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A 17-year-old boy was critically hurt in a shooting Friday in Lawndale on the West Side.

Nine people have been wounded in shootings across Chicago so far this weekend, including a 17-year-old boy critically hurt in an attack in Lawndale.

The teen was standing in front of a home about 7:35 p.m. Friday in the 1900 block of South Drake Avenue when someone approached him and fired shots, Chicago police said.

He suffered gunshot wounds to both legs and was transported to Mount Sinai in critical condition, police said.

Just after noon Saturday, a man was shot in Uptown on the North Side.

The man, 28, was shot in the shoulder about 12:05 p.m. in the 5000 block of North Kenmore Avenue, Chicago police said. He was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in good condition.

Early Saturday morning, a 25-year-old man was critically wounded in a shooting in Englewood.

About 12:45 a.m., he was standing outside on a sidewalk on the 6300 block of South Honore Street when he heard shots and felt pain, police said. He suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said.

Two people were hurt, one critically, in a shooting late Friday in Brighton Park on the Southwest Side.

A man and a woman, both 27, were sitting in a parked car about 11:50 p.m. in the 3900 block of South Kedzie Avenue when a male got out of a black sedan and fired shots at them, police said.

The man suffered gunshot wounds to the torso and transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition, police said. The woman was struck in the left arm and right shoulder, police said. She was taken to Stroger Hospital in fair condition, according to police.

A man was dropped off at a South Side hospital Friday night after being shot, but would not tell police anything about the attack.

The 46-year-old man was dropped off at Jackson Park Hospital about 11:45 p.m. with a gunshot wound to the left leg and right foot, police said. He was listed in critical condition and transferred to the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said.

Earlier Friday night, two people were shot in Washington Park on the South Side.

They were standing in an alley about 9:05 p.m. in the 5200 block of South Michigan Avenue when a male suspect approached them and fired shots, police said.

A 21-year-old man was struck in the leg and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was listed in fair condition, police said.

A woman, 51, was also struck by gunfire and was taken to the same hospital, where she was listed in fair condition, police said. She was shot in both legs and sustained a graze wound to the chest.

About 7:35 p.m., a 20-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in Gage Park on the Southwest Side.

The man was sitting in a parked vehicle in the 5200 block of South Maplewood Avenue when someone fired shots from the sidewalk, Chicago police said.

He was shot in the leg and was transported to Mount Sinai in fair condition, police said.

Last weekend four people were killed and 21 others wounded in shootings across Chicago.

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Borom spent part of the offseason training alongside quarterback Justin Fields at Proactive Sports Performance in Westlake Village, California, near Los Angeles.

The Bears’ fifth-round pick already knows one of his new teammates.

Missouri offensive tackle Larry Borom spent part of the offseason training alongside quarterback Justin Fields at Proactive Sports Performance in Westlake Village, California, near Los Angeles.

“He’s a hard worker,” said the 6-4, 327-pound Borom, who started 16 games at right tackle over hte past two years. “He’s going to do extra. He’s not the guy that is going to be trying to rush out of the room. He’s going to do a lot more than everyone else.”

He does it humbly.

“As a person, he’s a real friendly, goofy guy,” Borom said. “He’s an old[-school] person at the end of the day. He’s caring, he’s helpful, he’s looking to help people any chance he can.”

Borom can help Fields by blocking for him — eventually. He figures to be a developmental project at tackle, though he played two games at guard in college.

The Bears consider offensive line coach Juan Castillo one of the best teachers on young blockers in the league, and are eager to let him work with both Borom and second-round pick Teven Jenkins.

“The only direction he’s going to take me is up,” Borom said. “He’s one of the best in the game. He’s a guru. We had our Zoom meeting and he’s an up-tempo guy and he brings the juice and the energy.

“I honestly fell in love with it at the meeting. That’s what I like. That’s what I want to bring to the room as well. It was major.”

A Detroit native, Borom grew up playing basketball — his dad is 6-8 — but said he fell in love with football in high school. While he said he wants to start “as soon as possible,” Borom figures to serve as a backup this season. If the Bears determine that Jenkins can play left tackle at some point, that could open a spot for Borom.

The 22-year-old said he has a “ton of excitement” to play for the Bears — and with Fields.

