Monday (Tuesday) Morning Rehab

MMR, fantasy football, NFL, injuries, player updates It is not often the Monday Morning Rehab runs late, but this week certainly is one of those “not oftens.”

So many injuries to keep up with as preseason football kicked off in earnest last Thursday and throughout the weekend. Couple that with my weekend-away-from-civilization and you get a slight delay in injury news.

But I still bring it strong for you guys.

A bevy of injuries to update this week. All worth monitoring as fantasy owners are now into fantasy draft season. I have my first redraft tonight for a league with some guys from work. Drafting from the No. 7 spot, I will be able to provide some details on those results sometime this week.

By the way, anyone notice Brett Favre making news again? So much for Michael Vick stealing the spotlight — that lasted all of a weekend. Favre, according to Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer and a few others, is almost certainly going to be a member of the Vikings sometime this season.

It could be soon. Stay tuned.

Tom Brady [QB, Patriots]

From ProFootballTalk:

“I’ve worked with a lot of guys, and it’s remarkable how quickly he’s rehabbed,” Alex Guerrero told Albert Breer of Sporting News. “Tommy’s been doing everything since the end of February.”

Brady looked great in the preseason win against the Eagles on Thursday night. All systems are go for Tom Terrific, draft accordingly.

What may happen now in the coming weeks is a shift in power at the top of the quarterback rankings. I would not be surprised to see Brady at least pull even with Drew Brees in terms of average draft position.

Antonio Bryant [WR, Buccaneers]

From ProFootballTalk:

On Monday, word emerged that Bucs receiver Antonio Bryant needs knee surgery.

On Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN Future reported on his Twitter page that Bryant has had surgery, and that the team expects him to miss three weeks of action.

This could be decent news for fantasy owners that have yet to draft. Bryant was going at an overvalued price in recent mock drafts because of his strong showing down the stretch last season. It was highly doubtful he would replicate those numbers with a new, still unknown, starting quarterback under center.

Now fantasy owners can watch him fall to a more valuable range in the middle rounds or later of fantasy drafts. Much less risk involved in that range.

Braylon Edwards [WR, Browns]

From The Fantasy Football Geek Blog:

Browns receiver Braylon Edwards has ANOTHER leg/foot injury?! As of right now I’m not getting too excited about Edwards’ potential this season…how about you?

Remember Edwards got stepped on by teammate Donte Stallworth in practice last year? It held him out of practice, but did not have much of an affect on his fantasy value.

Same thing here. This seems minor but is now the second injury to Edwards since the beginning of training camp. A slight concern, but one has to figure this being a contract year for Edwards has something to do with it.

Terrell Owens [WR, Bills]

From ProFootballTalk:

After missing a Tuesday morning walk-through, Bills wideout Terrell Owens also missed practice on Tuesday night because of a sprained toe suffered in Sunday night’s Hall of Fame game.

His status is “day-to-day,” according to Bills head coach Dick Jauron.

Some in the fantasy world are beginning to wonder if this is a sign that Owens’ body is breaking down.

I think not.

Owens has had a history of nagging injuries during training camps and preseasons of the past. Perhaps it is just his way of getting out of some of the most grueling practices.

Brian Westbrook [RB, Eagles]

From RotoWorld:

Brian Westbrook (knee) is expected to return to practicing on Saturday, along with DE Victor Abiamiri (torn pectoral).

Unprompted by the signing of Michael Vick, this is great news for Westbrook. His average draft position has been slipping well into the second round. Earlier this summer, he was a first round lock.

The value seems decent on him currently. While a return to practice should encourage some confidence in Westy, LeSean McCoy’s impressive preseason debut could be a sign of things to come. If McCoy keeps playing like that, he surely will take some PT away from the elder Westbrook this season.

Steve Smith [WR, Panthers]

From ProFootballTalk:

“If I can play, then I’m playing, whether it be preseason or regular season,” Smith said Tuesday. “If I can’t play, I won’t play. If I’m not going to be effective and be able to compete, then it’s not best for the team.”

Smith returned to practice on Friday, making this a non-issue. Keep an eye on him during the next week or so to make sure there are no ill effects, but feel free to draft Smith accordingly in the time being.

Brent Celek [TE, Eagles]

From RotoWorld:

Eagles TE Brent Celek suffered a partial separation of the AC joint in his shoulder Thursday night.

The injury sounds worse than it apparently is, which is great news for fantasy owners aiming to target Celek late in fantasy drafts.

We should get to the overvalued/undervalued tight ends sometime soon and you guys can expect to see Celek on that list. Now that rookie Cornelius Ingram is out of the way, Celek should be in for a great season after emerging during the playoffs last season.

Joseph Addai [RB, Colts]

From RotoWorld:

Addai, who had offseason knee surgery, was initially slated for once-a-day practicing in camp, but it sounds like he’s been full go. He will rotate with rookie Donald Brown this year, but could still be a valuable late RB2.

Addai is clearly entrenched in a battle with rookie Brown, as evidenced by the Colts’ first preseason game against the Vikings.

Brown had five carries for 58 yards against Minnesota, while Addai was limited to just two carries for a respectable 13 yards. Neither player caught a pass, which is something both should do a fair deal of this season. The battle for chemistry in the Colts’ backfield will continue to develop throughout the remainder of the preseason.

