The Cleveland Browns and defensive end Myles Garrett have engaged in contract discussions, according to sources, setting the stage for a potential mega-extension for the former No. 1 overall pick.

Garrett has two years left on his rookie contract after the Browns picked up his fifth-year option. He could follow Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, a fellow member of the 2017 draft class who saw his contract extended after three NFL seasons.

The Browns have several core players they might need to pay in coming years - including cornerback Denzel Ward, quarterback Baker Mayfield and running back Nick Chubb - so they can get ahead of a pricey pass-rush market now by extending Garrett.

After 10 sacks in as many games last year, Garrett is widely viewed as one of the game's most feared pass rushers.

But in 2019, Garrett served a six-game suspension for hitting Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph with his own helmet at an end-of-game skirmish on Nov. 15. Garrett apologized for the hit, calling it a "terrible mistake" that was "selfish and unacceptable."

The NFL reinstated Garrett in February, and Garrett alleged in an interview with ESPN's Mina Kimes that Rudolph called him a racial slur. Rudolph has vehemently denied that claim, and Steelers coach Mike Tomlin aggressively defended Rudolph in an interview with ESPN's First Take, saying he was 'hacked off' by Garrett's comments that neither team corroborated after the fight.

"We do see Myles as a long-term member and pillar in our organization," general manager Andrew Berry told 105.7 the Fan Baltimore last month. "Great player, great person. Obviously, he did make a mistake last year that he's learned from. But our confidence in and faith in Myles has not wavered and we're looking to seeing what he does this year and certainly for years to come.''

Chicago's Khalil Mack tops all pass rushers with an average of $23.5 million per year, followed by Dallas' DeMarcus Lawrence ($21 million) and Kansas City's Frank Clark ($20.8 million).

Garrett's agent is Bus Cook, who also represents free agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney, a player Cleveland attempted to sign this offseason. Opposite Garrett is veteran Olivier Vernon, who's due $15.25 million in base salary this season.

Major League Baseball's owners are expected to send a new proposal to the players union on Friday that includes a season lasting between 70 and 75 games, sources told ESPN's Karl Ravech.

The owners' proposal would include a payment of somewhere between 80% and 85% of the players' prorated salary, which is a slight increase from the owners' last effort. This proposal also includes expanded playoffs and a share of the playoff pool for players.

This marks the third exchange of proposals between the two sides this week.

On Tuesday, sources told ESPN that the MLBPA offered an 89-game proposal that featured a full prorated share of salary and expanded playoffs.

MLB on Monday proposed a 76-game season that would cover up to 75% of players' prorated salaries. In that proposal, MLB also outlined the elimination of direct draft-pick compensation for free agents tagged with qualifying offers; teams losing top free agents would get a compensatory draft pick but those signing that free agent would not be penalized by having to give up a top pick. Sources told Ravech this provision remains in the owners' newest proposal.

If the sides are unable to agree to a deal, the league has the ability to implement a schedule of its desired length. It has focused recently on a potential 48-game season, sources told ESPN earlier this week.

Sources told Ravech on Friday that owners are looking to have a tighter window for the season to avoid starting then having to stop play.

The Minnesota Twins smashed a record 307 home runs in 2019 and, judging by their first-round selection in the 2020 amateur draft, it sure seems like they would like to ensure a similar brand of high-scoring baseball in future years. The Twins welcomed North Carolina first baseman Aaron Sabato to the organization with pick No. 27 overall and while most regard him as a fine prospect (and choosing him in the spot they did is not regarded as a reach), this is not Spencer Torkelson, either. Perhaps, for our purposes, this is not such a bad thing.

Manchester City's priority in the next transfer window remains bringing a new centre-back to the Etihad Stadium despite monitoring Chelsea's pursuit of Ben Chilwell, sources have told ESPN.

Pep Guardiola and director of football Txiki Begiristain will push ahead with plans to sign a centre-back after missing out on a replacement for Vincent Kompany last summer.

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Aymeric Laporte's injury problems this season, and doubts over Nicolas Otamendi's future, have heightened City's need to strengthen the centre of defence and the position remains the focus ahead of the new campaign. Villarreal defender Pau Torres, 23, is one of the names in the frame.

Sources have told ESPN that Leicester City's Chilwell is at the top of Chelsea's wishlist. Guardiola and City's recruitment team have also been impressed with the defender and will closely watch Chelsea's interest.