“He was out training where I was training — I know him,” he said. “It’s a lot of good things going on for the organization and it’s a blessing to be part of.”

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Public health officials have applauded Illinois residents for “bending the curve” of the state’s latest uptick in COVID-19 cases, but now another important pandemic curve is flattening out — and that’s not what experts want to see.

The Illinois Department of Public Health on Saturday reported the state’s seven-day average of coronavirus vaccine doses administered per day is down to 87,494, its lowest point since March 4.

The daily vaccination rate hit an all-time high of almost 133,000 on April 12, and that figure has been in free fall ever since — a 34% decrease in just 19 days.

A total of 88,753 shots went into arms Friday, a 29% decrease compared to the previous Friday and barely half the total reported April 16.

Officials have said they expected demand to decline after the initial rush on the life-saving vaccines, and it comes just as there are finally more than enough doses to go around.

“Now we have to change hearts and minds to encourage individuals who have not yet made the decision to get vaccinated,” Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha said earlier this week. “The COVID vaccine offers an easy, safe way to protect yourself and your loved ones from serious illness and death.”

Graph not displaying properly? Click here.

About 60% of Illinois adults have gotten at least one shot, and 32% of residents are fully vaccinated so far.

Meanwhile, infection numbers remain relatively low across the state, but the virus is still claiming dozens of lives every day.

Officials reported 32 more COVID-19 fatalities, including that of a woman in her 30s from Madison County in the downstate Metro East region. Illinois’ viral death toll since last March stands at 21,992.

The state also logged 2,813 new cases that were diagnosed among 83,070 tests, raising the average statewide positivity rate slightly to 3.5%. Illinois has been hovering around that number for about a week. It’s down from 4.4% in mid-April.

More than 1.3 million of the state’s 12.7 million residents have contracted the virus over the past year.

For help finding a vaccination appointment in Chicago, visit zocdoc.com or call (312) 746-4835.

For suburban Cook County sites, visit vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or call (833) 308-1988.

To find providers elsewhere, visit coronavirus.illinois.gov or call (833) 621-1284.

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Chicago Cubs: Reviewing the tough month of April for the team by Jimmy Lynch

In the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears selected Missouri starting tackle Larry Borom with pick number 151.

This was a pick not everyone saw coming. If you were to ask most fans going into today, they would have told you the Bears should prioritize cornerback and wide receiver. Yet, general manager Ryan Pace continued to put emphasis on the offensive line.

Selecting Borom tells you a couple of things. First of all, Pace is all-in on Justin Fields. Whether he admits it or not, Fields will end up being the starter this season and the Bears are ready to do whatever they can to protect him. The Bears are going to keep him clean, period. That’s what this draft has become about.

Secondly, in attempting to keep Fields healthy and upright, the Bears are sending a very clear message to current starting tackle Charles Leno.

The Chicago Bears just let Charles Leno know that he is not safe.

Leno, originally a seventh rounder back in 2014, has seen his quality play diminish just a little bit since making a Pro Bowl back during the 2018 season. The team let go of Bobby Massie this offseason, declining his option, and now Leno may be in for some competition.

Already, the Bears moved up to take Oklahoma State tackle Teven Jenkins, who will come in and start immediately. The only question is, whether or not Leno will stay at left tackle or move over to the right side.

Pace seemed non-committal on Jenkins’ position on Friday night, essentially saying that they’ll have to figure out which side he’ll fit best. That statement alone should sound the alarm in Leno’s head — he’s far from safe.

Borom is a big, strong tackle with a ton of power. He can move bodies with ease. The issue with why he’s a later pick is due to his lack of mobility. He could use some improvement with his footwork and hand placement, but Borom is simply a tank. He’s a heck of a football player, regardless of what scouts say he needs to improve.

OTs allowing a QB pressure on less than 1% of pass-blocking snaps:
? Brady Christensen, BYU
? Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
? Larry Borom, Missouri
? Max Mitchell, Louisiana pic.twitter.com/VakIVklkpa

— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) December 14, 2020

Anytime you can make a list like the one above, you are going to be just fine in the NFL regardless of where you’re drafted. Borom rarely gives up a sack, as you can see. Borom’s attitude mirrors that of Jenkins, both of whom will do whatever they can to keep their quarterback clean.

