Is it Time to Worry About Andrew Luck?

Is it Time to Worry About Andrew Luck?

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by | Aug 14, 2019 | Featured, NFL

Last season, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck had arguably the best year of his NFL career. He threw for 4,593 yards, 39 touchdowns, 67.3 completion percentage, and set career highs in completions (430) and attempts (639). The team went 10-6 and lost in the Divisional Round to the Kansas City Chiefs. It was a comeback season for the former number one overall pick who missed all of 2017 with a shoulder injury.

The shoulder injury was a curious one as it was an injury and surgery that was supposed to only sideline the signal-caller through the offseason, Luck wasn’t even ready to throw a real football in training camp. In the end, he sat the entire season to make sure that he would be perfectly healthy in the future.

Well, we’re in the future and Luck is not healthy. The Colts had spent money and draft capital to try and fortify their roster so that their season wouldn’t live or die on the play of Luck. Pundits were highlighting Indianapolis as a team capable of making a run to Miami for Super Bowl LIV in February 2020.

All the progress and good feelings came to a screeching halt when it was first announced that Luck was dealing with another injury. However, it wasn’t an upper-body injury but instead discomfort in his calf that sidelined him. In March, an MRI revealed that he was dealing with a calf strain in his right leg. During organized team activities (OTAs) and training camp in May and June, the Colts opted to hold out Luck for some practices. By July, head coach Frank Reich was referencing the calf strain and resulting Achilles tear of NBA superstar, Kevin Durant when discussing the precautions the team was taking with the face of their franchise.

Then on Monday, Colts owner Jim Irsay provided us with an update that the team believed that it was a small bone—the os trigonum—that was responsible for the persistent pain that the quarterback was dealing with.

Yet, one day later, general manager Chris Ballard refuted that report (it turns out only 5-10 percent of the population even has an os trigonum) and said that it has become more of an ankle injury. “From the start we’ve been dealing with a calf injury,” Ballard said, via ESPN’s Mike Wells article. “In March through camp, dealing with a calf and then little area below his calf, which Andrew kind of referred to as a lower leg where he was dealing with some pain, almost in the ankle area. The injury wasn’t getting better and hadn’t been practicing, so in the course of dealing with the calf injury, it appears that now we have an ankle issue.”

The NFL season gets underway in less than a month and the Colts aren’t ready to comment on what Luck’s status will be to begin the year. Compare that to 2017, when Irsay was on record saying he didn’t believe the quarterback would miss any time and it’s easy to make an assumption that the current injury situation is worse than the shoulder injury that kept him off the field for an entire season.

When he’s healthy, Luck is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. However, in the last four seasons, including 2019, he’s only been 100 percent healthy for one of them. If he is able to return to the field this year then all eyes will be on how he looks. If not, he will likely get brandished with the tag of being injury prone.

Over the course of five months, this injury has not only worsened but moved to a completely different part of the body. It is surely time for this franchise to panic.

Aug 14, 2019 No Comments
Top 10 Cleats Worn During 2019 NFL Training Camp

Top 10 Cleats Worn During 2019 NFL Training Camp

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by | Aug 14, 2019 | Featured, NFL, uncategorised

For most NFL teams, the grind of training camp is just about over. Pre-season games started a week ago and players, along with fans, are ready for the regular season to get underway. In 2019 there are many storylines surrounding the NFL, especially with star players getting acclimated to their new teams. Just because the regular season hasn’t kicked off yet, doesn’t mean the players haven’t been bringing the heat to the practice field when it comes to their cleats. These NFL players don’t want the NBA guys getting all the attention. Although athletes are more limited with their footwear on a football field as opposed to a basketball court, NFL players have made big strides to try to keep up in just the past few years. Whether it be custom cleats through collaboration with a shoe artist, the newest cleats with brand new innovative technology, or being fortunate enough to be signed to Jordan Brand and wear P.E.’s of Air Jordan signature models – NFL stars are putting a spotlight on their feet. Knowing all of this, we compiled a list of the Top 10 cleats worn during the 2019 NFL Training Camp.