Guardiola and Begiristain have also looked to improve City's options at left-back. Angelino was re-signed from PSV Eindhoven last summer before being loaned to RB Leipzig in January.

Both Benjamin Mendy and Oleksandr Zinchenko have struggled with injuries this season while Joao Cancelo, who has also appeared at left-back, is more comfortable on the right.

City's defence has been a problem for Guardiola this season. After lifting the Premier League title last year having conceded just 23 goals, City have leaked 31 in 28 games this term.

Following Kompany's decision to leave the Etihad after taking up a player-manager role at Anderlecht, City missed out on signing Harry Maguire.

The England centre-back swapped Leicester for Manchester United in a world-record transfer of £80 million, with Guardiola revealing later City had been priced out of a move.

Arsenal are set to hold talks with striker Alexandre Lacazette over his future in the coming weeks amid interest from Atletico Madrid, sources have told ESPN.

The 29-year-old is not agitating to leave but is believed to be seeking assurances on his role under manager Mikel Arteta next season, given the ongoing uncertainty over whether Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will remain at the club.

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Arsenal are privately adamant they will not lose both Aubameyang and Lacazette this summer, sources have told ESPN, and Arteta is ready to personally involve himself in talks to convince the Gabon striker to sign an extension to his contract, which expires in 2021.

Lacazette's deal runs out a year later, meaning that the club are in a stronger position to negotiate with the striker. However, Arteta has been told that player sales will be key to boosting funds to overhaul his squad in the transfer market this summer. The Frenchman could fetch as much as £60 million this summer.

That has led to speculation Lacazette may be made available if Aubameyang commits his future to Arsenal, with Atletico continuing to maintain an interest despite standing on the brink of completing the permanent signing of Alvaro Morata from Chelsea.

Arsenal could then pursue other targets with Atletico's Thomas Partey still of interest. Despite several stories suggesting a swap deal has been discussed, sources have told ESPN that the two clubs have not yet explored this option in any serious detail due to Arsenal's reluctance to make a definitive decision on Lacazette while Aubameyang's future is unclear.

Talks with both Aubemeyang and Lacazette have been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, but the club know resolving the situation with their two star strikers is central to wider squad planning.

The pair are good friends but both want to hear the club's vision under Arteta, particularly in light of the financial pressures many Premier League clubs are experiencing as a result of the virus.

Arsenal remain the only English top-flight club to have negotiated a pay cut, rather than a wage deferral, with the vast majority of their first-team squad.

Midfielder Mesut Ozil is continuing to receive his full £350,000-a-week salary, but almost all other players agreed a 12.5% cut for 12 months from last April.

Arsenal face Manchester City on June 17 in their first Premier League match since play was suspended by the pandemic.

Andy Murray will face Kyle Edmund on his return to tennis at this month's 'Battle of the Brits'.

British number one Dan Evans, Cameron Norrie, Jay Clarke and Jack Draper have been drawn in the "Rusedski Group".

The tournament - organised by Jamie Murray - will raise money for NHS Charities Together.

The tournament will take place behind closed doors at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton from 23-28 June, and will be shown on Amazon Prime.

Analysis

Russell Fuller, BBC tennis correspondent

Murray's last match was at November's Davis Cup Finals in Madrid, where the 33-year-old was struggling with a bruise on his pelvic bone, and laboured past Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands.

Pre-lockdown, he had been eying up a return to the ATP Tour in Miami in late March, so the hope is the issue has settled down without the need for further surgery.

Jamie Murray conducted the draw in a socially distanced ceremony involving the players on the courts of the National Tennis Centre.

Each had a nickname - and Andy Murray is "the one hip wonder".

Each month in SPEED SPORT Magazine we highlight some of our favorite Twitter posts from racing personalities from various disciplines. Here is the SPEED SPORT Twitter Me This from June 2020.

Bayley Currey (@BayleyCurrey): I drove to and from Texas, no traffic anywhere. I get on 77 today going to Mooresville and it’s bumper to bumper.

Marino Franchitti (@MFranchitti): We started @GameOfThrones when lockdown started and finished it last night, guess it was more about the journey than the destination!

Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson): I actually got dressed today and wore something other than gym clothes or lounge wear. To my surprise, my clothes still fit. I guess I’ve been training enough to offset the calorie intake of quarantine.