Back to Leno, who should feel uncomfortable at the very least. The biggest reason why he could be in trouble of losing his starting job? The Bears’ selection of Borom was only their third pick of the draft — out of 151 selections. They have now invested two very valuable picks in offensive tackles, and now head to the later rounds for some dart throws.

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Leno’s job is in jeopardy, which is a good thing. He’s been a liability for a while now, and the Bears are in the business of keeping a clean pocket for their shiny new franchise quarterback. Borom’s arrival only furthers that notion.

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KABUL, Afghanistan — The final phase of ending America’s “forever war” in Afghanistan after 20 years formally began Saturday, with the withdrawal of the last U.S. and NATO troops by the end of summer.

President Joe Biden had set May 1 as the official start of the withdrawal of the remaining forces — about 2,500-3,500 U.S. troops and about 7,000 NATO soldiers.

Even before Saturday, the herculean task of packing up had begun.

The military has been taking inventory, deciding what is shipped back to the U.S., what is handed to the Afghan security forces and what is sold as junk in Afghanistan’s markets. In recent weeks, the military has been flying out equipment on massive C-17 cargo planes.

The U.S. is estimated to have spent more than $2 trillion in Afghanistan in the past two decades, according to the Costs of War project at Brown University, which documents the hidden costs of the U.S. military engagement.

Defense department officials and diplomats told The Associated Press the withdrawal has involved closing smaller bases over the last year. They said that since Biden announced the end-of-summer withdrawal date in mid-April, only roughly 60 military personnel had left the country.

The U.S. and its NATO allies went into Afghanistan together on Oct. 7, 2001 to hunt the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks who lived under the protection of the country’s Taliban rulers. Two months later, the Taliban had been defeated and al-Qaida fighters and their leader, Osama bin Laden, were on the run.

In his withdrawal announcement last month, Biden said the initial mission was accomplished a decade ago when U.S. Navy SEALS killed bin Laden in his hideout in neighboring Pakistan. Since then, al-Qaida has been degraded, while the terrorist threat has “metastasized” into a global phenomenon that is not contained by keeping thousands of troops in one country, he said.

Until now the U.S. and NATO have received no promises from the Taliban that they won’t attack troops during the pullout. In a response to AP questions, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the Taliban leadership was still mulling over its strategy.

U.S. military spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett tweeted late Saturday that there was some ineffective firing in the area of southern Kandahar air base, one of the U.S. military’s largest bases.

“Kandahar Airfield received ineffective indirect fire this afternoon; no injury to personnel or damage to equipment,” he tweeted, without attaching blame.

However, he also posted a video clip of Gen. Austin Miller, head of the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, speaking to an Afghan journalist in which he said “a return to violence would be one senseless and tragic,” but that coalition troops “have the military means to respond forcefully to any type of attacks.”

The insurgent group continues to accuse Washington of breaching the deal it signed with Biden’s predecessor more than a year ago. In that agreement, the U.S. said it would have all troops out by May 1.

In a statement Saturday, Taliban military spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the passing of the May 1 deadline for a complete withdrawal “opened the way for (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) mujahidin to take every counteraction it deems appropriate against the occupying forces.”

However, he said fighters on the battlefield will wait for a decision from the leadership before launching any attacks and that decision will be based on “the sovereignty, values and higher interests of the country.”

Massoud Hossaini/AP

Violence has spiked in Afghanistan since the February 2020 deal was signed. Peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government, which were part of the agreement, quickly bogged down. On Friday, a truck bomb in eastern Logar province killed 21 people, many of them police and students.

Afghans have paid the highest price since 2001, with 47,245 civilians killed, according to the Costs of War project. Millions more have been displaced inside Afghanistan or have fled to Pakistan, Iran and Europe.

Afghanistan’s security forces are expected to come under increasing pressure from the Taliban after the withdrawal if no peace agreement is reached in the interim, according to Afghan watchers.

Since the start of the war they have taken heavy losses, with estimates ranging from 66,000 to 69,000 Afghan troops killed. The Afghan military has been battered by corruption. The U.S. and NATO pay $4 billion a year to sustain the force.

Some 300,000 Afghan troops are on the books, although the actual number is believed to be lower. Commanders have been found to inflate the numbers to collect paychecks of so-called “ghost soldiers,” according to the U.S. watchdog monitoring Washington’s spending in Afghanistan.

Still, the Afghan defense ministry and presidential palace in separate statements have said that Afghanistan’s security forces are in good shape to defend against Taliban advances.

Last year was the only year U.S. and NATO troops did not suffer a loss. The Defense Department says 2,442 U.S. troops have been killed and 20,666 wounded since 2001. It is estimated that over 3,800 U.S. private security contractors have been killed. The Pentagon does not track their deaths.

The conflict also has killed 1,144 personnel from NATO countries.

The Taliban, meanwhile, are at their strongest since being ousted in 2001. While mapping their gains and territorial holds is difficult, they are believed to hold sway or outright control over nearly half of Afghanistan.

“We are telling the departing Americans … you fought a meaningless war and paid a cost for that and we also offered huge sacrifices for our liberation,” Shaheen told the AP on Friday.

Striking a more conciliatory tone, he added: “If you … open a new chapter of helping Afghans in reconstruction and rehabilitation of the country, the Afghans will appreciate that.”

In announcing the departure, Biden said waiting for ideal conditions to leave would consign America to an indefinite stay.

In the Afghan capital and throughout the country, there is a growing fear that chaos will follow the departure of the last foreign troops. After billions of dollars and decades of war, many Afghans wonder at whether it was worth it.

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When the Bears traded up to draft Oklahoma State offensive lineman Teven Jenkins in the second round of the NFL Draft, it was presumed that Jenkins would be plugged into the opening at right tackle — a starter eventually as a rookie if not in Week 1.

But maybe not at right tackle. Bears general manager Ryan Pace notably emphasized Jenkins’ versatility and ability to play the left side — a curious acknowledgement with veteran Charles Leno supposedly entrenched at left tackle.

“He played right tackle. He played left tackle. He’s played both guard spots while he was at Oklahoma State,” Pace said of Jenkins. “We feel that his best fit is at either tackle spot for us.”

Coaches and general managers are loathe to provoke speculation about any starters’ status, so Pace’s reference to Jenkins’ ability to play the left side is a bit unusual. What does that mean for Leno, who has started the Bears’ last 95 games at left tackle?

The Bears are still in a salary-cap crunch after cutting right tackle Bobby Massie and cornerback Kyle Fuller. They still need to make room to sign their draft picks. Leno has always been a potential, if unlikely, cap casualty — the Bears can save $6.2 million in cap space if they cut him, $9 million if they cut him after June 1.

The Bears could play Jenkins at left tackle and live with Germain Ifedi, free-agent Elijah Wilkinson or second-year pro Lachavious Simmons at right tackle. They’re probably better with Leno at left tackle and Jenkins at right. But the cap situation could force them to take a chance on an alternative lineup. And again, Pace’s eagerness to note Jenkins’ play at left tackle — where he made seven starts over the past three seasons — only stokes that speculation.

“That’s the great thing about [Jenkins] is he’s played both guard spots and both tackle spots [at Oklahoma State],” Pace said. “He’s played more right tackle, but there’s two games of starting tackle tape at left tackle in 2019. You go back and look at it — I think it’s Texas Tech and Baylor. He’s at left tackle in both those games. There’s plenty of left tackle tape, so we feel that he can play both tackle positions, and we’ve just got to sort through that.”

Wherever he plays, Jenkins figures to be a starter in 2021. The Bears have a hole to fill. Jenkins was rated a first-round talent, and not just by the Bears. And players drafted in his range often start as rookies. Of the 13 offensive tackles drafted from 20th to 50th overall in the past four seasons, eight of them were Week 1 starters as a rookie; 10 of them by Week 2.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy wouldn’t be surprised. It’s a post-draft cliche for the college coach to think his guy will be great in the NFL. But Gundy’s enthusiastic endorsement of Jenkins was notable even by that standard.

