Tom Brady, NE Injury: Off-season arthroscopic
shoulder surgery
Insight: Brady, who complained
of right shoulder pain and discomfort throughout the 2003 season,
underwent an arthroscopic procedure to clean and debride his right
shoulder joint which has already made him pain-free and should allow
him to be at full strength in time for the start of training camp.
He originally suffered a grade 1 separation in his throwing shoulder
back in December of 2002 in a game against the Titans and then a
grade 2 separation in the 2002 season finale against the Dolphins.
Brady opted not to have surgery and spent months in rehabilitation.
It didn't help much as Brady continued to experience pain. According
to the Boston-Globe, he was held out of all Wednesday practices
and took painkillers and anti-inflammatories all year. Brady also
injured his right elbow in Week 2 last season which was swollen
for several months. But the good news is that the Patriots' medical
staff expects Brady to be the healthiest he has been in 2 years.
He didn't experience any problems throwing the football during recent
minicamp practices and if all goes well, Brady could be in for a
career year. Just think, if he was a serviceable fantasy QB with
no running game and a bum shoulder last season, just imagine what
he will do with Corey Dillion and a healthy shoulder this season.
Rich Gannon, OAK Injury: Recovering from surgery
to repair torn labrum in right shoulder.
Insight: Gannon missed the final
9 games of the season after tearing the labrum in his right (throwing)
shoulder against the Chiefs in Week 7. He had surgery to repair
the tear last November and by all accounts he has made a tremendous
recovery. Rich was given clearance to throw without restrictions
back in earlier this month and in the team's first minicamp he silenced
critics and speculators by throwing 100 passes, many over 35 yards
and some up to 50 yards, without experiencing any pain or discomfort.
The only problem now of course is will Gannon and his $7 million
salary still be a part of the Raiders' franchise come September.
Whether he's still with the team he lead to the Superbowl 2 years
ago, or with another franchise, he will be at full strength for
the start of the 2004 regular season. Obviously his draft day value
would be higher if he is still with the Raiders, but even if he
is a cap casualty he will quickly catch on with another team and
should be that team's starter this year.
David Garrard, JAX Injury: Intestinal surgery as
a result of Chron's Disease
Insight: Jaguars backup QB David
Garrard underwent a surgical procedure on May 27th to remove diseased
tissue from where his colon meets his small intestine. Garrard is
suffering from Chron's disease, an inflammatory condition that causes
blockages within the intestine resulting in pain, fever, chronic
diarrhea and weight loss. While this condition is incurable, the
surgery should help alleviate many of Garrard's symptoms and the
Jaguars hope he'll be ready to return sometime in mid July. In the
meantime Quinn Gray, who was a part of the Jags' practice squad
last year, will take snaps as the team's backup in Garrard's place.
Kelly Holcomb, CLE Injury: Off-season surgery to
repair torn labrum in right shoulder
Insight: Thanks to Kelly Holcomb's
young son, it appears that the Brown's QB will be able to play in
2004. Back in early February, Holcomb fell asleep while holding
his then sick 8-month old baby boy. When he woke up, he was unable
to move his arm and an MRI taken the next day revealed a completely
torn labrum and a partially torn rotator cuff. The team was unable
to figure out when the injury occurred, but if it wasn't for his
son it could have gone undetected for several more months. After
consulting with team physician Anthony Miniaci, Holcomb decided
to undergo surgery to insert a biodegradable screw into his shoulder,
a procedure which has stabilized the joint and helped to promote
healing. He was expected to miss anywhere from 4 - 6 months but
he appears to be way ahead of schedule and could make his return
sometime during training camp. With the addition of Jeff Garcia
and the expected departure of Tim Couch, Holcomb would once again
be the the Browns' backup QB with rookie Luke McCown, who continues
to impress, as the number 3. Even if Holcomb returns to full strength,
his fantasy value is pretty much nonexistent as long as Garcia remains
healthy.
