearless, full-frontal outfit that Kohli said, at the start of the series, that he was looking for them to become. The decision to veer away from Kishan at the top of the order for match three, so soon after his extraordinarily carefree debut, looked like an error as soon as it was announced at the toss. Sure enough, it gave England licence to get back on the front foot in that powerplay, with Adil Rashid claiming the first over in a ploy that looks likely to stick, before Morgan was able to burgle some quiet mid-innings overs from an off-colour Ben Stokes while India were still trying to pick up the pieces of their top order.

The plus side of that decision, of course, is that at least India now know the error of their ways - and may now be all the better placed to commit more fully to their new forward-looking approach. The absence of the newly married Jasprit Bumrah needs also to be factored into their performances to date. His potential impact at the top and tail of any given innings is immeasurable, and affirms the sense that they are a team on the rise.

England, by contrast, are slightly boxed in by the obvious strength of their first XI. The decision to overlook Moeen Ali for match three, on a red-soil surface that ought to have assisted his offspin, was a surprise at the time, but also an indication that England really want to claim the series win before mixing up their methods and discovering how close to his best he truly is. But as they discovered with Tom Curran's callow showing in match two, if England's back-up players can't hit the ground running when their rare opportunities come, the knock-on effect for their whole machine can be significant.

Similar issues (if they can be described as such) persist with England's batting - the wall of noise that Nos.1 to 7 can produce is such that there's a reluctance to experiment with a proven line-up, and find out whether Sam Billings' skills as a finisher could add anything to the mix, or even the re-rising star Liam Livingstone (and his handy line in spin bowling). It may be that both will have to keep on watching and waiting a while yet.

Form guide

(Last five completed matches, most recent first)
India LWLLW
England WLWWW

In the spotlight

Not that he's ever really out of the spotlight, but the form of Virat Kohli in the last two games has reinforced his pre-eminence in India's line-up, after his back-to-back ducks in the fourth Test and first T20I. Against a high-class bowling attack, he's provided an anchor with a difference for India - a calm second fiddle to Kishan in game two, before marching through the death overs to crush England's remaining hopes, before serving up a granite-willed performance on Tuesday that, in its brilliant final flourishes against Wood in particular, showed the way for sides batting first in these conditions. With Kohli in this mood, the dashers in India's line-up - Kishan and Rishabh Pant in particular - have even fuller licence to have a proper go.

For all of the awe that England's pace battery has served up in recent days, there's still no doubting which of England's bowlers is Eoin Morgan's absolute favourite weapon. Adil Rashid has the unwavering faith of his captain, and has justified that backing time and time again in recent months - most recently in an unfamiliar new role at the top of the powerplay in the first and third games. Tellingly, however, he was kept back from the new ball when India opened with Kishan in match two, and then kept out of the young gun's firing line until it was arguably too late to make a decisive impact on India's chase. A lot of faith is placed in match-ups in modern T20 cricket, but there's still room for gut feel too. If England lose the toss and find themselves defending in the dew once again, might Morgan be tempted to give him an earlier spin?

Team news

A tough decision awaits on the fate of KL Rahul, who simply looked burned out by the end of his four-ball stay on Tuesday. The smart money would be on a new Mumbai Indians' left-hand/right-hand combination at the top, with Rohit Sharma joining forces with his young gun, Kishan, whose style was somewhat cramped by his shunt to No.3 in the last game. Suryakumar Yadav, who didn't get a chance to bat on debut in the second game, is the obvious choice to slot back in in the middle order.

India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ishan Kishan, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Rishabh Pant (wk), 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Suryakumar Yadav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Washington Sundar, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal

Stick or twist for England? If everyone is fit, then an unchanged XI makes sense in the short term - a series win in India is not to be sniffed at, after all. But Moeen needs to be road-tested at some stage, surely, and then there's the thorny issue of Dawid Malan at No. 3. It's not out of the question that he could become the fastest player to reach 1000 runs before the series is done (see below). But his tempo in this series has been the slowest of his career - 66 runs at 110.00 in three innings, almost 40 points lower than his strike-rate at the end of the South Africa series (149.47). If he's not the right fit for these conditions at the World Cup, then England could do with finding out sharpish who is. As for the other contenders, Reece Topley among them, their trial runs may have to wait a while yet.