 

               

(10) Nike Alpha Shark 3/4 “Bloody Mary’s” (Texans Custom)

Jaleel Addae – Houston Texans – Cleats: @solesbysir

 

 

               

(9) Nike Superbad Pro “LV x Supreme” Custom

Drew Brees – New Orleans Saints – Cleats: @solesbysir

 

 

               

(8) Adidas adiZero 5-Star 7.0 “Buzz Lightyear” Custom

Stefon Diggs – Minnesota Vikings – Cleats: @mache275

 

 

               

(7) Air Jordan 1 Retro (Redskins P.E. & Bred Low)

Dwayne Haskins Jr. – Washington Redskins – Jordan Brand

 

 

         

(6) Nipsey Hustle “Crenshaw” Customs

Desean Jackson – Philadelphia Eagles – Cleats: @solesbysir

 

 

         

(5) Air Jordan 11 Retro “Eagles” P.E.

Jordan Howard – Philadelphia Eagles – Jordan Brand

 

 

               

(4) Air Jordan 13 Retro “Colts” P.E.

Malik Hooker – Indianapolis Colts – Jordan Brand

 

 

               

(3 – tied) Air Jordan 1 Retro “Ravens” P.E.

Earl Thomas III – Baltimore Ravens – Jordan Brand

 

 

               

(3 – tied) Air Jordan 1 Retro “Packers” P.E.’s

Deshone Kizer – Green Bay Packers – Jordan Brand

 

 

               

(2) Air Jordan 11 Retro “Steelers” P.E.’s

Joe Haden – Pittsburgh Steelers – Jordan Brand

 

 

               

(1) Nike Vapor Untouchable Pro 3 “OBJ” P.E.’s

Odell Beckham Jr. – Cleveland Browns – Nike

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aug 14, 2019 No Comments
SneakerReporter NFL Top 30: #21 J.J. Watt

SneakerReporter NFL Top 30: #21 J.J. Watt

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by | Aug 14, 2019 | Featured, NFL

21. J.J. Watt

Team: Houston Texans

Position: DE

Experience: 8 Years

The Houston Texans selected DE J.J. Watt out of Wisconsin with the 11th overall pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Like many others, Watt forgave his senior season in college to join the NFL. After transferring to Wisconsin from Central Michigan for his sophomore and junior seasons, Watt became a can’t miss prospect in the 2011 draft. In his senior year at Wisconsin, Watt totaled 62 tackles (21 for a loss) along with 7.0 sacks. His excellent play earned him the Ronnie Lott Trophy in 2010 as the defensive impact player of the year. 

Watt has been terrorizing offenses since he stepped foot into the league. In his rookie season with the Texans, Watt started in all 16 games and finished with two fumble recoveries, 13 tackles for losses, and 5.5 sacks. He leaped to super-stardom during his 2nd season in 2012, when he received his first All-Pro and Pro-Bowl nominations. He did this by reeling off 69 tackles including 39 for loss along with 20.5 sacks, both of which led the NFL. Watt was the young leader of Houston’s defensive unit that ranked top 10 in yardage and scoring. 

The three year stretch following 2012 was more of the same for Watt. He continued to produce all over the field, racking up three more All-Pro and Pro-Bowl selections. However, the success of the team was not directly correlated to Watt’s dominance, as Houston suffered a rough 2-14 year in 2013, followed by back-to back 9-7 seasons as new head coach Bill O’Brien took over the team. Watt became a household name throughout these seasons and solidified his name with the greats in 2014 as he became the first player in NFL history with 20+ sacks in two seasons. 

The next two years were disappointing for Watt as he managed to play in just eight games over the two year span. He had surgery for a herniated disc in his back in July 2016, but started the regular season on time. He played in only three games before re-injuring his back and needing another surgery that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Watt looked healthy for 2017 and he started the first 5 games on the season before suffering a leg tibia plateau fracture, knocking him out the remaining 11 games of 2017. 

