NFL

Panthers sign QB Andy Dalton to two-year, $8 million contract

Dalton, 37, is still one of the NFL’s better backup quarterbacks. The 2011 second-round pick can’t start for a playoff team anymore, but he’s a perfect mentor and fallback option to Bryce Young. For just $4 million per year, that’s a steal for Carolina.

Of course, the Panthers are hoping that Dalton rarely sees the field under this contract, but that’s no certainty. Young displayed flashes as last season progressed, entrenching himself as Carolina’s starting quarterback. That sounds great for now, but the 2023 No. 1 overall pick has been benched before, and it could happen again. If so, Dalton is still serviceable, as he finished 2024 with 989 passing yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions.

Grade: A-

NBA

76ers sign SG Lonnie Walker to two-year, $3 million contract

Besides an uneven four-year run with the Spurs, the team that drafted him, Walker hasn’t received a fair shake in the NBA. The ostracized swingman had to begin this season in the EuroLeague, before finally receiving this offer. It’s not a great one — for Walker, that is — but it gives the 26-year-old a chance to prove himself for a team that badly needs help.

Walker played in 58 contests last season for the Nets, averaging 9.7 points per game.

Grade: A-

MLB

Cubs sign 1B Justin Turner to one-year, $6 million contract

The 40-year-old Turner is still a decent player, but at this cost, why didn’t Chicago just keep Cody Bellinger? Cheapness, or at least conservative spending, has been a theme for the Cubs in recent years. This winter, it might’ve cost the club Alex Bregman, and now it’ll have to settle for the aging Turner. Chicago’s financial plans are satisfactory now, but it’ll be Armageddon if Kyle Tucker walks after this season.

Adding Turner for this year, however, gives the Cubs security. Highly-touted prospect Matt Shaw is a candidate to open the season as the team’s starting third baseman. Should he struggle, Turner can fill in. The same goes for first base and designated hitter, though Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki are more proven entities at those spots.

Turner’s production at the plate has slowly fizzled since his 2017 apex, but the veteran is still an above-average option. If he can repeat his 2024 output of a .259 average, 11 home runs and 55 RBIs, the Cubs will be content.

Grade: B-