England (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Jonny Bairstow, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood.

Pitch and conditions

It makes no difference if you're black or red, as Michael Jackson didn't quite sing. In theory, a red-soiled pitch ought to offer more bounce and turn for the spinners than its black-soil alternative. However, as in the first three games, the onset of dew as the lights kick in means that batting second is likely to be a major advantage either way.

Stats and trivia

• With 921 runs in 22 T20I innings to date, Dawid Malan needs another 79 runs to become the fastest batsman to reach 1000 in the format. Babar Azam is the current record-holder, having reached the mark in his 26th innings.
• Jason Roy is also on the verge of 1000 T20I runs. He needs another six, having reached 994 in 41 innings. His team-mate, Jonny Bairstow, passed the same landmark in his 43rd innings on Tuesday.
• Defeat for India in either of the next two games would mean only their second T20I series loss on home soil since the World T20 in 2016. Australia beat them 2-0 in 2019, their only loss in ten rubbers.

Quotes

"I was going through a lean patch about two games ago. These things turn around very quickly. For us, he's been a champion player. If you look at his stats in the last two-three years, they are probably better than anyone in world cricket in T20s. He'll continue to be one of our main batters along with Rohit at the top of the order."
Virat Kohli gives his backing to KL Rahul after his run of 1, 0 and 0 in the first three games.

"I was just trying to bang into the wicket on a good length as fast as I can, trying to make something happen."
Mark Wood has an uncomplicated explanation for his uncomplicated method, after starring with three high-octane wickets on Tuesday

England's new-ball attack had been as toothless as a pangolin heading into their T20I series in India. Across the previous 18 months, they had taken 18 wickets at an eye-watering average of 48.05 in the powerplay, all while leaking 9.30 runs per over. T20 bowling is a trade-off between attack (taking wickets) and defence (keeping scoring rates down) but England were doing neither.

But one match was the exception that proved the rule. Only once in that period had they taken three powerplay wickets, and the secret on that occasion was quite simple: pace. England paired their two fastest bowlers together and let them off the leash, with Jofra Archer passing 95mph/154kph and Mark Wood close behind in a four-over burst that had Australia's top order ducking for cover at the Ageas Bowl as they banged the ball into the pitch at blistering speed.

It was curious, then, that the Archer-Wood combination which had worked so effectively - not only that day, but in the ODI World Cup in 2019, too - was shelved without much comment. England rotated their bowlers for the final game of the Australia series (powerplay score: 61 for 1) and then overlooked Wood throughout the three matches in South Africa at the end of last year. Across that series, England managed only four wickets in the first six overs, conceding 8.38 runs per over.

Against an Indian side packed with top-order options, this was a problem that Eoin Morgan needed to solve. He had previously tried to cover the weakness by using Tom Curran and Chris Jordan - both specialist death bowlers by trade - in the first six, but has opted to front-load with his best bowlers in this series.

He used Adil Rashid, his legspinner, to bowl the first over in the first and third T20Is supplementing his skill with Archer and Wood's aggressive lines and hard lengths. Sam Curran, seen as the long-term replacement for David Willey, has only been entrusted with two overs in the first six, but used intelligent variation in his seam position to bowl a wicket-maiden to KL Rahul in the second T20I.

The results have been clear throughout the series. While Ishan Kishan was able to get hold of Tom Curran and Jordan in Wood's absence in the second T20I, India have managed only 22 for 3 and 24 for 3 after six overs in the two games that he has played in. It is a truism that taking three wickets in the powerplay tends to win you a T20 (after all, nobody has invented a format where early wickets are not helpful just yet) but doing so while conceding only four runs per over puts the opposition in a chokehold.

