ALAMEDA, Calif. - The Oakland Raiders placed starting middle linebacker Nick Roach on season-ending injured reserve Wednesday after he was unable to recover from a concussion in the preseason.Roach originally got hurt Aug. 22 in the third exhibition game against Green Bay. He returned to practice Sept. 3 on a limited basis but only took part in individual drills and he was never able to be cleared for contact. Now he is done for the season.Its certainly a blow, no question about it, interim coach Tony Sparano said. Nick was one of our defensive leaders. Hes a guy that we rely an awful lot on. Its one of the body blows that goes on in our business.Roach was supposed to be the quarterback of the defence and his absence has played a big role in Oaklands early struggles. After playing every defensive snap in his first year in Oakland in 2013, Roach has been unable to make it on the field this year.After consulting with doctors, Sparano said the team had no indication of when Roach would be cleared to play, leading to the decision to shut him down.It was certainly going to take a little while longer and it was open ended at the end of it, Sparano said.The Raiders (0-4) have been plagued by miscommunication and alignment issues on defence without their signal caller. Oakland has the second-worst run defence in the NFL through four games with Miles Burris and Kaluka Maiava sharing the duty at middle linebacker.Roach is Oaklands second linebacker to be shut down for the season this week. Maiava was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with a hamstring injury, leaving Burris as the starting middle linebacker on Sunday against San Diego.I bounce things off Nick all the time and I still will, Burris said. Hes still going to be around. Hell still be just as big a part of this team because hell be helping everybody out. Nick sees football. He has a great football mind. He sees things that a lot of people cant see on the field so that will be big.The Raiders got some positive news at the position with outside linebacker Sio Moore back at practice Wednesday after missing the past two games with an ankle injury.Moore was limited at practice but his return will provide a boost to the defence.When youre not out there fighting every day, you feel sick to your stomach, Moore said. I just wanted to be out there doing my part to help, doing everything I can.The Raiders signed Jamar Chaney on Wednesday to replace Roach on the roster. Chaney is in his fifth season in the NFL and was cut in training camp this summer by Denver. He started 23 games from 2010-12 in Philadelphia, including all 16 in 2011, and played one game last season with Atlanta.Chaney has 161 career tackles with one sack, three interceptions, 12 passes defenced and one forced fumble.The Raiders had claimed linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong off waivers from St. Louis on Tuesday. Armstrong joined St. Louis as an undrafted free agent out of Miami in 2013 and played all 16 games as a rookie. Armstrong has played four games this season and has been almost exclusively used on special teams.NOTES: QB Derek Carr was limited at practice after hurting his left knee and ankle before the bye but is confident he will be able to play Sunday. ... RT Khalif Barnes (quadriceps) did not practice and Menelik Watson may need to start in his place Sunday.___Online:AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Stitched China Jerseys . 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The bout served as the headlining matchup of Saturdays "UFC Fight Night: Brown vs. Silva" event, which took place at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. It was Silva who looked well on his way to victory in the early going, delivering a pair of crushing kicks to the body that sent Brown crashing to the floor, doubled over in pain.TORONTO - With 12 days to go before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline and an injury-riddled team in freefall, general manager Alex Anthopoulos finds himself in an unenviable position: cash-strapped at a time when the American League East is ripe for the picking, struggling to balance a win now mentality while keeping an eye to the future, the need to preserve the top end of the clubs prospect pool. Most teams slot into one of two modus operandi. There are clubs in contention and they approach this time of year either satisfied with their roster or, more likely the case, with an eye toward solidifying areas of need for the playoff push. The Blue Jays, despite having lost 24 of 35 games entering Saturdays action, are in contention, four games back of first place Baltimore in the division and two and a half games behind Seattle for the final wild card spot. They are a team with numerous holes, factoring in more than just the raft of injuries. When Brett Lawrie returns from a fractured right index finger, which cant happen soon enough, itd be nice if he has a positional home. Juan Francisco isnt hitting anybody and Steve Tolleson isnt an everyday option because hes strong against left-handed pitching (.988 OPS) but weak against right-handed pitching (.340 OPS). Its gotten to the point in the bullpen where Todd Redmond is ahead of Sergio Santos on the depth chart. Torontos relief corps has issued 129 walks, tied for fourth most in baseball. Its 4.36 ERA is fifth worst in the game. A reinforcement or two is needed. While the starting staff has acquitted itself nicely, few teams would decline an acquisition to improve its rotation. The Blue Jays are no different. Quietly, players will tell you the club is in need of upgrade and their hope is that ownership will show a commitment to winning this season. To a man, those with whom TSN.ca has spoken are withholding judgment until the deadline has passed. Remember, too, trades can be made in August but only after players clear waivers, which often happens. Manager John Gibbons doesnt want his players consuming themselves with deadline-related rumours and wishlists. "Every year you get to this time of year, I can remember back to as long as Ive been around this place, anytime that deadline is coming up and they know theres going to be moves going to be made, guys are always wondering whats going to happen," said Gibbons. "Some of them are thinking, Am I out of here? or one of those kind of deals, Am I going to be traded? Thats always happened. But understand this is our team right now and you cant always make something happen. Sometimes things never happen. If you get caught up in that youre in trouble anyway." Contrary to the go-for-it approach is the look-to-the-future strategy, commonly referred to as the "rebuild." Its happening in Chicago with the Cubs and, belieeve it or not, it can be exciting, especially when it nears the fruit bearing stage.dddddddddddd Anthony Rizzo lost two valuable teammates, Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel, in a blockbuster trade with Oakland earlier this month. The Cubs received one of baseballs top prospects, shortstop Addison Russell, in the return package. Chicagos minor league system is loaded, reinforced over three seasons by president of baseball operations Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer. Some have opined its the greatest collection of prospect talent ever. The Cubs plan is obvious and for that reason, Rizzo was intrigued by the deal. "For the first time that Ive been here, Ive finally had that feeling that its really, really close," Rizzo told TSN.ca during last weeks All-Star festivities. "And I think I can speak on behalf of the organization that we all know its really close. So, I mean, we have what, three or four of the top 10 prospects in baseball. Thats somewhat unheard of so obviously, hopefully they all pan out. You can never have too much talent. These guys all seem like the real deal so keep moving in the right direction." So, whats the plan in Toronto? Where do the Blue Jays slot? The team, with its current roster, is positioned to win now. That was the point of the Marlins and Mets trades two off-seasons ago. The division hasnt been more available since the heady days of the early 1990s. Edwin Encarnacion, Brett Lawrie and Adam Lind will eventually return. Now isnt the time to pinch pennies, regardless of whether theres a new CEO and a multi-billion dollar investment in another sports property. Blue Jays players dont care about that and neither does a fanbase starved for a winner. If now isnt the time, then why waste any more of Bautistas prime years? He wants to win before its too late. Hell be 34 in October and wont be the player three years from now that he is today. Dont make him tread water any longer. Encarnacion is one of the sports premier sluggers. Why waste his talent if now isnt the time? Dont make him tread water any longer. The Blue Jays also have crucial offseason decisions to make on impending free agents like Colby Rasmus and Melky Cabrera. If the club issues them qualifying offers, likely in the neighbourhood of $14-million, and the player accepts, that could skew the books. Neglect to offer either player a qualifying offer and both walk without so much as a compensatory draft pick in return. Torontos problem is solved, in part, by getting healthy and playing better baseball, contending deep into September and possibly securing a playoff spot. The club needs external help, via trade or with the late-season emergence of, say, Aaron Sanchez, to accomplish the goal. Youre either going for it or youre not. Existing in the mushy middle shouldnt be any franchises MO. ' ' '