Matt Tifft (@matt_tifft): So if there’s a fight at Darlington or CLT, do they have to wear Haz-Mat suits before engaging?

Josh Reeves (@JoshReeves77): I just matched ALL of my socks out of the dryer without ONE odd sock. I felt compelled to document this moment in my life. Thank you for your time.

Cade Dillard (@CDillard97): if iRacing wants to make this racing more realistic, they should make it a rule you can’t race the next day until you drive a rig after feature until 4 a.m. to the next track.

Kevin Thomas Jr. (@kevinthomasjr): I don’t know what’s scarier, turn three in hot laps at Terre Haute or that Cinco De Mayo is coming up and they only TP left in stories is one-ply.

Ty Gibbs (@TyGibbs_): To all the fast food places, why is it that every time I ask for straws and sauces you guys never put them into the bag?

Shelby Blackstock (@Shelbilly): It’s official, I’d rather go to the dentist than take my vehicle in for service…

Mike McKinney (@Mike_McKinney): I’m not sure what’s more grueling…running all of these iRaces or a week on the Hell Tour. Guy could use a rainout.

Demetrios Drellos (@demetri_drellos): Just an opinion not facts, it feels colder this April than the entire winter.

Austin Dillon (@austindillon3): Man, @WhitneyDillon done hid the cookies on the highest shelf thinking I wouldn’t see them. That’s wrong lol.

Dominic Scelzi (@DominicScelzi41): That’s it, I’m calling it. 2020 is over in my books. The rest of this year is just a simulation.

Conor Daly (@ConorDaly22): Does a toaster have a break in period like a race engine? You have to put some miles on it before it does consistent toasting? I’ve been using my toaster for the first time in two years and it’s been inconsistent on the same setting. This is what I think about at 10:45 on a Saturday now.

PARIS – The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series has announced its revised schedule, which will feature six weekends of racing in six different countries.

Five NASCAR GPs – Italy at Vallelunga, Belgium at Zolder, Germany at Hockenheim, Czech Republic at Most and Spain at Valencia – already dates set and they will host four races each: two for the EuroNASCAR PRO championship and two for the EuroNASCAR 2 championship.

While under present conditions it is not possible to stage a NASCAR Whelen Euro Series event at Brands Hatch in England, officials hope to reschedule the event for later in the season.

“We are very happy and proud to offer this great calendar to our competitors and European fans,” declared Jerome Galpin, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series President/CEO. “We would like to thank our amazing circuit partners for all their support during these challenging times. We work all together to make sure competitors and hopefully race fans will come to the races in the best possible safety conditions and we will adapt our rules and procedures accordingly. We are ready to roll and can’t wait to get back on track!”

The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series season will begin at the Autodromo Piero Taruffi of Vallelunga on Sept. 12-13. The Italian track will welcome the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series for the first time with a new event.

The series will then visit two historic tracks. Belgium’s Circuit Zolder will host the American Festival NASCAR for the sixth time on Oct. 3-4, while the Hockenheimring in Germany will celebrate the fourth edition of the American Fan Fest on Oct. 17-18.

On Nov. 14-15, the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series will head to the Czech Republic for the second edition of the Autodrom Most NASCAR Show, before closing the season at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo of Valencia, Spain, on Dec. 5-6 with the eighth Valencia NASCAR Fest.

British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland says if a global rugby union calendar cannot be agreed now, it never will be.

A harmonised schedule of fixtures has been an ongoing issue in the sport and is set to be discussed at a World Rugby meeting on Monday.

Coronavirus has brought the global game to a halt, although matches will restart in New Zealand on Saturday.

"If we don't do it now we're never going to do it," Gatland said.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast he added: "A lot of this has been talked about for a long time.

"If they can't have a consensus when they've basically got a blank sheet of paper to start from, then there's never going to be agreement.

"It's not going to be perfect for everyone. People have got to compromise a bit."

Gatland is set to coach the Lions for a third time when they face South Africa in a tour currently scheduled to start in July 2021.

Organisers are considering moving the tour, which now clashes with the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games, to later in the year.

"I think with the Lions it's just being a little bit flexible," Gatland said.

"If we've got to go back a month or so I think we can cope with that if it's the best decision for World Rugby in terms of a global season."