TE Terry Jones - Broken wrist - Out for season- Trivial -Fate decided that Todd Heap's injury last week wasn't quite enough after GM Norbert Huszti tooted his own horn earlier in the off-season.
Terry Jones has had quite an uneventful career for the last couple of seasons. He's remained on the same team throughout, but he's received very limited playing time with only 13 catches and 79 yards over two seasons. He was expected to receive a lot more targets with TE Chad Lewis cut from the Ravens in the off-season and Todd Heap injured. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be, for Terry Jones left the game before receiving any targets from QB Jeff Blake.
He left the field with what at first seemed like a minor injury. We later learned that he had broken his wrist that will take him out for the remaining length of his contract with the Ravens. This probably would have been the last time to prove himself before a resigning or seeing free agency. Looks like 'he' won't be seeing a big contract anytime soon.
The impact on the Ravens seems minor. Terry Jones wasn't even meant to see playing time this season, and although TE Kellen Winslow is now the only tight end left on the Ravens roster, I think Terry Jones is plenty replaceable from what remains in Free Agency.
Insider information has told me that GM Norbert Huszti isn't too fond of Kellen Winslow, so it's possible that instead of finding a cheap TE2 replacement until Todd Heap's return, he may look for a more permanent TE2 option with Todd Heap out for over a month.
SS Tony Parrish - Broken collarbone - 10 weeks- Intense - Tight Ends and Strong Safeties - Those are the positions doomed for injury so far this season.
The 49ers are both better and worse off than the Panthers after losing their short safety. Better off because they have SS Myron Bell, who is a better safety than any backup that was sitting on the Panthers roster during the time of the injury, but worse off because the Panthers were able to grab SS George Teague off of Free Agency last week.
At just 81 Speed, Myron Bell is a little slow - and with 70 awareness, he's no star. I think he's still a bit of a liability on defense, and for that, this injury still hurts the 49ers pretty bad. Ten weeks doesn't just fly by when you're competing week in and week out against division rivals like the Rams and the Cardinals. You don't want to have a liability like Myron Bell when facing Torry Holt or Jon Olinger.
I graded this as Intense because Myron Bell isn't a terrible backup along with the fact that Parrish is only gone for ten weeks, meaning he'll be back to finish the season and for the playoffs. The San Fransisco 49ers just have to make sure they get there first.
MLB E.J. Henderson - Dislocated knee - 9 weeks- Distressing -Is it just me, or do the Minnesota Vikings start strong every year before their team is damaged week after week by injury after injury? Perhaps I'm just imagining things, but if not, it seems as if history is going to repeat itself.
For a team running their defense as a 3-4, the Vikings have zero Middle Linebacker depth. I know for a fact that the linebackers in free agency are all terrible, and without a third Linebacker on this roster, they are probably going to be forced to return to 4-3. I believe they have the talent to manage the transition just fine and I assume that they will make the change, because signing a FA or letting an OLB linebacker start in a 3-4 seems too desperate to comprehend.
As a 3-4, the Vikings have been doing pretty well. Holding the Cowboys to just 18 points is hardly impressive, but holding the Eagles to 16 is respectful. They haven't truly been tested yet, so we can't know for sure if a 4-3 switch will hurt them, but I expect it won't.
So now let's focus more on the downgrade that is E.J. Henderson to Levon Kirkland. E.J. Henderson is a year out from being drafted at 1.8 and is already a star in Minnesota with 111 tackles and 4 forced fumbles in 2003.
With two interceptions in week one alone this season, he was ready to improve upon his rookie season without a doubt. Missing 9 weeks means Henderson will be able to salvage some progression points, but the chance of breaking records or wowing fans is now over.
Now, let's move on the Levon Kirkland. Kirkland is an old fart. At 35 years old, he seemed to have been signed more for his knowledge than his athletic ability. He got plenty of playing time in 2002 with the Eagles, but he sat on the bench in 2003 with the Packers, and seems to have only been signed to help E.J. Henderson on defense. I don't however, consider Levon Kirkland as that much of liability. I actually have a similar player with Roman Phifer. He can get the job done, and I think GM Neal Wintermute is probably more saddened by the lost of progression than letting Kirkland have playing time.
I will rate this one at Distressing for now, but if the Vikings don't change to a 4-3, I might have to upgrade it later. I imagine many GMs are going to think I rated this one a bit low, but I think MLBs are a bit overrated in Madden.
WR LaTarence Dunbar - Torn shoulder - 8 weeks- Distressing - A lot of injuries this week seem to be all around the half season mark in length, and WR Dunbar is no different. I got a heads up from fellow GMs that WR Dunbar was a Draft Gem from 2003. I'd like to think that I would have figured that out when I saw his stats and his 7.2 draft spot, but now we'll never know.
Dunbar is tied for the second fastest player in the league. Tied with his doppelganger, Eagles Bobby Wade, who are only behind Chiefs Dante Hall in terms of speed on the field.
Strangely, he hasn't done much with it. He only put up 550 yards last season, with only one game above 100 yards. Funnily enough, Bobby Wade has very similar numbers. Are they not being used to their full potential, or are they defective? Well, for at least eight more weeks, the answer to that will remain unsolved.
Dunbar is a tough decision. Without looking at any recorded stats and just looking at the Steleers depth chart, I would be forced to rate this injury at fairly high. However, because of the fact that Dunbar hasn't proven useful in the system that Pittspurgh is running, I have trouble doing so.
Instead, I will meet in the middle and go with a solid five rating. If you disagree with that, then... well, let me know and we can fight about it.
WR Santana Moss - Sprained elbow - 3 weeks- Trivial - I debated whether or not to release a new special scale designed only for players from the AFC East. Instead of rating the pain levels, it would instead gauge my happiness levels, because I need all the help that I can get in this division. Unfortunately, this wouldn't register on that scale either.
Santana Moss earned his 880 yard season last year because of the injury to Joey Galloway, but since then he even lost his slot spot to Wayne Chrebet. I'm not really sure why, because I like Moss more, but Kevin clearly knows something that I don't.
Santana Moss seemed to have gotten hurt on a return, and I believe that might be one of the least useful positions in the game. Moss has achieved one return TD in two seasons, so I don't think missing three weeks is going to do much of anything for the Jets.
Trivial.
- TRANSACTION ALERT - Signing
SS George Teague
1 Year - 1.94m/330kThe Panthers got themselves a safety! George Teague was picked up from Free Agency after placing Mike Minter on IR. Teague was sitting in FA for a reason, and that's because of his combination of his age, awareness, and speed. However, I don't consider him 'that' much of a liability. At 6'1", he's a big body that can make plays and I think this was a good signing by GM Darryl Breckheimer.
Because of this signing, I feel like I am forced to change the rating that I gave Mike Minter. I still consider his injury to damage this Carolina Defense, but I can no longer consider it the injury that it once was.
SS Mike Minter - Broken tibia - Out for season- Intense -
- Excruciating -
