SneakerReporter NFL Top 30: #7 Von Miller

SneakerReporter NFL Top 30: #7 Von Miller

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by | Aug 29, 2019 | Featured, NFL

7. Von Miller

Team: Denver Broncos

Position: OLB

Experience: 8 Years

Born and raised in Texas, the four star recruit stayed local and took his talents to Texas A&M University. He stayed all four years at college, piling up plenty of accolades on the way. Miller took a huge jump in his Junior year, as he totaled 17.0 sacks compared to the 3.5 his Sophomore season. His sacks declined his Senior year, racking up only 10, but his overall impact on the game was felt even more. This was large in part to his switch from DE to LB, allowing him to cover more of the field on every play. He ended his senior year as a consensus All-American, as well as the winner of the Dick Butkus Award. 

All of Miller’s hype led him to be the #2 overall pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2011 draft. Miller was the highest drafted Linebacker since LaVar Arrington in 2000. Miller also became the Aggie’s highest draft pick since 1992, when Quentin Coryatt went second overall. It didn’t take Miller long to get acclimated to the NFL game, as he made the Pro-Bowl in his rookie season. Miller has been a model of consistency throughout his NFL tenure, missing only 8 games in his 8 year career, 7 of which came in 2013 when he tore his ACL. 

Miller has endured quite a roller coaster ride of a career from a franchise standpoint. In his earlier years with the club, they were contending for championships with Peyton Manning under center. They even reached the pinnacle with the thrashing of the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. Von Miller was named Super Bowl MVP and his legacy was cemented for years to come.

Even during the Franchise’s down years (post 2015), Miller has still been a tremendous leader and presence on the field. Discounting 2013 when he tore his ACL, Miller has never had a season with less than 10.0 sacks. Miller actually has the 2nd most sacks off all active players, trailing only Terrell Suggs. He made his first First Team All-Pro in 2012, following it up with two more in 2015 and 2016. Even in down years for the Franchise, Miller’s play helps the Broncos defense remain formidable. 

Although the Broncos may be stuck in the mud due to curious personnel acquisitions by management, Von Miller is certainly here to stay. Expect at least another 3-4 years of elite level production from Miller, unless he suffers a gruesome injury. His tenacity and passion combined with his worldly athletic ability make him nearly impossible to track down as an Offensive Linemen. Miller comes in at number 7 on the NFL SneakerReporter Top 30 Countdown. NFL ranked him as #10 heading into 2019, who got it right? Leave a comment down below!

Aug 29, 2019 No Comments
SneakerReporter NFL Top 30: #8 Andrew Luck

SneakerReporter NFL Top 30: #8 Andrew Luck

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by | Aug 28, 2019 | Featured, NFL

8. Andrew Luck

Team: Indianapolis Colts

Position: QB

Experience: 7 Years

Andrew Luck was a sure thing. Coming out of Stanford he was clearly head and shoulders above his peers. This is why the Indianapolis Colts let go of future Hall of Fame quarterback, and up to that point “Mr. Colt”, Peyton Manning so that they could hand the reigns of the franchise over the Luck immediately. His talent was evident right away but the supporting players around him didn’t match his level to help the Colts produce wins immediately. Still, the team felt that they had their franchise quarterback locked in for the next decade-plus.

Then, on Saturday August 24, news leaked that Luck—who had missed the bulk of minicamp and training camp this offseason with lingering ankle and calf issues—was going to retire from the NFL. Everyone was shocked. It didn’t make sense that a 29-year-old All-Pro quarterback would decide to walk away from the game in his prime. Especially with the changes to how the game is officiated and how quarterbacks are more protected now than ever. However, Luck is gone for now and all we can do is look back on his career instead of looking ahead as we’ve done for the previous selections on the SneakerReporter Top 30.

In his seven seasons Luck easily cemented his status as one of the elite players at his position. His numbers were among the top tier year-in and year-out. He made the Pro Bowl the first three seasons of his NFL career. In 2014 he eclipsed Peyton Manning’s single-season record for passing yards by throwing for 4,761 yards. It was very evident that he would have written his name in numerous record books had his career continued past 2018. During his time with the team there weren’t many players elsewhere that were better.

