BREAKING NEWS: Jalen Ramsy Traded to the Los Angeles Rams

BREAKING NEWS: Jalen Ramsy Traded to the Los Angeles Rams

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by | Oct 16, 2019 | Featured, NFL

ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news that disgruntled defensive back Jalen Ramsey will no longer be a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars:

In a blockbuster deal that was weeks in the making, the Los Angeles Rams have acquired All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey from the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Rams paid a hefty price for him (2020 and 2021 first-round picks and a 2021 fourth-round pick) but at 24 years old and with a contract that runs through next season he was well worth it.

Many were wondering why the Los Angels Rams choose to ship out cornerback Marcus Peters earlier today and now we have our answer. Los Angeles went from losing their top two corners—Aquib Talib was put on the IR—to adding one of the premier shutdown cornerbacks in the NFL.

There were reports that a “heart-to-heart” conversation with Jaguars owner Shad Khan might have led to Ramsey returning to the field in Jacksonville this year but that did not turn out to be the case.

Word is the back issues that Ramsey and the team have cited as the reasoning that he was not playing should not keep him off the field with his new team.

Los Angeles is no stranger to going “all-in”, last season they made a move in-season for Dante Fowler—another former Jaguars stud defender—and spent big money on Ndamukong Suh in free agency. Those moves helped the team make a run to the Super Bowl last year. After losing three straight games for the first time under Sean McVay the team is hoping that this latest addition will help right the ship.

Oct 16, 2019 No Comments
BREAKING NEWS: Los Angeles Rams Trade Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens

BREAKING NEWS: Los Angeles Rams Trade Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens

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by | Oct 15, 2019 | Featured, NFL

The NFL trade deadline is approaching quickly (October 29) but some teams are already making big moves.

Today, the Los Angeles Rams made a move, sending cornerback Marcus Peters to the Baltimore Ravens for linebacker Kenny Young.

Fox Sports’ Rob Parker was the first to report the two teams were discussing a deal for Peters:

Baltimore has been looking for defensive help and now they get to pair their own star corner, Marlon Humphrey, with a big name on the outside in Peters.

The Ravens have fallen off slightly since their hot start to the 2019 season and the hope is that Peters can be the jolt of energy this team needs to be one of the top teams in the AFC.

Oct 15, 2019 No Comments
BREAKING NEWS: New England Patriots Suspend Michael Bennett

BREAKING NEWS: New England Patriots Suspend Michael Bennett

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by | Oct 15, 2019 | Featured, NFL

In the offseason, much was made about the New England Patriots adding Michael Bennett to their defensive line. Many foresaw him as a cheaper replacement to the departed Trey Flowers and that his versatility would allow Bill Belichick to use him in a variety of ways this year.

Well the pass rush in New England has certainly seen a spark, Bennett hasn’t really been much involved. On the year he has 2.5 of the team’s 25 sacks.

The Patriots have opted to use fewer down linemen and often situate themselves in a 2-4-5 alignment. With rookie Chase Winovich making a bigger impact than expected and the team preferring to use Adam Butler, playing time for Bennett has been harder to come by.

The lesser role has not been easy for the former All-Pro to accept. It’s being reported that he got into an argument with the coaching staff, which ultimately led to his week-long suspension.

Oct 15, 2019 No Comments
OKC Thunder Fall To The Dallas Mavericks (107-70) Without CP3 & Adams

OKC Thunder Fall To The Dallas Mavericks (107-70) Without CP3 & Adams

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by | Oct 15, 2019 | Featured, NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder were 2-1 coming into tonight against the Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder would be without Steven Adams and Chris Paul on the night two of their leaders on the team. With CP3 and Adams out the game tonight in Dallas, the Thunder leaned on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari. Both Shai and Danilo had 16 points each in the evening and were able to use the paint and wide-open shots to their advantage tonight. Shai had some strong moves to the basket that were followed with some finesse layups. The way that Shai plays looks like he’s been in the NBA for more than 2 years. He plays the game with grace and plays with a smoothness that looks so unbothered when he’s attacking. One thing that he’s been able to add to his game more consistent so far is his 3 point shot. On the night he was able to get some good looks and convert. Nerlens Noel had a great night as well with 8 points and 4 blocks. He was a force in the paint and played a great role with Steven Adams out for tonight. Nerlens spoke on his performance and the team after the game in Dallas.

 

 

Danilo Gallinari was able to get his offensive game going tonight against the Mavericks after sitting out the game against New Zealand. Gallinari had some impressive And-1 plays tonight against the Mavericks where he was able to slice and dice to the rim. If Gallinari can stay healthy and compete at a high level like the Thunder/NBA know this can be something special for the team. Gallinari brings some length and someone that is a pure shooter to the Thunder. The Thunder have lacked in a knockdown shooter in the past and this could be the season we see that with some extra ball movement and people open. Danilo Gallinari can be that missing piece to the offense that can bring this team pretty far if they can continue to gel on this type of level.

 

 

Another player that impressed tonight in Dallas was Hamidou because he was able to get after Luka on the defensive end. If Hamidou can use his defense to turn into offense he could have an amazing 2 year in the NBA. So many people want to see him take that next step and he can definitely do that under the leadership of Billy Donovan. If Hami takes that next step he can be even more special and help the Thunder have a 3&D player that they can believe in on a nightly basis.

 

This game was all about growth for the Thunder as they got their first taste of Luka and Kristaps on the year. Both of them didn’t play in Tulsa for the first game of the preseason. Luka and Kristaps were able to use the ball movement from the Mavericks to their advantage as they were hitting 3 pointers and getting to the lane. Both of them finished with a combined 36 points on the night and looked really good. The Mavericks have a nice young core and if they can gel this whole team together for the season there will be some battles between them and OKC throughout the year.

The Thunder play against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night in OKC and will look to go 3-1 in the preseason.

Oct 15, 2019 No Comments
Primetime Preview: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (MNF Week 6)

Primetime Preview: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (MNF Week 6)

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by | Oct 14, 2019 | Featured, NFL

To end week 6 of the NFL season we get a great match up between division rivals at Lambeau Field. The Lions are two weeks revoked from almost handing the Chiefs a loss, but somehow Mahomes and crew pulled out the win. Matt Patricia has the defensive unit working exceptionally well and Rodgers and LaFleur will have their hands full tonight. The Packers are also coming off a strong performance at Jerry World, where Aaron Jones and the rushing attack sliced the Cowboys to shreds, as Jones totaled 4 TDs in the 34-24 beat down. Both teams will be trying to control the clock tonight, so look will Kerryon Johnson and Aaron Jones to get involved early and often. 

The Packers new look offense under rookie HC Matt LaFleur hasn’t looked too special so far. Statistically, their offense has been tolerable but not up to par with a normal Aaron Rodgers led attack. They are only averaging 23.8 Pts/game with a measly 244.2 Pass Yards/game. Even with Aaron Jones running the ball well, they only account for 93 Yards/game on the ground. The biggest jump that the Packers took over the off season was the improvement of their defense, especially in the secondary and LB Corps. Their secondary has held opponents to 238 Pass Yards/game, good enough for 13th in the league, while also being a top ten scoring defense allowing only 18.6 Pts/game. 

The Lions have been a pleasant surprise so far in 2019. With the defense looking more like a typical Patricia-led unit, the Lions have been in a position to win all of their games so far. Matthew Stafford has been terrific as well, posting the 9th best QBR so far this year. Their offense has been a splendid mesh of the run and passing games, as they rank 9th and 12th in those categories respectively. 

So many memorable games have been played between these two, with the last as the ‘Miracle in Motown’ highlighted by the Aaron Rodgers to Richard Rodgers hail mary for the win in week 13 of 2015. The Packers hold the series lead with a record of 100-73-1 against the Lions. 

The latest line for the game has the Packers as 3.5 home favorites with an Over/Under of 45.5. Even with two Quarterbacks known for slinging the ball down field, the over isn’t a sure bet here. Both teams want to establish the run and keep the ball away from the other. As both teams currently stand with only one loss, this game will have significant impact on the outlook of the NFC North.

Oct 14, 2019 No Comments
SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 Teams: #10 Boston Celtics

SneakerReporter NBA Top 30 Teams: #10 Boston Celtics

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by | Oct 14, 2019 | Featured, NBA

We’re officially on our 10-Day Countdown to the NBA Season, and us here at SneakerReporter couldn’t be any more excited. With that being said, let’s get straight into our Top 30, coming in as our 10th spot, we have the Boston Celtics.

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10. Boston Celtics: Will the Green be able to get the Gold?

The Boston Celtics are coming off a solid season, standing in at 49-33, placing 4th in the NBA Eastern Conference, unfortunately making an exit in the second-round to the Bucks. They hope to take that momentum from last year and hopefully push further into the Playoffs this season.

Last year was a roller coaster for the Celtics organization and its fans. It seemed from an outside perspective that the team was imploding from the inside, with issues regarding rotation around the point guard position, and the issue of having their starting point guard having some health issues over the course of the season. Despite a lot of moves over the off-season, the Celtics have seemed to maintained the talent that they have, arguably even surpassing themselves from the season prior. They’ve lost two of the three guards that they’ve had in rotation in Terry Rozier and Kyrie Irving, and have found themselves with Kemba Walker and rookie Carsen Edwards to fill in those minutes alongside the remaining point guard in Marcus Smart. They’ve also maintained their young core, retaining Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, and Jayson Tatum. However, we will not be seeing Al Horford with the Celtics this season, but we get to see Enes Kanter and one of the bigger (for lack of a better word) names in this years draft in 7’6″ Tacko Fall on a two-way contract. This team consists of a lot of young talent, but still has the veteran presence that teams need in order to stay course over the grueling 82-game season.

Despite being a team that is almost expected to make the Playoffs, the Celtics may surprise opposing teams. As the years have passed, and as the front office has done their best in maintaining the core that they have, the more experience these players have with one another only make things more challenging for the opposition that they’ll be facing on a nightly basis. The Celtics have officially bought in to the development of their young stars and focusing on a team basketball game, reminiscent of the San Antonio Spurs kind of basketball that most of us know and love, versus having a star player trying to carry your team. This team will be very exciting to watch this season, with the remaining roster of last season to their new acquisitions, the Celtics are once again in contention for their 18th title.

 

Oct 14, 2019 No Comments