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Injury Thread

Doc any thoughts on why K Johnson not cut? The number of concussions even if healthy from other injuries seem to indicate he needs to exit football.
 
Doc any thoughts on why K Johnson not cut? The number of concussions even if healthy from other injuries seem to indicate he needs to exit football.
My guess is that the Texans made a mistake picking up the 5th year option and probably are lamenting it, as 2018 was such a "disaster." The Texans can probably still recover from this since as it stands now, his 2019 contract is only guaranteed for injury..............it will not become fully guaranteed unless he is still on the team at the 1st day of the 2019 League year........March 13. I won't be surprised if the Texans drop Johnson before then, as he is no longer considered injured [has been cleared to play]............and thus he can be released simply because he not considered good enough.
 
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My guess is that the Texans made a mistake picking up the 5th year option and probably are lamenting it, as 2018 was such a "disaster." The Texans can probably still recover from this since as it stands now, his 2019 contract is only guaranteed for injury..............it will not become fully guaranteed unless he is still on the team at the 1st day of the 2019 League year........March 13. I won't be surprised if the Texans drop Johnson before then, as he is no longer considered injured [has been cleared to play]............and thus he can be released simply because he not considered good enough.
As he has been cleared to play, my understanding is he can be cut/traded now to save his full $9 million?
 
Doc, can you give us the "low down" on Matt Kalil, the OT the Texans just signed? It looks like he had hip surgery in the past and also had some knee issues. Thanks!
 
Doc, can you give us the "low down" on Matt Kalil, the OT the Texans just signed? It looks like he had hip surgery in the past and also had some knee issues. Thanks!

Kalil in June of 2016 declared he was pumped because it was the first surgery-free offseason for him since 2013. Not so fast with the optimism as he ended up undergoing not only the reported hip labrum repair the beginning of 2016 for an injury that didn't allow him to complete week 2, but he also at the same sitting underwent surgery for acetabular-femoral impingement hip surgery. Hip labrum tears are mostly an offensive NFL player injury and mostly of offensive linemen. Olinemen have a surprising 85% return to play with only ~10-20% decrease in performance, depending which study you read. Kalil came back in 2017 as one of the NFL's worst LTs with an overall PFF grading of only 63.1 in 2017, but did his most consistent pass blocking work from weeks 10-17 when he graded out with an average of 83.6). He dealt with a groin tear (week 5-week 10) sustained in an Oct practice of that season, an injury that can be related/compensatory to ongoing hip issues. Unfortunately, 2018 proved to be a total bust after he underwent an arthroscopic knee surgery in Aug which was to be relatively minor but ended up a mysterious major procedure.........he tried to make it back as designated player to return in Nov, but was never to be seen activated again. Kalil had already undergone arthroscopic surgery on both of his knees in 2015. In 2014, he led the NFL in sacks allowed with 12 in addition to 14 penalties, tied for second most among offensive tackles.............decided to try to get stronger for that reason and for the fact that he has always been poor at run blocking.........so he went from his usual 308 playing weight to 324. He dealt with a knee issue throughout the 2013 season and underwent a 2014 offseason knee scope. When thinking about all of these knee procedures, understand that most all will involve removal of cartilage........cumulative over multiple procedures.

As it turns out, the beginning of 2019 has also not been so kind to him as PFF named his release as one of the major reasons for the Panthers OL to have made a huge projected grade jump.

Keep in mind that the Panthers ate $15.7 million in dead money to move on from Kalil and "gift" the Texans.
 