"We've played together so much now we just play each other's roles," Wood said of his partnership with Archer on Wednesday. "We enjoy playing together. It brings the best out of me as I'm sure it does out of him.

"Jofra starts a lot of the time and because he keeps the pressure on, it allows the other team to try and take risks against other bowlers. When they did try and take a risk, if we were on our game, then we got the wicket. It's just about bowling well in tandem and trying to back each other up - keeping the pressure on for each other."

For Wood in particular, England's early dominance has proved beneficial during the second half of his spell in the middle overs. Generally bowling to middle-order batsmen, who tend to be stronger against spin but more vulnerable against back-of-a-length bowling at high pace, Wood has conceded only 7.12 runs per over in that phase of the game across his last five T20Is.

It is a tactic that England may employ frequently as they build towards the T20 World Cup later this year, particularly if Rashid continues to excel in the powerplay. Morgan has highlighted the trend of genuine fast bowlers coming back in vogue in white-ball cricket since the 2019 World Cup, and the prospect of having his own version of Lockie Ferguson as a 'shock' bowler in the middle overs is a tantalising one.

One ball he bowled on Tuesday night - a bouncer to Rohit Sharma - was clocked at 96.4mph/155.2kph, which Wood believes to be the fastest he has been clocked at in a televised game, and it has been noticeable that he is yet to change things up with a slower ball in the eight overs he has bowled. While his final over was taken apart, that owed more to Virat Kohli's genius than to any fault on Wood's part.

There remains one lingering doubt: Wood's fitness. He missed the second T20I with a bruised heel - he explained it was a minor injury caused by some supporting tape sliding off and choking his feet - but his mixed injury record means that in a year which will see him in demand across formats, he will need careful management. It is a small mercy for England that he has turned down the IPL in consecutive years, rebuffing Mumbai Indians' attempts to sign him as a replacement for Lasith Malinga before last year's tournament and opting out of this year's auction at the 11th hour.

"There will be a conversation at the end of this tour about what I do in the build-up to the Tests in England, obviously playing games for Durham and getting my fitness right," he said. "I've done a lot of work behind the scenes on my own fitness with a strength coach.

"I'm getting myself in a good place… [but] I'd rather me charging in and bowling as quick as I can to keep my performance level up rather than being at 50-60% and not doing myself or the team justice."

TAMPA, Fla. -- Not only was Buccaneers star pass-rusher Shaquil Barrett awarded a new four-year contract worth up to $72 million Monday, he also was awarded a $1.372 million franchise tag settlement stemming from a grievance filed with the NFL Players Association last year, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

That money will count against the Bucs' salary cap in 2021. There will be no grievance hearing, which would have been the next step. The Bucs opted to settle it, and in turn, Barrett can recoup the lost earnings.

The grievance stems from the NFL not differentiating between outside and inside linebackers when calculating franchise tag amounts, nor does it take into consideration scheme. Franchise tag figures are based on the top five salaries at each position.

Barrett is technically an outside linebacker in defensive coordinator Todd Bowles' 3-4 scheme, but his job is primarily to rush the passer, like that of a 4-3 defensive end, versus dropping into coverage in the short passing game.

In 2020, the franchise tag amount for linebackers was $15.828 million, whereas it was $17.788 million for defensive ends.

A closer look at Barrett's snap counts supports his argument.

Over the past two seasons -- including the 2020 postseason -- Barrett played a total of 171 of 1,851 snaps (9.238%) in coverage and 1,086 snaps (58.67%) rushing the passer (the remaining 594 snaps came against the run). By comparison, inside linebacker Lavonte David played a total of 1,342 snaps in coverage and 207 snaps rushing the passer.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots have agreed to a one-year deal with free-agent center Ted Karras that could be worth up to $4 million, a source confirmed, which could foreshadow that starting center David Andrews won't be back with the team.