Injuries were ultimately the downfall of his short-lived career. In 2016 he suffered a shoulder injury on his throwing arm that eventually forced him to sit out for the entirety of the 2017 year. He followed that up by winning AP Comeback Player of the Year in what would end up being his final season in the league. Earlier we alluded to the ankle and calf injury that kept him sidelined to begin this summer. The daunting task—both physically and mentally—of another prolonged rehabilitation made Luck decide that it was time for him to call it quits and hang up the jersey.

In the end, even though we didn’t get as long of a career out of Luck as we are accustomed to he still made his mark on the Colts and the NFL. Instead of harping on what we will be missing it’s best to reflect on the seven years that we were able to watch one of the premier players in the league’s history. Luck earned his spot on this list even though he will ultimately not play a single down this season.

Aug 28, 2019 No Comments
SneakerReporter NFL Top 30: #9 Julio Jones

SneakerReporter NFL Top 30: #9 Julio Jones

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by | Aug 27, 2019 | Featured, NFL

9. Julio Jones

Position: WR

Team: Atlanta Falcons

Experience: 8 Years

Julio Jones has been one of the leagues top receivers for the last decade, as he burst onto the scene during his 2011 rookie campaign. The 6’3” 220 lb. wide out has always been a freak of nature, as his nickname in high school was “Waffle House” — because he was always open. The freak took his talents to Alabama for collegiate ball, and Jones certainly balled out. Jones had three terrific seasons on the Crimson Tide. His best year came in his last season as a junior, as he totaled 78 catches for 1133 yards and 7 TDs. 

Entering the league in 2011, Jones wasn’t the primary option on his team to start. He joined the Atlanta Falcons offense who already had the talented Roddy White, a first round pick by the Falcons in 2005. The two quickly formed one of the leagues top duos at the position, and Jones fell just short of the 1000 yard barrier at 954 in his rookie season. He did this on only 54 receptions, putting him at 17.8 yards/reception, the highest mark of his career. 

Jones continued to impress into his sophomore season, as he reached nearly 1200 yards and 10 TDs. If Jones had any negatives to his game it would be his lack of TDs on a per/year basis, as the 10 in his 2nd year is still his highest total to this date. Most analysts can chalk this up to bad luck, being tackled inside the 5, or the Falcons inability to target one of the best jump ball receivers in the red zone. 

Jones suffered his only major injury in 2013, and he was only able to start and play in 5 games that season. Jones fractured his foot in a Monday night battle against the Jets which sidelined him the remaining 11 games of the year. After this injury, Jones has remained remarkably healthy, playing in 14 or more games in every other year of his career. Jones made his first Pro-Bowl in 2012, and has been elected to five more since then. Jones received his first All-Pro honors in 2015, during perhaps his best statistical season. He led the league in receptions, yards, and yards/game. He totaled a monstrous 136 grabs for 1871 yards! 

Julio has been one of the best offensive skill players since he was drafted 6th overall to the Atlanta Falcons in 2011. The dude is just a generational type of athlete. Jones has always been near the top of the league in yards and yards/game. The only thing left for Jones to accomplish would be the elusive 2000 receiving yards. Jones is undoubtedly on his way to a Hall of Fame career, the only question is how many years can he keep putting up video game numbers?

Aug 27, 2019 No Comments
D23’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Trailer Making Fans Rage Quit

D23’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Trailer Making Fans Rage Quit

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by | Aug 27, 2019 | Featured

The wonderful world of Disney has become one of the biggest media conglomerates we have today, The Mouse house’s power was on full display at this past weekends D23 expo. Look no further than Lucas films trailer of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” The trailer’s OK fans a stunning visual of a galaxy far far away, featuring old and new faces.

When we last saw our heroes in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) hologram told Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) his NOT in fact going to be the Last Jedi, viewers than see Rey (Daisy Ridley) to rescue the remaining members of the Rebel Alliance using her Force powers, and later an unnamed boy using the Force to sweep. These scenes, in particular, set up the next generation of Force users who don’t obtain their powers from a traditional Jedi heritage but it stems from somewhere else.