Kalil in June of 2016 declared he was pumped because it was the first surgery-free offseason for him since 2013. Not so fast with the optimism as he ended up undergoing not only the reported hip labrum repair the beginning of 2016 for an injury that didn't allow him to complete week 2, but he also at the same sitting underwent surgery for acetabular-femoral impingement hip surgery. Hip labrum tears are mostly an offensive NFL player injury and mostly of offensive linemen. Olinemen have a surprising 85% return to play with only ~10-20% decrease in performance, depending which study you read. Kalil came back in 2017 as one of the NFL's worst LTs with an overall PFF grading of only 63.1 in 2017, but did his most consistent pass blocking work from weeks 10-17 when he graded out with an average of 83.6). He dealt with a groin tear (week 5-week 10) sustained in an Oct practice of that season, an injury that can be related/compensatory to ongoing hip issues. Unfortunately, 2018 proved to be a total bust after he underwent an arthroscopic knee surgery in Aug which was to be relatively minor but ended up a mysterious major procedure.........he tried to make it back as designated player to return in Nov, but was never to be seen activated again. Kalil had already undergone arthroscopic surgery on both of his knees in 2015. In 2014, he led the NFL in sacks allowed with 12 in addition to 14 penalties, tied for second most among offensive tackles.............decided to try to get stronger for that reason and for the fact that he has always been poor at run blocking.........so he went from his usual 308 playing weight to 324. He dealt with a knee issue throughout the 2013 season and underwent a 2014 offseason knee scope. When thinking about all of these knee procedures, understand that most all will involve removal of cartilage........cumulative over multiple procedures.

As it turns out, the beginning of 2019 has also not been so kind to him as PFF named his release as one of the major reasons for the Panthers OL to have made a huge projected grade jump.

Keep in mind that the Panthers ate $15.7 million in dead money to move on from Kalil and "gift" the Texans.

So Kalil is going to be an all pro next yr.
 
Kalil in June of 2016 declared he was pumped because it was the first surgery-free offseason for him since 2013. Not so fast with the optimism as he ended up undergoing not only the reported hip labrum repair the beginning of 2016 for an injury that didn't allow him to complete week 2, but he also at the same sitting underwent surgery for acetabular-femoral impingement hip surgery. Hip labrum tears are mostly an offensive NFL player injury and mostly of offensive linemen. Olinemen have a surprising 85% return to play with only ~10-20% decrease in performance, depending which study you read. Kalil came back in 2017 as one of the NFL's worst LTs with an overall PFF grading of only 63.1 in 2017, but did his most consistent pass blocking work from weeks 10-17 when he graded out with an average of 83.6). He dealt with a groin tear (week 5-week 10) sustained in an Oct practice of that season, an injury that can be related/compensatory to ongoing hip issues. Unfortunately, 2018 proved to be a total bust after he underwent an arthroscopic knee surgery in Aug which was to be relatively minor but ended up a mysterious major procedure.........he tried to make it back as designated player to return in Nov, but was never to be seen activated again. Kalil had already undergone arthroscopic surgery on both of his knees in 2015. In 2014, he led the NFL in sacks allowed with 12 in addition to 14 penalties, tied for second most among offensive tackles.............decided to try to get stronger for that reason and for the fact that he has always been poor at run blocking.........so he went from his usual 308 playing weight to 324. He dealt with a knee issue throughout the 2013 season and underwent a 2014 offseason knee scope. When thinking about all of these knee procedures, understand that most all will involve removal of cartilage........cumulative over multiple procedures.

As it turns out, the beginning of 2019 has also not been so kind to him as PFF named his release as one of the major reasons for the Panthers OL to have made a huge projected grade jump.

Keep in mind that the Panthers ate $15.7 million in dead money to move on from Kalil and "gift" the Texans.

Thanks again Doc for the information. I have to say though that Kalil doesn't sound like much of a "gift" to me!
 
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Kalil's knee injuries/surgeries can be traced back to college. Besides surgery, those knees have been treated by numerous "sophisticated" adjunctive procedures. No doubt those knees today are both severely arthritic and have all the hallmarks of bone on bone status with impending microfracture surgery and/or retirement..............at this point, pain tolerance will be a major determinate of the time table. We'll all be hoping that he is able to make it through his Texans contract.......a pleasant surprise if it is accompanied by relative effective play.

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Vikings tackle Matt Kalil undergoes procedures beyond surgery to fix knees
Tom Pelissero, USA TODAY Sports Published 8:26 p.m. ET May 6, 2015 | Updated 6:48 p.m. ET July 8, 2015

Correction/clarification: The original version of this story said Kalil had a Regenexx procedure in March. That procedure occurred in January. In March, Kalil underwent a Regenokine procedure with Dr. Sammy Masri:

Teddy Bridgewater's blind side protector has taken extra steps to get his knees healthy in hopes of returning to Pro Bowl form.

