2014 Pro Bowl kicker Cody Parkey, safety Ed Reynolds and linebacker Najee Goode were among the cuts. Philadelphia only has four linebackers on the roster, so its likely the team will make more mo

NEW ORLEANS -- The Saints and Falcons?came together for a display of unity Monday night, joining hands in a circle on the field following the national anthem.ESPNs Lisa Salters reported from the sideline during the broadcast that Saints coach Sean Payton reached out to Falcons coach Dan Quinn with the idea earlier in the week and that player leaders from both teams loved it. The coaches left it up to their quarterbacks, Drew Brees and Matt Ryan, to come up with the exact way for that statement to be both unifying and respectful of the national anthem.Payton and Quinn figured it was a great way for players to join the growing protests around the NFL against injustice in America while still making it a message about unity, especially with two longtime rival teams from culturally rich cities. They planned to spend a minute holding hands in thought and prayer.I reached out to Drew [Brees] and just told him we were on board, Ryan said. But I think the big thing was, I mean, obviously, everybody knows whats been going on throughout this entire year and for a long time. And people think things need to change. We all felt like the best way to do it was everybody do it together. And we wanted to send a message loud and clear that unity is probably the best way to make a change, and I thought that came across loud and clear tonight.The gesture was inspired by the latest police shootings in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, this past week. A source suggested to Salter that a handful of players had been feeling outside pressure to join the cause, but they didnt want to do it at the expense of the teams.Saints running back Mark Ingram expressed that very conundrum earlier this week.Well probably come up with something before Sunday. We just want everybody to be on the same page, and we want it to be unity, said Ingram, who has strongly supported the message of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and others who have protested during the national anthem and who said more than once Friday that his heart is hurting.We want it to be all, everybody, because thats what were trying to do. Were trying to bring everybody together. Our nation needs to come together. Everybody needs to care for each other, Ingram said. And thats whats so good about sports. It brings everybody together, no matter what race. These are my brothers in here. Guys I played with in the past, those are my brothers. You dont see color. You just see a guy who you work hard with and go to battle with and work with every single day.I understand that theres differences when you go out to the real world, so we just want to set an example, and we want to bring unity. We want everybody to be together and dont want to do anything that causes division or controversy.Brees was one of the most vocal critics of Kaepernick and his decision to use the national anthem as his forum for protest. Brees said he supported Kaepernicks message but wholeheartedly disagreed with his method because he found it disrespectful to the flag and the sacrifices of military members.Its a serious issue, Brees said after the Falcons 45-32 victory Monday, and we felt like an appropriate way to show our unity and bring attention to that was by making that circle together, everybody lock arms, take a moment of silence, to pray, to be in thought, meditation, whatever you want to do. ... [It was] the way we would like to give attention -- after the national anthem -- in a way that shows were all in this together.Falcons tight end Jacob Tamme issued a statement on Twitter after the game praising the pregame show of unity as what we wanted to show tonight.Said Ingram earlier this week: I know people have different opinions about the anthem. But Kaeps cause and what hes doing it for, for the injustices of not just blacks but anybody who [is a victim of] police brutality ... I know it happens to everybody, whites, blacks, Asians. Its just unfortunate.So I support [the protestors] and everything they stand for 100 percent. But with my team, I want us to do something that we all would be proud of. Its just unfortunate whats going on in our country right now.Los Angeles Lakers Pro Shop . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. Los Angeles Lakers Shirts . The Oilers come in having lost five in a row (0-4-1) and 16 of their last 20 games, dropping a 2-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. https://www.lakersjerseycheap.com/ . Its the second straight game Bell has scored in extra time for Kelowna, which beat the Brandon Wheat Kings 6-5 on Friday, and he now has four game-winning goals on the season. Lakers Jerseys China . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. Fake Lakers Jerseys .C. -- Glenn Howard needed an extra end to move into the Masters Grand Slam of Curling final.PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles traded Sam Bradford and released 21 players to reach the 53-man roster limit Saturday.Quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, 2014 Pro Bowl kicker Cody Parkey, safety Ed Reynolds and linebacker Najee Goode were among the cuts. Philadelphia only has four linebackers on the roster, so its likely the team will make more moves.The list includes: LBs Don Cherry, Quentin Gause and Myke Tavarres, S Blakee Countess, DT Bruce Gaston, G Darrell Greene, WRs Marcus Johnson, David Watford and Cayleb Jones, C/G Barrett Jones, RBs Byron Marshall and Cedric ONeal, TEs M.ddddddddddddJ. McFarland and Chris Pantale, DE Jake Metz, CB JaCorey Shepherd and DT Aziz Shittu.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org ' ' '