Wide Receivers

Drew Carter, CAR
Injury: Torn ACL

Insight: Rookie WR Drew Carter tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee on the first day of June minicamps and will miss the entire 2004 season. Carter has a history of bad knee injuries so this really shouldn't come as a surprise. The kid is loaded with talent and has tremendous potential but you've got to wonder if he'll ever be healthy enough to make any kind of an impact.

Wayne Chrebet, NYJ
Injury: Recovering from Post Concussion Syndrome.

Insight: Chrebet, who's 2004 season was cut short because of Post Concussion Syndrome, has been given clearance by team doctors to resume his NFL career. He does suffer the occasional headache but hasn't reported any major problems in over 3 months. He's looked sharp and energetic during recent minicamp workouts but there are two things which really hurt his fantasy value. The first is his history of head injuries and what it will do to his game. Chrebet is known for his toughness, but doctors have warned that another concussion could cause serious long-term damage. So expect him to be a little bit more tentative this season which should hurt his overall numbers. The second is the arrival of Justin McCareins. McCareins will start opposite Santana Moss which means Chrebet will be the Jets' number 3 receiver. He'll still be involved in the offense, but he won't have much of a fantasy impact.

Laveranues Coles, WAS
Injury: Recovering from fractured toe

Insight: Coles was slowed by a fractured toe in his right foot for the final 13 weeks of the 2003 regular season, but despite several surgical recommendations made by the Skins medical staff he opted to forego surgery and unfortunately it is looking like he made the wrong decision. Coles was placed in a cast at the end last season and was reevaluated by team physicians after 8 weeks only to discover that there were still problems with his injured toe. But after finding out that it would take an additional 4 months to recover from toe surgery, Coles quickly ruled it out. He's since been fitted for a special shoe orthotic which has helped ease some of the pain and discomfort, but he remained limited during all of the Skins off-season workouts and will continue to be limited throughout training camp and the pre-season. Coles has publicly stated that his toe will not affect his play this upcoming season, but several sources close to the team are worried that his toe will once again hamper his performance this year. This is something you will have to monitor very closely this summer. It doesn't look like Coles will be in top form to open the season, so you might want to bump him down on your cheat sheets.

Kevin Curtis, STL
Injury: Recovering from broken leg

Insight: Curtis broke his leg during an August exhibition game against the Bills last year but it was slow to heal and it hampered him throughout the entire season. He played in only four games and was limited to just 4 catches. He has undergone a couple of surgical procedures since the injury including one in February in which a metal plate was inserted. Needless to say its been a busy off-season for Curtis. According to head coach Mike Martz the bone in his leg has completely healed but he still hasn't regained all of his speed and agility. The Rams' medical staff aren't holding him out of team workouts but they are keeping a very close eye on his progress. They remain cautious but expect Curtis to be at 100% in time for the start of training camp in late July which should give the talented second-year receiver plenty of opportunities to earn valuable playing time.

Donald Hayes, CAR
Injury: Fractured Clavicle

Insight: Hayes, who is currently fighting for the Panthers' 5th receiver spot will be sidelined until the beginning of August after fracturing his clavicle (collar bone) during June minicamps. Hayes wasn't sure when it occurred but said he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder after a team practice and x-rays done the following day revealed the injury. As a precaution, the Panthers have signed NFL Europe's 2004 leading receiver (56 receptions) Scott McCready to a one-year contract.

Joe Horn, NO
Injury: Off-season arthroscopic knee surgery

Insight: Horn underwent what the Saints called routine arthroscopic surgery back in May on his left knee to repair torn cartilage and remove loose bodies which had become lodged in his joint. He apparently injured his knee during the opening weeks of the 2003 regular season and he played through pain and discomfort the entire year. It affected his play and he saw a drop in his production. However the surgery was a success and Horn is no longer experiencing any lingering soreness. His quad, hamstring and calf muscles are all back to full strength and he appears completely healed. Horn isn't getting any younger but if he can avoid the injury bug there is no reason to believe that he can't have another big fantasy year.

