Five Quarterbacks That Need Contract Extensions

Five Quarterbacks That Need Contract Extensions

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by | Jun 7, 2019 | Featured, NFL

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Eagles announced that they reached an agreement with quarterback Carson Wentz on a contract extension that keeps him with the team until 2024. Wentz now is under contract for six years for $154 million (with over $107 million guaranteed).

The Eagles have planted their flag with the fourth-year pro and former second overall pick. They are all-in on Wentz being the face of the franchise and their quarterback for now and in the future. In his second season in the NFL Wentz had a breakout campaign; the Eagles went 11-2 with him as their starter and he threw for nearly 3300 yards and 33 touchdowns–with only seven interceptions.

However, Wentz would miss the remainder of what ultimately became a Super Bowl-winning run due to a torn ACL. He then led Philadelphia to a disappointing 5-6 record before being sidelined once again for the rest of the year with a stress fracture in his back.

He’s cleared and back on the field and obviously, Philadelphia isn’t worried about his health. With the Eagles committing so heavily to Wentz at this juncture it allows us to turn our eyes elsewhere and see who is the next quarterback to be shown the money.

1. Patrick Mahomes

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The reigning MVP of the NFL is going to be the highest paid player in the NFL soon. In just his second year in the league, he revolutionized the position single-handedly. Mahomes ability to make plays inside and outside of the pocket combined with a rocket launcher for an arm he looked like the most-skilled quarterback since Aaron Rodgers.

Kansas City was all-in on Mahomes since they traded up to the 10th overall slot in the 2017 NFL Draft to select him. After taking a year to learn Andy Reid’s system, Mahomes tore through the entire league during his first season as a starter.

With weapons in the backfield and in the receiving corps, the Chiefs are positioned to be one of the better offensive teams for the foreseeable future.

At just 23 years old Mahomes has the best combination of youth and skills of any skill player in the NFL. That’s not something to just bat an eyelid at. Kansas City could hand Mahomes a blank check and still be making a smart investment at quarterback.

2. Dak Prescott

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The Dallas Cowboys are finally making their way back to sustained consistency. After dominating the late-80s and mid-90s, the star had lost some of its shine. Yet, Dallas also struck gold in the 2016 NFL Draft when they found Dak Prescott in the fourth round.

Since becoming the starter, Dallas has won two-thirds of their games (32-16) and have made the playoffs in two of the three seasons.

Prescott was known as more of a running quarterback during his time at Mississippi State, but he’s eclipsed the 3300-yard plateau each year and only completed less than 67 percent of his passes in one season (2017).

Jerry Jones knows how important Prescott has been to the turnaround in Dallas and making sure he’s properly compensated should be priority number one going forward. However, with the deals of Ezekiel Elliott and Amari Cooper nearing completion as well, that means Jones might have to go very deep into his pockets to keep the current iteration of these Cowboys together.

3. Jared Goff

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The Los Angeles Rams are fresh off a trip to the Super Bowl and had one of the most explosive offenses in recent NFL history. But in that final game, their offense stalled out and they only managed to score three points as they were defeated by the New England Patriots.

Over the duration of the 2018 season, Goff was critical to the Rams success. In totality though, running back Todd Gurley was the engine behind the high-powered Sean McVay system and the Super Bowl put a big spotlight on that as the Patriots were able to bottle up Gurley–who was also dealing with knee issues.

Under the tutelage of McVay, Goff has been reborn as a signal caller. His rookie year might have been one of the worst for a first overall pick. Yet, he has looked like a different player since McVay took over for Jeff Fisher.

As long as Los Angeles believes that Goff will continue to develop and could one day be the key cog of the offense then a big deal is coming down the pipeline and the earlier they decide on that the more money they will likely save themselves.

4. Deshaun Watson

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Another quarterback in Texas is on the cusp of a big payday. Houston Texans starter Deshaun Watson is entering the penultimate year of his rookie deal and he’s easily been the best quarterback the franchise has had since they entered the league in 2002.

After starting just six games as a rookie, he started every game last year and led Houston to an 11-5 record and a Wild Card game against the Indianapolis Colts.

Watson rose to prominence in college at Clemson and led them to an upset victory in the national championship game against Alabama in 2017. He’s brought along glimpses of that star power to the NFL, but the Texans as a team have yet to capitalize on it while Watson remains on a below-market-rate deal.

Time’s running out for this team as it’s unlikely they will allow Watson to get to his fifth-year option without extending him first. If the team can’t put things together this season then they may have wasted their chance to repeat the formula of teams like the Rams and Chiefs. Firing their general manager likely makes getting a deal locked in even harder for the two sides.