There were question marks surrounding Watt’s future in the league after multiple severe injuries and surgeries. Watt put the doubts to rest as he returned for a full 16 games in 2018 at the elite level fans are used. He totaled 16.0 sacks and 7 forced fumbles, stats that put him 2nd and 1st in the league respectively. He received All-Pro and Pro-Bowl honors for the fifth time in his career. With the health concerns in his past, Watt looks primed to have another All-Pro season in 2019. 

Aug 14, 2019 No Comments
Jay-Z and NFL to Collaborate on Social Justice

Jay-Z and NFL to Collaborate on Social Justice

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by | Aug 13, 2019 | Featured, NFL

It was announced today that Jay-Z’s entertainment and sports company, Roc Nation, and the NFL would be teaming up to help fortify the league’s Inspire Change social justice campaign. With players kneeling during the national anthem, Colin Kapernick’s alleged blackballing, and current Miami Dolphins wide receiver Kenny Stills calling out the team’s owner for a pro-Donald Trump event, being in ties with one of the largest celebrities in the African-American community is a huge deal for the NFL.

The deal also gives Roc Nation the title of “live music entertainment strategist” for the NFL which will allow them to have a say in which artists perform at NFL-sanctioned events including the Super Bowl Halftime Show. Last year, the show received some pushback after selecting pop band Maroon 5 to headline the show instead of an Atlanta-based act.

This isn’t Roc Nation’s lone connection to the sport. Their sports agency, Roc Nation Sports, reps such high-caliber NFL players as Saquon Barkley, Leonard Fournette, Todd Gurley, Melvin Ingram, Juju Smith-Schuster, and Ndamukong Suh as well as former players Dez Bryant and Victor Cruz.

For his part, Jay-Z famously rapped, “I said no to the Super Bowl, you need me, I don’t need you” on the song APESH*T. The rapper has been vocal in his support of Kapernick, calling him an “iconic figure” and wearing a custom Kapernick jersey in 2017 during his performance on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Of this new joint-venture, Jay-Z had the following to say, “The N.F.L. has a great big platform, and it has to be all-inclusive. They were willing to do some things, to make some changes, that we can do some good.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said of the two sides working together, “We don’t want people to come in and necessarily agree with us; we want people to come in and tell us what we can do better. I think that’s a core element of our relationship between the two organizations, and with Jay and I personally.”

Aug 13, 2019 No Comments
SneakerReporter NFL Top 30: #22 Ezekiel Elliott

SneakerReporter NFL Top 30: #22 Ezekiel Elliott

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by | Aug 13, 2019 | Featured, NFL

22. Ezekiel Elliott

Team: Dallas Cowboys

Position: RB

Experience: 3 Years

In his first NFL season, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott set the league ablaze. He was selected to the Pro Bowl and named First-Team All-Pro off the strength of his league-leading 1,631 rushing yards in 15 games. Elliott’s combination of speed and strength was maximized by the quality of the Cowboys offensive line. The end result was a bull in a china shop style of smashmouth football that helped catapult to the top of the NFC with a 13-3 record. The running back restored Dallas back to its once glorious standing in the league in a short time.

However, with all the great things that Elliott was doing on the field, he kept running into trouble with his actions off the field. In his second season, Elliott served a six-game suspension after being accused of domestic violence against his former girlfriend. He tried to fight against the suspensions with appeals and court junctions, but in the end, he served the suspension for the last six weeks of the Cowboys season. Though he hasn’t been suspended again since he’s managed to get caught up in some type of scandal or confrontation that lands him in the headlines for the wrong reasons.

So far he’s managed to stay off the field this year of his own accord. Elliott is still under terms of his rookie contract which gives the Cowboys a guaranteed two-years of control over him (fifth-year option and franchise tag) but the running back wants to get paid like the top-tier back that he is. Over the years, the running back position has become a place where teams tend not to invest big money financially. Yet, Elliott has been so good for Dallas that he is in a bind. If he plays out his rookie deal it is unlikely he will ever capitalize on his skills monetarily. He’s been a hold out for all of Dallas’ training camp and has made it known that he doesn’t intend to play a single down without a new contract.