Byron Leftwich, JAX Injury: Sprained fingers
Insight: Leftwich hyperextended
two fingers on his right hand during an 11-on-11 drill at the Jaguars'
minicamp in May. He left the practice in considerable pain with
his hand heavily bandaged and while X-rays were negative, he was
examined by team physicians the following day who diagnosed him
with minor sprains. Leftwich will have his fingers taped prior to
individual and team workouts but the injury isn't expected to slow
the second-year starter and he should be completely healed by the
start of training camp.
Steve McNair, TEN Injury: Off-season ankle surgery
Insight: Tennessee's MVP quarterback
Steve McNair is almost completely recovered from off-season surgery
on his left ankle and the team expects him to be 100% by the start
of training camp in July. McNair, who played through severe ankle
pain last season, had a bone spur surgically removed in February
and was held out of off-season workouts in March and April. He did
return to practice in May but he's been limited to throwing in individual
and seven-on-seven drills. In private workouts with the Titan trainers,
McNair has done some straight-line running and has begun gentle
cuts and figure-eights which is a good sign that he's making progress.
No reason to be concerned here guys. Unless he suffers an unforeseen
setback, he'll be more than ready to defend his MVP crown this year.
Patrick Ramsey, WAS Injury: Off-season foot surgery
Insight: Ramsey isn't completely
healthy yet, and while there are still long-lasting concerns about
his mobility he continues to make successful strides in his recovery
from off-season foot surgery. Ramsey apparently bruised and fractured
the bone at the base of his 5th metatarsal (outside edge of foot)
on his right foot at some point during the 2003 training camp. It
wasn't a problem and went undetected until Week 6 and while he attempted
to play through it for much of the season, the old fracture became
a major problem in November forcing the Redskins to place him on
injured reserve. The surgery which was later performed to repair
the damaged bone was also done to fix a frayed and partially torn
peronial tendon. The procedure was considered a success and he's
made tremendous progress since. He was held out of minicamps in
early May but he's already back working with the team and he should
be at full strength by August. While Ramsey's foot is now pain-free
there are still concerns about his mobility and individuals close
to the team have suggested that these concerns are what triggered
new head coach Joe Gibbs to bring in Mark Brunell. It's still way
too early to tell if his foot will be a long-term problem and the
Redskins' staff has publicly guaranteed that Ramsey will be OK,
but its certainly something to follow while we get closer to the
start of the 2004 season.
Tim Rattay, QB, SF Injury: Off-season groin surgery
Insight: San Francisco 49ers QB
Tim Rattay had surgery on May 11th to repair a torn groin muscle
which occurred while he rolled out to attempt a pass during the
opening session at the team's first minicamp. The surgery, which
was done to reattach the adductor tendon which had torn away from
the bone was considered a success and the team is hoping he will
be able to return before the start of the regular season. With Rattay
out, Ken Dorsey is the Niners' current top QB and team officials
have been so impressed with his play this off-season that they have
expressed no desire to pursue a veteran signal caller. However,
that could change if Rattay suffers a setback in his rehab so keep
a close eye on his progress this summer.
Anthony Wright, BAL Injury: Off-season surgery to
repair torn labrum in right shoulder
Insight: Wright will be sidelined
until at least October after undergoing right shoulder surgery on
May 24th to repair a torn labrum. The Ravens backup QB said he injured
his shoulder back in Week 12 against the Seahawks when his arm was
grabbed while he attempted a pass. Interestingly enough, Wright
had a career game that day passing for 319 yards and 4 touchdowns
while leading his team to an overtime win. The Raven's medical staff
said that Wright won't be able to throw the football for at least
four months, at which time he will need an additional 4 - 6 weeks
before he's strong enough to return so expect him to start the regular
season on Baltimore's Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
Philip Gentles isn't just the founder,
co-owner, webmaster and senior writer at ProFantasySports.com,
he also holds a degree in Sports Medicine, Board Certification in
Athletic Training, and has been working with athletes and sports
injuries for over 8 years. This combination of fantasy experience
and medical know-how is what makes ProFantasySports.com the only
place to get the best in accurate injury information and fantasy
advice.