Gundy said he rates Jenkins ahead of former Oklahoma State offensive lineman Russell Okung — the sixth overall pick of the 2010 draft by the Seahawks — as an NFL prospect. Okung is a two-time Pro Bowl player who started at left tackle on the Seahawks’ back-to-back Super Bowl teams in 2013 and 2014.

“Teven is more talented than him in my opinion. He’s just scratching the surface of his ability,” Gundy said of Jenkins in a videoconference with Bears beat reporters Saturday. “He came from Topeka, Kan. When he arrived, I don’t think he had any idea what college football was like. And just in the last year, he’s finally developed some toughness and grit that will benefit him playing in the NFL.

“I would not be surprised in two years if people are looking back and saying he is potentially the best offensive linemen taken in this draft. He has the phenomenal athleticism; strength; he’s highly intelligent; and he’s just started to really get into football over the last 18 months.”

The fresh-faced Jenkins is an interesting prospect, even Gundy admitted a little deceiving. “If you saw a mugshot of him, he looks like he’s going to engineering class,” Gundy said. But over his five years at Oklahoma State, the 6-5, 317-pound Jenkins has developed an awareness of just how good he can be, with a mean streak he now embraces.

And he responds to a challenge. “Our offensive staff, particularly our o-line coach, challenged him with the personnel he was facing against Texas,” Gundy said. “And we knew in order for us to be successful offensively, he had to hold his own on the edge and he did. Essentially, his guys didn’t make any plays at all.”

The NFL is a different world, of course. So it remains to be seen if Jenkins will respond the same way at this level. But at least the Bears knew he’s got it in him.

“Teven is an interesting young man,” Gundy said. “You look at him and you say, ‘It took that long for you to realize that you were a special talent,’ and it really did with him because he had a such a laid back personality and I don’t think he ever saw himself being that good of a football player.

“That’s why I’m saying within the next couple years, the NFL is going to be really shocked at what you have. Because when we asked him and challenged him to be as good as he can be and dominate a player, we had a lot of success with him on those days.”

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Chicago Bears: 3 things to know about Teven Jenkins by Ryan Heckman

The Chicago Cubs’ first month of the season was anything but great. With an overall record of 11-15, the Cubs are at the bottom of the NL Central. I think everyone expected the Cubs to be not that great this season, but they should be more competitive than this.

The Chicago Cubs finished the month of April with a record of 11-15, and they sit at the bottom of the NL Central.

Even though the Cubs are struggling, they are finding some hitting from key members. Kris Bryant has 28 hits and seven home runs. Willson Contreras has seven home runs as well and Javier Baez is leading the team with 20 RBIs.

The pitching on the other hand has been where the Cubs have struggled. Arrieta has an ER of 15 and Hendricks is even worse at 19. Honestly, the Cubs season was not going that bad until around April 24 when they started a five-game losing streak.

The Cubs have given up at least five runs in five out of their last seven games. Getting that number down and focusing on getting some strikeouts would be great. While Kyle Hendricks might be broken and looking for answers, he and the team are going to have to find those answers on the field, not away from it.

The Cubs could tear this thing up and trade away their guys. Maybe that is the answer, but I think they still could bounce back. The Cubs have some great fielding and they still have their main guys in Rizzo, Bryant, Baez, and Contreras. The Cubs are hitting and that should not change as the season continues.

All they need to do is find a way to beat some of their division rivals a little more. The Cubs are 3-6 against Milwaukee this year, and they still have a lot of opportunities to play them throughout the year.

It is the matchups against the NL Central that matter the most. So finding a way to beat their rivals will be important. At the same time, there are some moments of fun to get fans through the tough parts of the year.

I would rate the month of April with a C for the Cubs. It started off fine with a record of 3-1 but as the season went on, the Cubs have lost more and more series and have had iffy pitching, especially against Atlanta in one of their most recent series.

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The Cubs’ next game is today against the Reds. Davies is the expected pitcher for the Cubs.

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Chicago Bears: The Bears are quietly winning the NFL Draft by Usayd Koshul

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Chicago Bears (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)

When the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft kicked off on Friday night, the Chicago Bears got to work quickly.

General manager Ryan Pace began the night by making yet another bold trade up, just six picks into the second round. When the Carolina Panthers were on the clock at pick 39, Pace sent them quite the haul.