5. Mitchell Trubisky

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When the Chicago Bears drafted Mitchell Trubisky with the second overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft it caught many people off guard. However, after a big turnaround in his second year with the team, he’s now the third member of the 2017 draft class to appear on this list.

Even though he was taken before Mahomes and Watson, it would clearly seem that he sits behind those other two when re-ranking the trio of quarterbacks selected in the first round that year.

However, unlike the Texans, Chicago has done a much better job of filling out their roster to take advantage of having a cost-controlled quarterback. Trading for Khalil Mack last season vaulted this team into the upper echelon, but they fell short of making noise as they lost to the Eagles in the Wild Card round last season.

Hiring Matt Nagy has had a similar impact on Trubisky’s play as the Rams bringing in Sean McVay with Jared Goff. As long as Nagy’s offense continues to put Trubisky in situations to excel he will be worth the money.

Jun 7, 2019 No Comments
Ranking the Hottest Teams in Baseball

Ranking the Hottest Teams in Baseball

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by | Jun 7, 2019 | Featured

The 2019 MLB All-Star Break is exactly a month away, beginning July 7th- meaning baseball’s midway point is on the horizon. April and May have come and gone and we are now a week into June. Baseball season is now in full swing. The majority of teams around the league have surpassed the 60-game mark and are beginning to develop an identity. Typically, by the break contenders and pretenders are separated as teams begin to prepare for a second half push.

The National and American Leagues have been polar opposites thus far, in 2019. The AL is top heavy. Teams that were expected to dominate in the preseason have already stolen the driver’s seat and hit the gas pedal. The NL, on the hand is an all out dog fight. The Dodgers still look like the team to beat, while the rest of the pack is battling it out. To put things into perspective, the NL Central is separated by just 6 games. No division in the AL has a margin less than 18.

While there is still more than sixty-percent of the regular season to be played, any team can get things rolling. Here, we’ll take a look at the three hottest teams from each league. These clubs have either separated themselves from the rest, or are shaping up to be the teams ready to make a run.

AMERICAN LEAGUE:

The Houston Astros currently hold the best record in the AL at 43-21. Houston appears to be on the way to winning the AL West for the third straight year. With their sights set on a second World Series in three years, the Astros have been clicking on all cylinders. If they’re able to get fully healthy, there are very few teams in baseball that can hang with ‘Stros elite team pitching and exceptional batting.

The New York Yankees currently lead the most entertaining division in the AL, with a record of 39-22. The AL East is quite possibly the best division in baseball. The Yankees kicked off 2019 plagued with injuries, but have prevailed and remained a top 10 team in both pitching and batting. While it took a few weeks for them to get healthy, New York has solidified themselves as the team to catch in the division. However, there is little room for error. The Rays are back in contention and trail by just 1.5 games. In addition, the defending champion Red Sox have seemed to gather themselves from an early season World Series hangover. The Sox are now just 6.5 games behind the Yankees. Keep an eye out for the AL East, as every game matters for these clubs.

Lastly, the surprise of the league has been the scorching hot Minnesota Twins. The Twins appear to be the real deal this season after a sub .500 campaign, in 2018. Minnesota claims a 41-20 record and shows no signs of slowing down. The second place Indians need to improve from being stuck in the mud at .500, if they plan to regain power in the AL Central, as they trail by 10.5 games. The Twins are the number 1 ranked batting team in the majors. Paired with a top 10 team pitching rank, Minnesota should cruise into the break.

Honorable mentions: Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, Oakland A’s, Texas Rangers

NATIONAL LEAGUE: 

The Los Angeles Dodgers have represented the NL in back-to-back World Series. The Dodgers have their sights set on making a third straight appearance, with hopes to win this time around. They’ve successfully stuck to the script thus far. LAD is 43-20 and holding onto first in the NL West by 10 games. Like the Astros in the AL, the Dodgers are amongst an elite tier, and when healthy are a top team in baseball. Their success is due in part to a balanced attack. LAD is ranked in the MLB’s top 3 in both team batting and pitching.

The Colorado Rockies may seem to be a head scratcher to show up on this list, as they trail LAD by 10 games in the West. However, The Rockies are a team that are heating up at the right time. With a decent 32-29 record, Colorado has some work to do. They seem to be up to the task. Since their dismal 3-12 start to the season, the Rockies are 29-17 and have won eight of their last ten outings. Team batting has led the run, ranking 7th in the MLB. If the Rockies want to lock in a wildcard spot this year, they’ll need to improve on their 26th ranked team pitching. If they do so, watch out for Colorado.