Lance Moore [WR, Saints]

From RotoWorld:

Lance Moore (shoulder) finally practiced without a red “non-contact” jersey Sunday.

Good news for those touting Moore and his relatively low average draft position considering how well he played last season and the fact that he is the No. 2 wide receiver in a prolific passing offense.

Some are bear-ish on Moore because of the total amount of weapons on the Saints offense. With Marques Colston, Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, Jeremy Shockey and Moore on the field, Drew Brees has so many different options.

However, the fact remains that Moore is a valuable piece of the puzzle with whom Brees has developed a high comfort level. Moore is a safe mid-round draft pick and a solid WR3.

Steve Breaston [WR, Cardinals]

From RotoWorld:

Steve Breaston was diagnosed with a sprained PCL and a bone bruise in his right leg, and is listed as day-to-day.

Still being drafted too high for my liking, Breaston may see a slight downturn in fantasy value upon news of this injury.

He still is an injury away — most likely to Anquan Boldin — to having truly significant fantasy value again. I suppose he is not a bad value as a WR4 if you can get him at that point.

Jonathan Stewart [RB, Panthers]

From RotoWorld:

Jonathan Stewart has missed six consecutive practices at Panthers camp due to continued soreness in his Achilles’ tendon.

Not good.

Stewart is going to continue to lose the coach’s support if he cannot stay on the field. And this only helps solidy DeAngelo Williams’ position as the sole breadwinner in the Carolina backfield.

JStew struggled through injuries last season and I expect he will try to do the same again this year. But it severly limits his fantasy value if he cannot wrestle more playing time away from Williams.

Kurt Warner [QB, Cardinals]

From FFToolbox:

Warner’s hip surgery was successful, but it will take about 12 months for it to be right. Warner is only 4 1/2 months separated from surgery.

The old man is just one hit away from being irrelevant again. To me, he may now have surpassed Philip Rivers as the more overvalued selection in fantasy drafts this summer.

I am not hanging any of my fantasy championship hopes on his shoulders this season unless the value is absolutely right. And to me, that would be 6th round or later.

He had a great season last year, I am not trying to take that away from him, but two in a row? I do not see it happening.

Knowshon Moreno [RB, Broncos]

From ProFootballTalk:

Following PFT’s report earlier today that Denver Broncos rookie running back Knowshon Moreno had suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament, the AFC West franchise received more good news about the first-round draft pick’s condition.

Per Mike Klis of the Denver Post, Moreno has a slight knee sprain and will be sidelined for only one to two weeks.

The Broncos expect Moreno to be the feature back this season, but that expectation got off on the wrong foot (knee?).

Expect Denver to take it easy on the rookie running back during the remainder of the preseason while getting some of the other backs — Peyton Hillis, Correll Buckhalter — more work. This could very well end up being a New England-like running-back-by-committee approach, something head coach Josh McDaniels is very familiar with.

Andre Brown [RB, Giants]

From NFL GridIron Gab:

Rookie running back Andre Brown ruptured his achilles, and will get operated on next week. Apparently, he was going up for a pass, and landed wrong on his foot.

An unfortunate start to what was thought could be a decent season for the rookie out of N.C. State.

Some expected Brown to earn the role as Brandon Jacobs’ primary backup this season, but those predictions will take a back seat at least until next season.

Roy Williams [WR, Cowboys]

From FFToolbox:

The Associated Press reported that Dallas Cowboys WR Roy Williams is listed as day to day after spraining his wrist during the team’s second practice; X-rays were negative.

This does not sound too serious, but worth monitoring nonetheless. Keep an eye on Williams the rest of training camp and preseason to see if there are any ill effects in regards to catching and holding onto the football.

Carson Palmer [QB, Bengals]

From ProFootballTalk:

Per ESPN, it’s a mild-to-moderate sprain, which will at a minimum knock Palmer out of Thursday night’s preseason game at New England.

But if it indeed is a high ankle sprain, Palmer could miss even more time.

Palmer banged up the ankle on Friday night in the preseason opening loss to the New Orleans Saints. The last thing he needs is another injury scare.

If Palmer can stay healthy this year, Cincinnati’s passing game figures to have significant fantasy value this year. All three of the top wide receivers — Laveranues Coles, Chad OchoCinco and Chris Henry — are draftable and rosterable players at this point. If Chase Coffman can win the tight end job, he could be a nice bye week fill-in at some point this season.

But it all hinges on Palmer’s health.

Marc Bulger [QB, Rams]

From ProFootballTalk:

In a development that brings back bad memories of the endless debate during the 2008 season regarding the condition of one of Tony Romo’s smallest fingers, Rams quarterback Marc Bulger reportedly will miss at least two weeks with a non-displaced pinkie fracture.

Just when you thought the Rams could not get any worse … they certainly could.

Without the veteran Bulger at the helm of the offense, defenses surely would stack the box against Steven Jackson. That would not be a good prognosis for his fantasy value. For Jackson to have another elite season, Bulger needs to get — and stay — on the field.

The MMR will continue to run every Monday morning as scheduled during the offseason. If you have an injury update or want an update on a certain player, please leave a note in the comments.

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