The Patriots drafted Karras in the 2016 sixth round out of Illinois and attempted to re-sign him last offseason to a multiyear deal. But Karras elected for a one-year contract in Miami, where he had a clearer path to a starting role.

Karras (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) started all 16 games for Miami last season. In his prior four seasons in New England, he had started 20 games, with flexibility to play both guard spots and center.

The Patriots have been active reshaping their offense, agreeing to terms on a trade for offensive tackle Trent Brown, and having reached contract agreements with tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry, wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne.

If Karras' return means that Andrews' time with the Patriots comes to an end, it caps one of the more remarkable rises in franchise history.

The Patriots signed Andrews as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia in 2015, paying him a paltry $15,000 signing bonus. Andrews not only made the roster that year, but was an opening-day starter.

In all, he has played in 72 regular-season NFL games (69 starts), in addition to 11 playoff games (9 starts). The Georgia native, a four-time team captain, was one of the NFL's top comeback stories in 2020, as he started 12 games after missing the entire 2019 season due to blood clots in his lungs.

The Athletic first reported the agreement with Karras.

Veteran receiver A.J. Green is finalizing a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals that is worth up to $8.5 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday.

The deal includes $6 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN.

While one of the most prolific players in franchise history over his 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Green's contributions dropped significantly over the past few seasons due to numerous injuries and apparent frustrations with his role in the offense.

Green, who will be 33 years old at the start of next season, finished last season ranked second in franchise history in career receiving yards (9,430), second in touchdowns (65) and second in total receptions (649). Green also holds the team record for most consecutive 100-yard receiving games (five, 2013).

The bulk of Green's totals, however, came during the first five years of his career. Starting with the 2016 season, the former Georgia standout battled numerous injuries. From that point onward, he missed 29 games, including the entire 2019 season after he suffered an ankle injury in the first preseason practice.

Green played all 16 games in 2020 but had career single-season low totals of 47 catches for 523 yards and two touchdowns. He caught 43.9% of his targets, according to ESPN Stats and Information, the lowest of any qualifying Bengals receiver last season.

He was frustrated at times last season. In Week 5 at Baltimore, Green was asked about a sideline exchange in which he appeared to indicate that if the Bengals didn't want to use him, they should trade him. Green downplayed the interaction in subsequent interviews.

The seven-time Pro Bowl selection played the 2020 season on the one-year franchise tag worth $18.2 million after the two sides failed to reach a long-term deal during the offseason.

ESPN's Ben Baby contributed to this report.

HOUSTON -- A massage therapist in Houston has filed a civil lawsuit against Deshaun Watson, alleging inappropriate conduct in her home in March 2020 by the Houston Texans quarterback.

The lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday night by Houston lawyer Tony Buzbee and appeared on the Harris County district clerk's website on Wednesday morning, alleges that Watson "committed civil assault" when touching the massage therapist with his penis and that he "intentionally or knowingly caused physical contact with Plaintiff when Watson knew, or should have reasonably known, that Plaintiff would regard such contact as offensive."

Watson responded on Twitter to the lawsuit on Tuesday night, saying that he rejected "a baseless six-figure settlement demand" and that this is "about clearing my name, and I look forward to doing that." At the time of his statement, Watson said he had not seen the lawsuit.

"I have never treated any woman with anything other than the utmost respect," Watson said in his statement.

The lawsuit alleges that Watson booked a massage on March 30, 2020, with a massage therapist who regularly works in her home. After leaving the room, the massage therapist alleges, she returned to find Watson lying on the massage table with just a small towel covering his groin area.

The lawsuit says the plaintiff "began to feel extremely uncomfortable" and "it became apparent that Watson wanted a massage for only one reason -- sex." It accuses Watson of exposing himself and subsequently touching the woman.

In the lawsuit, the massage therapist alleged that after she asked Watson to leave, the quarterback made a statement that she considered to be a threat. The lawsuit also says Watson later texted her to apologize.