Minnesota Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees this offseason, as well as injections designed to help patients deal with joint pain, two people with knowledge of the procedures told USA TODAY Sports.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to disclose medical details on behalf of Kalil, who had the 2016 option in his contract picked up Monday by the Vikings despite a frustrating 2014 season.

Kalil, 25, had both knees cleaned out in January by renowned orthopedist James Andrews, the people said. He also had a Regenexx procedure, in which bone marrow containing stem cells was removed from his hip and injected into the problem area.

Then, in March, he traveled to New Jersey to undergo a Regenokine procedure with Dr. Sammy Masri, whose website says the program includes injections that use the body's own proteins to reduce inflammation.
Kalil has rehabbed and worked out at the Vikings' facility and elsewhere throughout the offseason.

It all has Kalil and the team optimistic that the No. 4 overall pick from the 2012 draft may be in a better place mentally and physically than he has been in years. Still, it may not be clear what difference, if any, the approach has made until the regular season begins in September.

Kalil has never missed a start in three seasons. But after earning a Pro Bowl trip as a rookie, his play has slipped — a drop-off that coincided with swelling and inflammation in one of his knees during the 2013 season.

Arthroscopic surgery last year cost Kalil offseason practice time, which he admitted in December was a setback. The knee also continued to swell, exacerbating a trying season that spilled over Nov. 23 into a confrontation with a heckler in the TCF Bank Stadium parking lot.
Kalil had at least one knee injury in college and underwent surgery prior to joining the Vikings.

..................................................
 
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Sarah Barshop‏@sarahbarshop 2h2 hours ago

Bill O’Brien on Seantrel Henderson, who the Texans expect to be their starting RT in 2019: “I think he’s done a good job of rehabbing and I think he’ll be ready to participate in either the end of the offseason program or obviously training camp.

This long surgical rehab (anticipated 9-10 months) tells me that Henderson's ankle fracture was not a low ankle fracture, but rather a high ankle sprain/fracture.
 
Sarah Barshop‏@sarahbarshop 2h2 hours ago

Bill O’Brien on Seantrel Henderson, who the Texans expect to be their starting RT in 2019: “I think he’s done a good job of rehabbing and I think he’ll be ready to participate in either the end of the offseason program or obviously training camp.

This long surgical rehab (anticipated 9-10 months) tells me that Henderson's ankle fracture was not a low ankle fracture, but rather a high ankle sprain/fracture.

Not good
 
patrick

✔@PatDStat


“We feel like his return to play is all on schedule, we think he will be ready to go when the season starts.” #Texans GM Brian Gaine on Will Fuller who is rehabbing his torn ACL.


10:19 AM - Mar 26, 2019

State of the Texans@SOTTexans

#Texans Expect Matt Kalil to Compete for a Starting Spot at Left Tackle https://footballmaven.io/texans/news/texans-expect-matt-kalil-to-compete-for-a-starting-spot-at-left-tackle-dkTdgTLQeEGO5mC6822e9A/ … via @SOTTexans


8:47 AM - Mar 26, 2019

In his link to Matt Kalil above, Starr states something that makes no sense:

In his first season, he started all 16 games for the Panthers but missed a majority of the 2018 season after undergoing knee surgery for a torn ACL.

Kalil was practicing after his end of Aug "minor" knee scope and tried to come back as a designated return in Nov (actually mid Oct).........just 2 months post op (actually just 1 1/2 months). Unless Kalil had another surgery after Nov that has never been revealed, the timeline makes no sense for an ACL surgery last Aug.............and Starr has presented significantly inaccurate data.

 
In his link to Matt Kalil above, Starr states something that makes no sense:



Kalil was practicing after his end of Aug "minor" knee scope and tried to come back as a designated return in Nov (actually mid Oct).........just 2 months post op (actually just 1 1/2 months). Unless Kalil had another surgery after Nov that has never been revealed, the timeline makes no sense for an ACL surgery last Aug.............and Starr has presented significantly inaccurate data.