Our last spot on the list was a tough call, due to the high level of competitiveness in the NL. With that being said, the Philadelphia Phillies with a 35-27 record and a current lead in the East make the cut. The Braves are just 2 games behind and are heating up themselves. However, Philly is finding ways to fend off the field. A trade with Seattle this week sending All-Star outfielder Jay Bruce to the Phillies put the league on notice. The Phillies are in it to win it and have proved that they are willing to make every move to make it happen, even if that means backing in the Brinks Truck for Bryce Harper. In terms of statistics, they are putting out very average batting and pitching numbers. However, stats aren’t everything and Philly continues to find ways to win. A great month of June could be huge for them heading into the playoff race.

 

Honorable mentions: Braves, Nationals, the entire NL Central

Jun 7, 2019 No Comments
Kicking off the Summer with June’s Hottest Sneaker Drops

Kicking off the Summer with June’s Hottest Sneaker Drops

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by | Jun 7, 2019 | Featured, Sneaker Releases, Sneakers

           

Summer is heating up and this month kicked off with a slew of highly-anticipated releases, as well as a surprise drop by Nike. June 1st got the ball rolling with the release of the Nike Air Fear of God 1 in the “Orange Pulse” and “Frosted Spruce” colorways. Unfortunately, if you look throughout all of social media it seems as if the only people who were actually able to obtain the Nike Air Fear of God 1’s were celebrities and highly touted young basketball players. Jerry Lorenzo’s F.O.G. collection always comes with its hype and this iteration was no exception.

June 1st also saw the release of the Air Jordan 7 “Ray Allen PE.” This silhouette was dressed in a black nubuck upper along with purple, green, and grey accents to pay homage to the old school Milwaukee Bucks. Should Jordan Brand keep on releasing colorways of P.E. models from their signature athletes, or should some stay in the vault forever? Another Nike Zoom Kobe 4 Protro dropped on June 1st in the “Carpe Diem” colorway. This summer could see a lot of young hoopers wearing the Kobe 4 Protros as its style and performance is still very much on par with todays standards and most of these teenagers were only 5-7 years old during the shoe’s initial run.

         

On June 2nd Nike surprised us with a shock drop of the Air Jordan 4 Raptors (again), but this time in a “Drake PE” form. Nike and Jordan Brand have done this in the past; almost toying with us, releasing a shoe that is 99% the same as another, but changing one slight detail on it to increase the hype. This pair was basically the same version that released back in August of 2018, also retailing for $200, with the only difference being this new “PE” version has a purple Jumpman on the tongue with Drake’s signature below it in red. There have been rumors going around that the 2018 Jordan 4 Raptors had a release run of 200,000 pairs while the “Drake PE” saw its numbers at around 15,000 pairs.

June 6th saw the release of the Adidas Yeezy Boost 700 V2 “Vanta” as well as the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 V2 “Black Reflective,” with the “Non Reflective” version releasing a day later on the 7th. The 700’s display simple black and dark grey tones on the upper while sitting on top of a dark grey midsole. The 350 V2’s consist of just an all black prime knit upper with the reflective pair being completely 3M when the flash hits it. Is anyone else getting Yeezy 350 V2 fatigue, or is the demand for them still steady with each coming release? The 700’s retail for $300 and the 350 V2’s are at the expected $220 mark. To celebrate Pride Month, Nike will be releasing their new Air Max 720 model (June 8), the Zoom Pegasus Turbo (June 8), and the Air Max 90 (June 15), all dressed in a rainbow color scheme in accordance with Nike’s “Be True” campaign. The Air Max 720’s have a retail price of $190, Zoom Pegasus Turbo – $180, and Air Max 90 – $130.

           

This weekend Jordan Brand will release the “Reflections of a Champion” pack which includes the Air Jordan 6, 7, and 8 respectively. Each model represents an original colorway but instead of white leather or black nubuck for the materials, the pack has light grey 3M uppers on each pair. Is Jordan Brand reaching with this concept of “Reflections of a Champion” by simply releasing 3M sneakers? Are you willing to pay the hefty retail price of $225 each? At this point, the exclusivity factor on each pair may be the only thing to draw in buyers’ attention.

     

Jun 7, 2019 No Comments
Who will the Pistons take in this year’s NBA draft?

Who will the Pistons take in this year’s NBA draft?

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by | Jun 6, 2019 | Featured, NBA

 

The age old question every fan must ask themselves as the NBA draft approaches. “Who should we pick in the draft?” As a Michigan native and honorary Pistons fan I must ask myself this question. I browsed through the large number of Mock Draft predictions, seeing which players most sports experts had Detroit landing with the 15th and 45th picks in the Draft. Now, if your from Detroit or live in the city then you already know the frustration that has built up in the hearts of many Pistons fans over the years. Most of which is simply due to the fact that the Pistons’ organization has a history of passing up on amazing players in the draft that go on to become stars in the league.

