Cowboys select Penn State LB Micah Parsons at No. 12 after trading back in NFL draft

FRISCO, Texas — When Sean Lee retired this week after 11 seasons in the NFL, Cowboys brass emphasized: They’re looking for their next Sean Lee.

Apparently, they weren’t joking. With the 12th overall selection of the 2011 NFL draft, the Cowboys selected a player at the identical position and alma mater in Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons.

Dallas will hope Parsons can bolster a defense that ranked second-worst against the run in 2020.

The pick didn’t come without a little bit of wheeling and dealing. Jerry Jones had warned that holding the esteemed 10th pick of the draft could yield an “unconventional” move.

Does a trade within the division count that?

With coveted corners Jaycee Horn and Patrick Surtain II flying off the board at 8 and 9, Dallas swapped first-round picks with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Cowboys, in moving down two slots, picked up the Eagles’ third-round selection (No. 84 overall).

NFL DRAFT TRACKER: Instant analysis on every pick in the first round

Detroit Lions take Oregon OT Penei Sewell with No. 7 pick in 2021 NFL draft

Brad Holmes found what he hopes will be a cornerstone for the Detroit Lions' rebuild Thursday, taking Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the seventh pick of the first round.

Sewell, considered the best lineman in the draft, should provide immediate help to an offense that ranked 20th in points scored and total yards last season and has undergone a complete metamorphosis this offseason.

The Lions traded longtime starting quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Goff and three draft picks in January and overhauled their entire receiving corps, letting Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola walk in free agency.

They return Pro Bowl starters T.J. Hockenson and Frank Ragnow, along with most of the rest of their offensive line, but entered the week searching for a No. 1 receiver and help at the right tackle/guard positions.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito slams Twitter to allow ‘Uncle Tim’ to trend, says it’s ‘shameful’

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito on left-wing Twitter users smearing Tim Scott’s rebuttal

West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito reacts on ‘America Reports’ to Twitter waiting hours before blocking ‘Uncle Tim’ slur against Sen. Tim Scott.

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., told “America Reports,” that it’s “shameful” for Twitter to allow “Uncle Tim” racial slur to trend against Sen. Tim Scott following his rebuttal to President Biden’s address to Congress.

SEN. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO: You know, that’s shameful and it is shameful. If anybody knows Tim Scott, you know him to be the real deal, a wonderful human being that helps all of us understand his growing up, his challenges. He talked about that last night. I mean, I don’t understand this idea that if you don’t have the right political label, you can’t talk about your own bringing upbringing and your own focus, and you have to be so derided. I think it’s horrible. 

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW

Aaron Rodgers’ future is a hot topic among fans at the NFL draft

CLEVELAND — Tessa Schneider leaned against a fence near FirstEnergy Stadium Thursday and peered at the stage set up for the NFL draft.

Hoping, it seemed, that no one noticed her.

“I’m embarrassed,’’ she said. “Everyone keeps yelling at me.’’

They were yelling because she was wearing a Green Bay Packers jersey, and they were shouting about the potentially grim Packers news: Aaron Rodgers, the Packers MVP quarterback, wants out of Green Bay.

Pete Zuehlke, sporting a Packers T-shirt, looked weary as fans of other teams kept asking him for Rodgers updates.

MicroVision Q1 Results Miss View; Stock Plunges

MicroVision Inc. (MVIS) reported that its first-quarter net loss was $6.23 million or $0.04 per share, compared to a net loss of $4.93 million, or $0.04 per share for the first quarter of 2020. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report a loss of $0.02 per share for the quarter. Analysts’ estimates typically exclude special items.

MVIS closed Thursday’s regular trading at $18.00 down $2.99 or 14.24%. In the after-hours trading, the stock further dropped $3.81 or 21.17%.

Revenue for the quarter dropped to $479 thousand, from $1.47 million last year. Analysts expected revenue of $600 thousand for the quarter.

NFL record seven consecutive offensive players taken to start 2021 draft

Defense wins games, offense entertains?

Don't tell that to the first seven teams in the 2021 NFL draft. 

A record seven consecutive offensive players were selected to start a draft. The previous record was the 1999 NFL draft, when Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey was the first defender taken at No. 7 overall by Washington.

Thursday night, the record was broken when the Detroit Lions took Oregon offensive tackle Penei Sewell with the seventh pick. 

The previous six picks before Sewel were Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence to the Jaguars (No. 1), BYU quarterback Zach Wilson to the Jets (2), North Dakota State quarterback Trey Lance to the 49ers (3), Florida tight end Kyle Pitts to the Falcons (4), LSU receiver Ja'Marr Chase to the Bengals (5) and Alabama receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Dolphins (6).