Well, whije I'm so happy he's made it back from that horrific accident (May his dad RIP) and I love the info he provides. He's a useful mouth piece for the Texans org.
 
Doc I'm interested in OT Ryan Cummings who just became available when the AAF disbanded. Probably a guard if healthy. Any thoughts of his post bacterial health or skills?
He spent a minute with Texans but got no Love IIRC. Thanks
 
Sarah Barshop‏@sarahbarshop 2h2 hours ago

Bill O’Brien on Seantrel Henderson, who the Texans expect to be their starting RT in 2019: “I think he’s done a good job of rehabbing and I think he’ll be ready to participate in either the end of the offseason program or obviously training camp.

This long surgical rehab (anticipated 9-10 months) tells me that Henderson's ankle fracture was not a low ankle fracture, but rather a high ankle sprain/fracture.
I dunno is that statement by O'Brien a mixture of coach speak optimism/wishful thinking or does anybody think the HC might sincerely believes that Henderson has a
reasonably chance of making a meaningful contribution as an OT for the Texans in 2019 ?
My own view is that the Texans should approach the Draft planning to draft players for both the left & right tackle positions.
 
Doc I'm interested in OT Ryan Cummings who just became available when the AAF disbanded. Probably a guard if healthy. Any thoughts of his post bacterial health or skills?
He spent a minute with Texans but got no Love IIRC. Thanks
His health/injury history makes him a very questionable candidate for the NFL. He was moved to OG by Wyoming in his senior year. He broke his arm the day before the AAF disbanded.

Cummings moved from right tackle to left guard before his senior season (2017) at Wyoming when he also battled spinal meningitis and a concussion.:

Playing through it

Cummings’ first game back from his concussion was Oct. 14 at Utah State. He said he had ear and sinus infections as he played in that game.

“I knew I could play through it,” he said.

The next week, UW played at Boise State, and leading up to the game, Cummings was diagnosed with strep throat. Cummings said before the game he had a fever, was throwing up and shaking. He also said he had a hard time getting out of bed.

“I was like, ‘Whatever, I’m tough. I can play through this too,’” he said. “But I felt like a 60-year-old man who got hit by a car. My body felt weak.”

Cummings played, but both he and UW offensive line coach Scott Fuchs said it wasn’t his best game, as the Cowboys lost 24-14.

Cummings said when he and the team returned to Laramie, he was still feeling “pretty rough.” However, he practiced Monday and participated in a morning weightlifting session Tuesday.

Cummings said UW’s team doctor, Matthew Boyer, kept good tabs on him, and told Cummings after lifting weights to go to the emergency room at Ivinson Memorial Hospital and get his blood tested.

Cummings said tests for the flu and strep throat came back negative, but doctors decided to do a spinal tap to test his spinal fluid.

When that test came back, Cummings knew something was wrong.

“Immediately, a bunch of doctors and nurses came in all dressed up in yellow suits, masks, gloves and started me on like five bags of antibiotics,” Cummings said. “They said I had bacteria in my spine that’s leading up to my brain.

“I was laying there thinking there was no way this could happen.”

Cummings said the antibiotics he was on prior to the meningitis diagnosis might have saved his life because they acted as an aid against the illness sooner.


***********************************************************************************************
Bacterial spinal meningitis is usually much more serious than viral spinal meningitis..........it carries a mortality rate of ~20-30% depending on the bacterial species. Those that do recover can result in permanent disabilities such as brain damage, hearing loss, and learning disabilities. We don't know the extent of morbidity that Cummings has been left with.

But the concussion and spinal meningitis was not the reason he was moved to LG. October 2016, he suffered a very serious foot injury for which he missed the rest of the season. He sustained 2 fractures of his foot along with torn ligaments. Cummings missed spring camp to recover from the foot injury. He returned for fall camp, but did not make it through the full month of practices at tackle. The reason is that playing RT, you need an especially strong and stable left foot in order to push off and protect the outside pass rush. It was after this that after a mid August scrimmage, Cummings made the move to left guard out of necessity.

Cummings hadn’t played guard since high school, when he also spent two years at center.
Not considered all that athletic, his versatility may be his only real positive.