The Bears traded their no. 52 pick, their third rounder (pick number 83) along with pick no. 204 to get up to no. 39. Fortunately, Chicago also netted a fifth rounder in return (no. 151).

With that 39th selection, the Bears somehow lucked into Oklahoma State offensive tackle Teven Jenkins.

The Chicago Bears were able to get a player mocked to them in the first round, only 19 picks later.

Over the last month or two, Jenkins was often mocked to the Bears at pick number 20 in the first round. Many fans would have been just fine had the Bears taken Jenkins there, assuming they stayed put in the first.

The Oklahoma State product was looked at as maybe the third or fourth-best offensive tackle in the draft, yet slid quite a ways for some reason. Each year, of course, some players just fall a bit. Fortunately for the Bears, they’ve been able to take full advantage of two of those players already in the draft.

Having already moved up to take Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields after he fell to no. 11, Pace is having himself quite the weekend. The Bears now have their franchise quarterback, and he’ll be protected by the Bears’ newest offensive tackle for years to come.

When speaking of that newest offensive tackle, there are three things you should know about Jenkins. It all begins with how he plays the game.

Next: 1. Nasty Demeanor

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Brown’s goal for the 2021 season was to return an entirely different player, so she took House of Athlete owner, Brandon Marshall — the former Bears receiver — up on an offer to train at his facility in the Miami area.

After the Lynx signed Aerial Powers in the WNBA’s free-agency period, Lexie Brown had a feeling her future with the team wasn’t certain.

Still, Brown’s intuition didn’t temper the frustration she felt when she found out she was being waived the day before reporting to training camp.

‘‘It’s been a frustrating but enlightening experience,’’ Brown said. ‘‘Some things are meant to teach you about yourself.’’

Selected ninth overall by the Sun in the 2018 draft, Brown said she thinks her second season was the only one that really proved what she’s capable of.

After leaving the WNBA bubble early last season because of a concussion, Brown didn’t pick up a basketball for four months. It was her first summer since turning pro that she opted not to play overseas, and she said it was exactly what she needed.

Instead of the yearlong grind most players in the WNBA commit to, Brown was able to focus on training. It’s something she wishes more women in the WNBA were able to do, but most can’t give up the supplemental income playing overseas provides.

Brown wanted to return a different player for the 2021 season, so she took House of Athlete owner Brandon Marshall — the former Bears receiver — up on an offer to train at his facility in the Miami area and put in work.

provided photo

Brown put in work training twice a day, five days a week with Vice President of pro sports at House of Athlete Mo Wells and basketball trainer Justin Zormello. Wells helped Brown reach her physical fitness goals, focusing on her strength and speed. Zormello worked with Brown on the court, helping her extend her shooting range and add other elements to her game.

She said this is the best she has looked and felt in her career.

When she got a call from Sky coach and general manager James Wade to invite her to training camp, she was confident she could turn it into a roster spot because of how she spent her offseason.

‘‘Chicago has an amazing core already,’’ Brown said. ‘‘The thing I’m asking myself is, how can I enhance that core? I’m not trying to replace the core or change it. I want to make it better.’’

The Sky aren’t lacking at guard. Of the eight players signed to training-camp contracts, five are guards. That doesn’t include rookie Shyla Heal, who is waiting on her travel visa and hasn’t been with the team through the first week of camp.

Veterans Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley also are expected to arrive during the second week of camp. Brown said she will look to Vandersloot to help her grow as a passer and to Quigley for lessons on becoming a knock-down shooter.

Chicago Sky

Wade’s expectations for Brown are simple: He wants her to play her game. More specifically, he said he wants her to have good shot production and a short memory.

He also wants Brown to be a high-level defender, an area of her game she doesn’t lack confidence in. The Sun finished third in team defense in Brown’s rookie season, and the Lynx finished fourth in 2020.

The Sky’s intensity level has been high through the first week of camp, Brown said. The team has been practicing three hours a day, but Brown said it feels like 30 minutes because of the high level they’re playing at.

That’s how Brown likes to work. After all, she’s a gym rat.

‘‘There are a lot of players who have bounced around the league until they found their home,’’ Brown said. ‘‘I don’t take this opportunity for granted.’’

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