The Texans issued a statement Wednesday saying they are aware of the matter.

"We became aware of a civil lawsuit involving Deshaun Watson through a social media post last night," the team's statement said. "This is the first time we heard of the matter, and we hope to learn more soon. We take accusations of this nature that involve anyone within the Houston Texans organization seriously. We will await further information before making any additional statements on this incident."

Houston Rockets center Christian Wood is expected to return for Wednesday night's home game against the Golden State Warriors after a sprained right ankle sidelined him for the entirety of a franchise-record-tying 17-game losing streak, sources told ESPN.

Wood, who leads the Rockets with 22.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, has not played since severely rolling his ankle during a Feb. 4 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. That was the second time he sprained the ankle over a span of less than two weeks.

The Rockets were 11-10 and had won seven of eight games before Wood's injury forced him to be sidelined for the past six weeks. They have not won since Wood was hurt, matching the 17-game skid by the 1967-68 San Diego Rockets for the longest losing streak in franchise history.

"I hate watching my team lose games and I have no control over it," Wood said Monday. "I hate that feeling. I've just got to do everything possible to help my team win games, which is bringing energy, bringing my ability to shoot and put the ball on the floor and pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop."

Wood was cleared to practice after the All-Star break, but the Rockets took a patient approach with their 25-year-old star as he attempted to work his way back into game shape. Coach Stephen Silas said Wood would be on a strict minutes limitation upon his return due in part to concerns about his conditioning after such a long layoff.

The Rockets have been ravaged by injuries during the losing streak, forcing Silas to rely heavily on rookies and players on two-way contracts, suiting up the NBA minimum of eight players in some games, including Tuesday's 119-107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Veteran guards Eric Gordon (groin) and John Wall (knee) are among several players who remain out for the Rockets.

New series has been a welcome addition to the calendar and after 29 meetings in 2020 it will expand to 85 this year

The World Athletics Council has approved a much bigger series of Continental Tour events for this year, which will see the number of events more than double from last year to 85 Gold, Silver and Bronze meetings in 2021.

Some of the planned events last year, of course, did not take place due to the pandemic. But despite ongoing coronavirus restrictions there are ambitious plans to stage 85 meets across all six continental areas this year, with some of the meetings having already taken place in places like Sydney and Canberra in recent days.

The Continental Tour events complement World Athletics’ flagship Diamond League meetings and the World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said: “We wouldn’t have chosen to launch a new global athletics tour on the eve of a pandemic, but the Continental Tour proved to be such a strong concept that it thrived even in these adverse.

“The tour has expanded substantially in 2021, and we’re delighted that it has been embraced so enthusiastically across the world. I’m particularly pleased to see that the US has stepped up to stage three Gold meetings as well as at least nine other Silver and Bronze meetings.

“These will provide new and vital competition opportunities and prize money for athletes and strengthen our sport both in the USA and internationally. We see the expanded US calendar as an early legacy of the decision to take our flagship event, the World Athletics Championships, to Oregon in 2022.

“We will continue to drive innovation and boost the competition opportunities available to our athletes around the world, with our immediate focus on the World Athletics Relays Silesia 2021, to be held in Poland in just six weeks’ time.”

Dates have also been confirmed for the following events: World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, from August 2-7, 2022, and the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China from March 17-19, 2023.

As World Athletics continues in its quest to create a more athlete and fan-friendly calendar, protected national championships windows for both indoor and outdoor seasons were also approved for the period 2021-2024.

As World Athletics officials met virtually to hold their latest Council meeting, it was also announced that 12 cities have shown interest in hosting the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in 2023.

World Athletics said: “The strong international interest in hosting this new event, which will combine elite and mass races in a unique format, is a ringing endorsement of a festival concept designed to unite the international road running community.”

The new event will include elite races over 5km and half-marathon, plus mass races, parkrun events and a global running conference, with the host being named in July.