Hopefully, this gives some decent information to base some conclusions on Cummings potential future as an NFL player.
 
Much more than I expected..thanks. When I was in boot camp we were quarantined as guy in platoon next to us same huge sleep quarters went into coma and everyone freaked. Odd feeling when your drill instructors look scared. Found out later was viral not bacterial IIRC. Heads and showers we re soaked in bleach. We missed breakfast while he was finally carried to hospital and then we forced to eat after all other platoons had left Chow Hall. We did enjoy down time for over a week.
 
Yeah, I'm really rooting for him. Sounds like he's in great shape. Hopefully he can be a great surprise. I've been hearing that he's really been working his ass off this offseason.

Yeah he said OB read him from the book I do believe and he wants some of dem millions. Perhaps just perhaps he can be that lightening in a bottle exception
 
Yeah, I'm really rooting for him. Sounds like he's in great shape. Hopefully he can be a great surprise. I've been hearing that he's really been working his ass off this offseason.

We're all rooting for him. This video unfortunately can only be entirely impressive to those that don't understand that testing a post Achilles tear patient player only occurs with repeated strong resistance. In the video, he is in constant motion with little need for forceful acceleration. The Achilles main function in a RB is to push off forcefully...........and even more stressfully continue to push forcefully against increasing resistance of the opposing D. We won't even really see this in in effect in practices and he is likely to see limited action in preseason games....................several games into the regular season is much more likely to give us a good idea of what he has. :texflag:
 
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We're all rooting for him. This video unfortunately can only be entirely impressive to those that don't understand that testing a post Achilles tear patient player only occurs with repeated strong resistance. In the video, he is in constant motion with little need for forceful acceleration. The Achilles main function in a RB is to push off forcefully...........and even more stressfully continue to push forcefully against increasing resistance of the opposing D. We won't even really see this in in effect in practices and he is likely to see limited action in preseason games....................several games into the regular season i much more likely to give us a good idea of what he has. :texflag:
I can hear a pop when he tries to break first tackle.
 
Foreman looks really good. There was another vid posted to footwork Kings Facebook. Looks solid
Again, it's nice to see some decent "footwork" in that other video showing him doing what they called "jump/cutting"............slight jumping, more like a hop ~ 2 inches off the ground............no sharp cutting more like minor gentle slalum.

Footwork is one thing. But as I mentioned above, he has not done anything to severely stress his Achilles. As opposed to the "other video," you start worrying when he needs to repeatedly jump high and come down hard.
 
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Again, it's nice to see some decent "footwork" in that other video showing him doing what they called "jump/cutting"............slight jumping, more like a hop ~ 2 inches off the ground............no sharp cutting more like minor gentle slalum.

Footwork is one thing. But as I mentioned above, he has not done anything to severely stress his Achilles. As opposed to the "other video," you start worrying when he needs to repeatedly jump high and come down hard.

I mean the Achilles is all explosion. So the jump cutting, which is purely change of direction, is a very very good sign that his Achilles is in really good shape. He has to use a lot of force and he’s putting 90% of his weight down on that plant leg to explode out of the cut. Not sure if we’re talking about the same video, but there was one of him hurdling trash cans (lol) and he came down fine on it. I think he should be good to go, he still has more time to build up everything around it.
 
I mean the Achilles is all explosion. So the jump cutting, which is purely change of direction, is a very very good sign that his Achilles is in really good shape. He has to use a lot of force and he’s putting 90% of his weight down on that plant leg to explode out of the cut. Not sure if we’re talking about the same video, but there was one of him hurdling trash cans (lol) and he came down fine on it. I think he should be good to go, he still has more time to build up everything around it.
That's a very "creative" interpretation of the videos.
 


I've watched all the available videos and see nothing predictive of hard core Achilles stress. But after reading my posts, I guess if you still think he's fine, he must be "fine."