According to Forbes, the Cowboys are the sports franchise with the highest value in 2019 ($5 billion). It would stand to rest that Jerry Jones has enough to give Elliott a contract that would make him the highest-paid player at his position—currently, that resides with Todd Gurley (four-year, $57 million). When Dallas opted to select Elliott fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, the team seemingly married themselves with him for the long haul. Other teams have found their star backs in later rounds (see: Alvin Kamara) which cheapens the initial contract of the player.

The money is on the two sides figuring something out. As great as Dallas has been since 2016, along with the improvements made by Dak Prescott, and the additions to their defense, this is still a team that will go as far as Elliott carries them. Without him they are barely a playoff team, with him they are talented enough to end their 23-year Super Bowl drought. For this team, Elliott is worth every penny he’s asking for.

Aug 13, 2019 No Comments
SneakerReporter NFL Top 30: #23 Saquon Barkley

SneakerReporter NFL Top 30: #23 Saquon Barkley

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by | Aug 12, 2019 | Featured, NFL

23. Saquon Barkley

Team: New York Giants

Position: RB

Experience: 1 Year

At number 23 on the SneakerReporter Top 30 countdown is Saquon Barkley. Barkley was a four star recruit coming out of high school, attending Whitehall High School in Township Pennsylvania. He committed to play at Penn State and in his three years as a Nittany Lion, Barkley continued to flourish. He played over 11 games in all three of his collegiate years, totalling over 1200 yards and 8 TDs in every season. As more and more of his highlights hit the mainstream media, it was easy to tell that Barkley was different. 

Barkley’s mold is something we have never seen. He has Barry Sanders level agility and elusiveness, combined with Marshawn Lynch-type power. Now add onto this his next-level breakaway speed and terrific hands in the passing game and you may have the best running back in the game today. Barkley is essentially a real life create-a-player, with all of the attributes maxed out. Legitimately the only concern surrounding Barkley heading into 2019 is something that he cannot even control, the play of his Quarterback.

Assuming Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys reach a deal, the top 4 consensus Fantasy picks are Barkley, Elliott, Kamara, and McCaffrey. If Barkley was on any of those other offenses, he would be drafted 1st in every single league. He is the most talented RB in the league, but the Eli Manning saga is still very alive for the G-Men. Daniel Jones looked awfully impressive in his first preseason game, but when will he become the starter? With the loss of Odell Beckham Jr., Saquon will now be asked to carry the whole offense on his shoulders. There is no doubt he will end up as their leading rusher and receiver in 2019, especially since Sterling Shepard and Golden Tate will be sidelined to start the season.

Even with a sub-par offense in 2018, Barkley still found a way to put up big numbers. In his rookie season, Barkley elapsed 2000 yards from scrimmage, joining only Eric Dickerson and Edgerrin James as the only players in NFL history to do so. Barkley rushed for over 1300 yards on only 261 carries, finding the end zone 11 times. Barkley had the most rush yards/attempt by anyone with over 200 carries last year. Barkley also dazzled the fans with his receiving ability, as he caught 91 passes for a total of 721 yards and 4 TDs. 

So what is next for Barkley? Even if Daniel Jones is the answer for the Giants, they still need to solidify the offensive line and add another perimeter threat to lighten the box for him. Even without these changes, Barkley will still be a nightmare for all Defensive Coordinators trying to stop him. Barkley’s health has yet to be a concern throughout his collegiate and professional career, large in part to his excessive training and ridiculous workout regiment. The sky’s the limit for Barkley,  but us fans just have to hope the Giants don’t screw it up. Barkley is a once in a lifetime talent that will be one of the best RBs for the next generation of football, regardless of circumstance. 

Aug 12, 2019 No Comments