Bethel Johnson, NE
Injury Specifics: Stomach surgery

Insight: Johnson underwent an unspecified surgical procedure on his stomach back in May and while he should make a full recovery in time for the start of the regular season, he's missed all of the Patriots mandatory June minicamps and the team physicians don't expect him to be ready until sometime in early August. While team officials refuse to discuss the specifics behind Johnson's surgery, they have said it was related to the intestinal problems that he experienced while in college. In 2001 he had surgery to remove a ruptured spleen and in 2002 he went under the knife again to have an intestinal obstruction removed. This time around, Johnson suffered an unspecified attack and had to be rushed to the emergency room by his girlfriend. ER doctors at the time felt that his life would have been in danger had she not taken him to the hospital immediately. Johnson is loaded with talent and had several big moments as a rookie, but he's stuck behind Troy Brown, David Givens and Deion Branch on the Patriots depth chart so don't expect him to have much of impact outside of special teams this season.

Sylvester Morris, TB
Injury: Torn ACL

Insight: Morris will miss the entire 2004 season after tearing the ACL in his left knee. The injury happened when Morris planted his foot while running a route during practice and was not caused by contact. He was immediately carted off the field and an MRI done at a nearby hospital revealed the torn ligament. His knee suffered additional damage which the team has yet to specify and there are now concerns that Morris' NFL career may be over.

Randy Moss, MIN
Injury: Plantar Fasciitis

Insight: Moss has been dealing with a painful case of Plantar Fasciitis in his left foot (tissue inflammation under the foot) since December, but even with an off-season of rest and treatment he continues to experience problems. The Vikings' medical staff have fitted him for shoe orthotics which have helped ease some of his discomfort but Moss has told reporters that he doesn't expect to be 100% at any point this year. He plans on playing through the pain so in an effort to keep him fresh don't be surprised if the Vikings limit Moss throughout training camp and the pre-season.

Eric Moulds, BUF
Injury: Recovering from partially torn groin.

Insight: Moulds admitted to reporters back in May that he should have listened to team trainers and rested his injured groin last year rather than try and play. A partially torn groin muscle which occurred in Week 5 ruined his 2003 season, but he's nearly made a full recovery and the Bills expect him to be at full strength for the start of training camp. Moulds was limited in early minicamps but in recent practices he has looked extremely sharp making cuts and jumps without a problem. His speed and agility have returned and by all accounts he appears primed for a big season. Now obviously what Moulds does is dependent on the success of Drew Bledsoe, but he's talented enough to overcome any shortcomings at the QB position so if he can stay healthy he should have a decent year. However if the Bills offense gets into gear, Moulds could be on his way to another pro bowl.

Charles Rogers, DET
Injury Specifics: Recovering from Fractured Clavicle

Insight: Rogers missed the final 11 games of the regular season last year after breaking his right clavicle (collar bone) during practice. Unfortunately his clavicle took an extremely long time to heal and it required months of treatment and rehabilitation. So its been a long and strenuous off-season for the second-year receiver out of Michigan State. The good news is that several recent MRI's and X-rays have confirmed that his collarbone has completely healed and team doctors are expected to clear him for full contact when he arrives for training camp in July. Rogers has spent a lot of time in the weight-room this off-season bulking up and he looks physically ready to take on the rigors of a full NFL season. Look for him to have a significant impact this season.

Dedric Ward, DAL
Injury: Broken Foot

Insight: Ward broke the 5th metatarsal bone in his right foot during practice last week and he's expected to miss the next 6 - 8 weeks while he recovers from corrective surgery. Team physicians inserted a screw into the bone which they hope will stabilize the area and promote healing. Ward told reporters that he planned on being ready for the start of training camp and while initial estimates had him back in as early as 4 weeks it looks like he won't be able to return until the middle of August. Prior to the injury Ward was in a position to earn lots of playing time this year, but he'll now have to work extremely hard just to make the team.

Peter Warrick, CIN
Injury: Recovering From Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

Insight: Warrick tore the meniscus in his right knee during Week 15 last year and missed one game while he recovered from arthroscopic surgery. He was able to play in the season finale against the Browns but his knee was clearly not 100%. In fact he was unable to bend his knee past 90 degrees (normal range of motion is about 140 degrees) and he wasn't making much of an off-season recovery despite several weeks of rest and treatment. So Bengal physicians decided to do a second surgery in February to repair the damaged cartilage. By all accounts that surgery was a success and while he has been limited during Bengals minicamps he's regained nearly all of his lost strength and knee motion and should be completely healthy for the start of training camp. Despite a breakout season in 2003, Warrick felt that he was a bit overweight last year and that it contributed to his knee problems. In response he's dropped a few pounds and he thinks that it will not only keep him healthy but it will in turn help him achieve his 2004 goals of 1,300 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns.