The Houston Texans and Jadeveon Clowney have been at an impasse ever since the two sides couldn’t agree on a new contract. The franchise tag was ultimately applied to edge rusher but he refused to sign the tender or report to camp.
As the offseason progressed into training camp, it seemed less likely that Clowney would ever suit up for the Texans again.
Once he made it known that he was willing to miss games the conversation changed from how they could keep him to who they could deal him for.
Simply put, DeAndre Hopkins is the best wide receiver in the NFL. Debate if you want but the job of the receiver is to catch passes and last season, Hopkins did not drop a single ball. That’s right, he was thrown 115 catchable passes last year and he finished with 115 receptions. He was an offense all to himself. No matter how opponents chose to defend him if the ball was within his catch radius it was going to come down in his possession. Hopkins has gotten better each season and it is scary to think what the next step in his progression will be.
Even before Andrew Luck decided to retire, the Houston Texans were considered a team that not only could win the AFC South but also be a threat to the New England Patriots in the AFC. Part of the reason is the connection that Hopkins and Deshaun Watson have developed. Their production is equal to or better than any other quarterback and wide receiver duo currently in the league. Capitalizing on this pair is important, As long as both remain healthy this franchise will surely be in the discussion for the playoffs.
For his part, Hopkins is truly a complete receiver. He can run a complete route tree. He has the speed to burst past taller cornerbacks and the size to jump over smaller cornerbacks. Unless he lines up against an All-Pro defensive back (sometimes even that isn’ enough) you can pencil him in with a catch if Houston runs a passing play. If the team success can match the stats that Hopkins routinely puts up then by this time next year he could be the clear-cut answer for the question of who’s the best wideout in the NFL.
He’s coming off of back-to-back First-Team All-Pro selections and looks on the path to repeat everything we saw from him last season. The Texans have added Will Fuller V and Keke Coutee to their receiver room in hopes of opening the field for Hopkins even more. However, the two of them have rarely been able to stay on the field as they have piled up injury after injury over the course of their short times in the league to date. If the supporting pieces are available Hopkins overall numbers may dip some but he could be even more efficient–if it is even possible to be more efficient than not dropping a single pass.
At the end of the day, regardless of who’s out there with him and who’s throwing him the ball, Hopkins has the talent to dominate. He has done just that over the last two seasons. If he continues, there’s a chance that his name will land even higher on this list when it comes out next year.
In recent years one of the biggest uncertainties when it came to the Detroit Pistons was if Reggie Jackson would be healthy enough to play the whole season. These questions & uncertainties took a toll on optimistic Pistons fans as they hoped for their team to go into each season at a hundred percent. Reggie Jackson recently did an interview with The Detroit News, where he detailed the toll that his reoccurring injuries had placed on him. Getting so bad that he even contemplated retirement once his contract was up.
“A few years back, I thought (my future) was retirement after this season,” Jackson said in his interview with The Detroit News. “I’m just happy to be in a good state of mind and playing ball this year. We’ll figure (the future) out from there. I’m excited about what we can possibly do this year… I was just getting injured too much and I had hit basketball depression and it was a point in time that I really didn’t want to deal with the game anymore. It was more the injuries that started to have that (retirement) thought creep in my head.”
Hopefully, this is the end of Reggie Jackson injury woes, and he can get back to the high level of basketball he’s so accustomed to playing at. After playing 82 games last season averaging 15.4 points & 4.2 assists on 42% FG shooting, he may be ready to do just that.
The 2019 college football season is underway, with teams officially kicking off last weekend. Most teams, however, will play their first games this coming weekend. In high-profile Division I football, new seasons mean new uniforms. For a lot of teams, it’s unexpected to keep the same uniform combo for more than a few years. For the flagship sponsored schools, they get special edition or new uniforms almost every season. Let’s face it, in today’s world a “cool” uniform can mean getting one more prized recruit, and getting 17-year-olds to pay attention to your program. We compiled a list of the Top 10 Most “Swagged Out” Teams of College Football – when it comes to uniforms, cleats, gear, helmets, and color schemes. Sorry to schools like Alabama, Auburn, USC, Penn State, Texas, and Georgia – you guys can have all the wins, national championships and bowl victories, but your “traditional” uniforms just aren’t going to cut it for this article. What also should be noted is that we ranked these “swagged out” schools not only by their uniforms and gear from this season, but the last handful of seasons as well. Take a look below for this Top 10 list and there should be no surprise as to who is #1.
After a collection celebrating Kobe’s acolytes (DeRozan, Booker, Antetokounmpo, & Kuzma) the Undefeated Kobe Protro 4 returns with a pair honoring the man himself.
This slick black colorway maintains the iridescent shimmer of the other four with the matching UNDFTD and Nike branding as well. These shimmering black kicks represents Kobe’s nom DE guerre “The Black Mamba” and are set to release September 13th.
Are these a cop? Which did you grab out of the UNDFTD X Nike Kobe 4 collection? Let us know.
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!