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So the trailer for the final episode in this amazing trilogy comes at us full force, beginning with old footage from the previous “Star Wars” films. Once that’s over, we get a glimpse of the last episode. Rey fighting against Kylo Ren, atop a ship, dozens of Star Destroyer ships can be seen in formation, possibly preparing for battle, but the most shocking clip is that of Dark Rey holding a red lightsaber in swiss-army fashion becomes a bow staff. Her hood and red lightsaber hint at the possible turn to the dark side. With that being the final scene let the theories began, we won’t know the truth until “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” releases on December 20.

Aug 27, 2019 No Comments
Disney Releases Posters of Upcoming Project set to air on New Streaming Service this Fall

Disney Releases Posters of Upcoming Project set to air on New Streaming Service this Fall

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by | Aug 26, 2019 | Featured

As Disney’s largest fan event in the world celebrates all the wonderful worlds of The Walt Disney Company under one roof came to a close this past week one presentation that fans couldn’t wait to get more information about was Disney+ service. The streaming service that has been getting more traction the closer we all get to the launch this November. The studio has released posters for some of their upcoming projects including The Mandalorian, Lady and the Tramp, Noelle, High School Musical The Series, and The World According to Jeff Goldblum.

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The Mandalorian stars Pedro Pascal (Narcos) as “a lone Mandalorian gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy.” Set after the fall of the Empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic.

Other actors to join the series includes Gina Carano (Deadpool) as Cara Dune, a former Shock Trooper turned mercenary. Fighting in the Galactic Civil War under the banner of the Rebellion. Carl Weathers (Predator) as Greef Carga, he is the one who asks The Mandalorian to take on an assignment that nobody else wants. As the leader of the bounty hunters guild. And Taika Waititi as the voice of the droid IG-11, a bounty hunting droid who often gets mistaken for the famous IG-88 in the show.

Image result for lady and the tramp 2019 poster

A retelling of a Disney classic that gets the live-action treatment, Lady and the Tramp is a story that follows a pampered cocker spaniel named Lady whose comfortable life slips away once her owners have a baby. When, after some tense circumstances, Lady finds herself on the loose and out on the street, she is befriended and protected by the tough stray mutt Tramp. A romance begins to blossom between the two dogs, but their many differences, along with more drama at Lady’s household, threaten to keep them apart.

Lady and Tramp will be voiced by Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux. Joined by Benedict Wong as Bull and Ashley Jensen as Jackie. Janelle Monáe has jumped on board as Peg, the pound dog who was voiced by Peggy Lee in the original animated film in 1955. Kiersey Clemons will play Darling, and Thomas Mann will play Jim Dear, the owner of Lady, the refined and pampered cocker spaniel who falls in love with Tramp. Then there’s Yvette Nicole Brown as Darling’s dog-hating Aunt Sarah. 

Image result for Noelle is a Disney+ 2019 poster

Noelle is a Disney+ original movie that stars Anna Kendrick and Bill Hader. The story follows Kendrick as the daughter of Santa Claus, and she ventures out into the real world when her brother Nick goes missing. He is supposed to take over for Santa. This looks like a fake movie, but it’s real. I guess Disney is tapping into the Hallmark market.

Image result for Noelle is a Disney+ 2019 poster

High School Musical: The Musical will be about a high school production of High School Musical. The show will be shot as a docu-style series and follow a group of students at East High who stage a performance of High School Musical for their winter theater production only to realize that as much drama happens off-stage as on stage. Every episode will feature a new rendition of a song from High School Musical as well as an original song.

Image result for Noelle is a Disney+ 2019 poster

The World According to Jeff Goldblum centers on the actor as he offers a full behind-the-scenes story of everyday items like speakers, tattoos, gaming, sneakers, bicycles, jewelry, ice cream, and more!

These movies and shows as while as many from Disney vast library of entertainment will be available when Disney+ launches on November 12, 2019.

Aug 26, 2019 No Comments