efore moving to receiver in college at Stanford.I had to get used

NEW YORK -- Second baseman Neil Walker has accepted a $17.2 million qualifying offer and will return to the New York Mets for 2017.Walker confirmed via Twitter that he will be back with the Mets. Happy to say Im back in Orange and Blue for 2017!! Lets go Mets! #unfinishedbusiness, Walker posted on Monday.?Walker underwent season-ending surgery to repair a herniated disk on Sept. 8. That likely depressed his ability to get a multiyear contract, even though his lower-back woes are expected to be behind him.Absent the back surgery, Walker might have been able to land a deal between what Daniel Murphy received with the Nationals (three years, $37.5M) and Ben Zobrist received with the Cubs (four years, $56M) last offseason.Walker, 31, hit .282 with 23 homers and 55 RBIs in 412 at-bats with the Mets in 2016. The long ball total matched his career high and trailed only that of St. Louis Jedd Gyorko (30) and Murphy (25) among National League second basemen.Walkers return for the 2017 season raises the Mets payroll commitment, including estimates for arbitration-eligible players, to roughly $124 million. It has a direct impact on Jose Reyes, who might recede to a backup role with, potentially, some outfield time, assuming starting infielders David Wright, Asdrubal Cabrera, Walker and Lucas Duda?are all healthy.A Pittsburgh native, Walker was selected by his hometown club in the first round of the 2004 draft. He remained with the Pirates until he was traded to the Mets last December for left-hander Jonathon Niese.Despite the lack of a long-term attachment to the Mets, Walker demonstrated his affinity for the team by maintaining a presence in the clubhouse this past season, even after undergoing back surgery with nearly a month remaining in the season. His wife gave birth to the couples first child, daughter Nora Vail, in late August.Outfielder Yoenis Cespedes will decline his qualifying offer. After he vacated the remaining two years and $47.5 million on his previous contract by opting out, returning for one season at $17.2 million wouldnt have made sense. The Mets will recoup a draft pick if Cespedes signs elsewhere, though there is still a chance he returns.Eight other free agents did not accept offers from their former teams by Mondays 5 p.m. EST deadline: outfielders Jose Bautista (Toronto), Ian Desmond (Texas), Dexter Fowler (Chicago Cubs) and Mark Trumbo (Baltimore), designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (Toronto), closer Kenley Jansen (Los Angeles Dodgers) and third baseman Justin Turner (Dodgers).Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.Buy Adidas NMD Australia . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. 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Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN.GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Three straight wins are nice for the Green Bay Packers, but dont start talking to coach Mike McCarthy about postseason possibilities until they get to 10 victories.To do that, they need to win their final three regular-season games.If you get 10 wins, then lets talk about the playoffs. Until then, its all white noise, McCarthy said Monday.The Packers are certainly in much better shape than three weeks ago. They looked lost then after their record dropped to 4-6 thanks to a four-game skid that culminated with demoralizing back-to-back blowout losses at Tennessee and Washington.Now Green Bay is back to meting out decisive victories over quality opponents.Its been a while since we played with that type of energy and intensity. Obviously, you see what happens when we do, guard T.J. Lang said after the 38-10 win on Sunday over the Seattle Seahawks.This was an across-the-board whitewash of Seattle that perhaps few people outside of the Packers locker room saw coming. Even Lang, a veteran on the offensive line seemed a little surprised.I didnt see the game playing out like that. Our defense would probably tell you different, with the way they were able to take the ball away. Just a great team game, Lang said.There wasnt much time to celebrate on Monday. McCarthy refocused quickly on the Packers next opponent, the Chicago Bears, a game that begins a three-week stretch against NFC North foes to finish the regular season.The Packers (7-6) are tied with Minnesota in second behind division-leading Detroit , which has a two-game lead.Quarterback Aaron Rodgers hurt his right calf on Sunday while throwing a 66-yard touchdown pass to Davante Adams on the third play of the game. Rodgers is already dealing with a sore left hamstring. Playing with limited mobility, Rodgers nevertheless dissected Seattles defense for 246 yards and three scores before leaving early in the fourth quarter with his team up by four scores.What was important for Rodgers, McCarthy said, was thatt he still had the ability to move in the pocket if needed.dddddddddddd.If you cant reset your feet, I dont know how you can perform. But his ability to reset his feet and extend the time-clock ... the progression of the route concepts, was key, McCarthy said. As long as he can do that, then well be fine.It helps that the Packers are getting healthier in some areas on both sides of the ball, or finding new ways to compensate for injured players.Langs return from a foot injury following a three-game absence was a boost to an offensive line that is playing.McCarthy disclosed on Monday that former receiver Ty Montgomery is now a full-time running back, a change made partly out of necessity at some point earlier in the year because of the season-ending ankle injury to Eddie Lacy in Week 5.Montgomery, who also lined up in the slot at times on Sunday, is showing flashes of playmaking promise finished with nine carries for 41 yards rushing and a score, along with three catches for 45 yards. He played running back in high school before moving to receiver in college at Stanford.I had to get used to it a little bit at first, Montgomery said. I didnt play that much running back in college, and then playing at the NFL and playing running back is definitely a difference, but its fun.On defense, the secondary has been bolstered in recent weeks by the return of cornerback Damarious Randall from a groin injury. He grabbed two of Russell Wilsons career-high five interceptions, including one after sprinting and jumping front of a receiver at the goal line to take the ball away.The Packers have given up 36 points over the last three games -- or six less than what they gave up in the 42-24 loss to the Redskins alone on Nov. 20.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL .---Follow Genaro Armas at: https://twitter.com/GArmasAP ' ' '