The biggest player probably being Carmelo Anthony back in the 2003 draft and the most recent being Donovan Mitchell in the 2017 draft. We passed up on both of these players who went on to become stars in the league. Donovan Mitchell being a rising star in his own right and leading the Utah Jazz to 2 consecutive playoff runs post Gordon Hayward.

I say all this to say, there is pressure on the Pistons to draft the best players that are available at the 15th and 45th slot. The Pistons need a backup center and a scoring wing player. Zaza Pachulia is a free agent this summer, and many expect John Leur to be either traded or waived this summer. So, there will be a need for another backup center behind Drummond & Thon Maker. The Pistons are in an even greater need of a scoring wing player though. The Pistons have went through several shooting guards in the past few years. Picking up a solid wing player in the draft at 15 seems like the way to go. Andre Drummond even said it himself that “I think we’re in the hunt for a wing, a tall wing.”

Kevin Porter Jr USC “gettyimages”

In steps Kevin Porter Jr , Many Mock drafts have the Pistons drafting him with the 15th pick which I feel is the best choice. At 6’5 212 lbs , Porter Jr. seems like a very solid wing player. He’s still very young being just 19 years old. He only averaged 9.4 PPG along with 4.0 RPG and 1.4 APG. He played restricted minutes as a freshman this past season, but he shot over 40% from behind the arch. He is also extremely athletic and explosive on the fast-break. If he is available by the time the 15th pick comes around then grabbing him up should be a no brainer.

Image result for moses brown ucla

Moses Brown UCLA “gettyimages”

With the 45th pick, the Pistons will probably go after a young center to play limited minutes behind Drummond and Thon Maker. I think the 7’1 center from UCLA, Moses Brown, would be a great pick at 45. He is listed at 245lbs and he would be a solid backup center. Brown is a very athletic big and can handle the ball if need be. He almost averaged a double-double in his freshman season averaging 9.7 PPG & 8.3 RPG. Brown is 19 years old and a former McDonald’s All-American. Many of the mock drafts have him falling just short of making a draft selection, but he’s a sleeper. The former All-American deserves consideration especially towering at 7ft tall. I think he’d be a great piece alongside Thon Maker who is also a long 7ft big .

Jun 6, 2019 No Comments
FRESH OUT THE BOX, STOP, LOOK, AND WATCH; THIS ALL THAT REBOOT SHOWS PROMISE

FRESH OUT THE BOX, STOP, LOOK, AND WATCH; THIS ALL THAT REBOOT SHOWS PROMISE

Celebs

by | Jun 5, 2019 | Celebs, Featured

90’s Babies get ready to introduce your kids to a Nickelodeon classic with a new twist. All That is back with 7 new faces alike executive produced by Nick’s first dynamic duo ( No not Drake & Josh) Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell.

As the premiere date of June 15th approaches, the cast has started to make their media rounds to promote the show. The Cast recently appearing on BUILD to chat about the return of Nick’s beloved show.  The chemistry between the cast shows as every member playful joked about how the breaking of character by Chinguun Sergelen by laughing was infectious. One untimely smirk, giggle or chuckle from Chinguun, laughter would spread to his castmates like wildfire. The excitement of the cast alone shows promise that this All That can capture the magic of the original and bring joy to a whole new generation.

Even Show Execs Kenan and Kel got in on the fun meeting with Complex to discuss the reboot also hinting at a Good Burger 2 if network greenlights it.

“I feel like the fans really brought it back everywhere we go they’re still talking about it… at red lights, they’re saying  Yo do the good burger thing,” said Kel “Parents now are introducing it to their kids online and now their kids get to experience it.

Image result for All That

(Top: Chinguun Sergelen, Ryan Alessi, Kate Godfrey, Center: Nathan Janak, Reece Caddell, Bottom: Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, Lex Lumpkin)

it’s moving past the point of people trying to ask us to bring it back, it’s a kids network it should be an opportunity for kids to get on and that what I’m excited about,” said Kenan Thompson ” We got seven talented kids that are about to blow up…It’s just beautiful to watch God work.”

Even though this is a reboot for those who are worried, the original theme song is still intact. A song composed but 90’s music group TLC, while Kenan Thompson says the words of that icon intro. Fresh out the box, stop, look, and watch. Ready yet? Get set. This is All That…

Following the same formula as the one that came before it, the new All That is a weekly sketch comedy show featuring a roster of talented kids with appearances from original cast members. Bring back some of your favorite character like Lori Beth Denberg’s Loud Librarian!

(Video posted below)

In addition to All That, Nickelodeon is plotting revivals of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? (hosted by John Cena) and Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

 

Jun 5, 2019 No Comments