I could be wrong. I’m no doctor. I’m just saying I see him making a lot of football moves at full speed and it’s still only April..most of those videos were last month or the month before too. I see no reason why he can’t be in game shape by September. I think that’ll be the hardest part. There’s “in shape” and then there’s “football shape”. Obviously be careful with him pre season, but I’d like to see him get as many reps as safely as possible to get back into that football shape
 
I could be wrong. I’m no doctor. I’m just saying I see him making a lot of football moves at full speed and it’s still only April..most of those videos were last month or the month before too. I see no reason why he can’t be in game shape by September. I think that’ll be the hardest part. There’s “in shape” and then there’s “football shape”. Obviously be careful with him pre season, but I’d like to see him get as many reps as safely as possible to get back into that football shape
For what he is doing, he does indeed look good. Just an FYI, when considering the Achilles, "moves at full speed" are much less stressful (as follow through is strongly carried by inertia) than forceful moves from a standstill, or repeated sudden powerful accelerations from a very slow pace...............and not even those are assured to demonstrate that he has no significant deficits, without adding extremely heavy resistance, or a full speed charging or immovable defensive targets. Time will tell.
 
For what he is doing, he does indeed look good. Just an FYI, when considering the Achilles, "moves at full speed" are much less stressful (as follow through is strongly carried by inertia) than forceful moves from a standstill, or repeated sudden powerful accelerations from a very slow pace...............and not even those are assured to demonstrate that he has no significant deficits, without adding extremely heavy resistance, or a full speed charging or immovable defensive targets. Time will tell.
Doc, my understanding of Foreman and IIRC he is a build up speed with no powerful push off or change of direction guy. Even his first few steps in a run play doesn't seem to require much. Perhaps if he is a blocker that must cross some yardage to get to a rusher it might be different. Do you agree? As a runner he just seemed in college to go forward and hit hole and break tackles. In the latter is where I expect him to stress his achilles.
 
Doc, my understanding of Foreman and IIRC he is a build up speed with no powerful push off or change of direction guy. Even his first few steps in a run play doesn't seem to require much. Perhaps if he is a blocker that must cross some yardage to get to a rusher it might be different. Do you agree? As a runner he just seemed in college to go forward and hit hole and break tackles. In the latter is where I expect him to stress his achilles.
Foreman is not close to a light weight. It takes a heavy locomotive a lot of force to start the heavy load before if begins chugging along. You don't SEE the initial force............you just see the ultimate speed. When faced with strong defenders with the need to break tackles is another scenario where the Achilles is placed on great stress.
 
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For what he is doing, he does indeed look good. Just an FYI, when considering the Achilles, "moves at full speed" are much less stressful (as follow through is strongly carried by inertia) than forceful moves from a standstill, or repeated sudden powerful accelerations from a very slow pace...............and not even those are assured to demonstrate that he has no significant deficits, without adding extremely heavy resistance, or a full speed charging or immovable defensive targets. Time will tell.

Time will tell. I’m just happy to see what he’s able to do thus far. I like that he’s looking quick and is able to begin working on his craft. Some guys have made it out OK from this kind of injury while others clearly lose a step. I know the pads aren’t on, but it’s still encouraging. I’m pulling for him to eventually become the lead back
 
Pats seem to trust DT coming off a achilles. Cheap contract, but heh, much older dude. Staying hopeful, still want another RB, but dont think we need to make it a day 1/2 pick. Foreman has everything to prove this year, I like those situations
 
Pats seem to trust DT coming off a achilles. Cheap contract, but heh, much older dude. Staying hopeful, still want another RB, but dont think we need to make it a day 1/2 pick. Foreman has everything to prove this year, I like those situations
The implications of Thomas' Achilles is not the same as a running back's. Even so, if indeed he is destined to return to decent performance, it is unlikely that it will occur before the second year post surgery.
 
Texans GM Brian Gaine on D'Onta Foreman: 'He came back in good shape'
Aaron Wilson , Houston Chronicle April 18, 2019 Updated: April 18, 2019 2 p.m.

**************
Gaine in the article says "I’ve been pleased with what I’ve seen, but there’s a lot of football left to be played, there’s a lot of offseason left to complete, but so far so good in terms of getting off on the right foot.”..................but it's his left foot we're worried about.:)

Myself and several others I am sure will continue to worry until he gets the unofficial TT doctors approval. :)

I began worrying last year when you questioned Foreman's effort at rehab.

:coffee:
 
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