NFC East Thread

[Sharkinva]

Makes more sense for them to put him on the PUP list. Save that IR designated to return in case some one else gets injured. PLus gives them flexibility in case Romo does heal up faster than expected. PUP means he has to sit the first six games, IR with return means the first eight.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Makes more sense for them to put him on the PUP list. Save that IR designated to return in case some one else gets injured. PLus gives them flexibility in case Romo does heal up faster than expected. PUP means he has to sit the first six games, IR with return means the first eight.

Don't teams have the option to choose which IR boomerang player returns this year?

 

[Caliskinsfan]

I agree with this, ultimately it will be about 'the team, the team, the team'

 

[Sharkinva]

Don't teams have the option to choose which IR boomerang player returns this year?

Teams can only designate one player as IR with a chance to return. So if they designate Romo now, and some one else like a starting RB or WR goes down in week 1-3, they cant really designate this player as IR with the ability to return. This is why i say it makes more sense to put Romo on the PUP list. It would give them 6-9 weeks to figure out if he will be able to come back, and still leaves them options for one other player should bad stuffz happen.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Teams can only designate one player as IR with a chance to return. So if they designate Romo now, and some one else like a starting RB or WR goes down in week 1-3, they cant really designate this player as IR with the ability to return. This is why i say it makes more sense to put Romo on the PUP list. It would give them 6-9 weeks to figure out if he will be able to come back, and still leaves them options for one other player should bad stuffz happen.

Rule change could add strategy to bringing a player back from IR




A rule change passed Wednesday morning basically eliminates the injured reserve – desginated for return list but does not eliminate the rule allowing one player per team, per season to return to action from the injured reserve list.

Now, teams can simply choose a player who’s been on injured reserve for at least six weeks and activate him once he’s healthy enough to play again.

Still only one player per season may be activated from injured reserve, but the team does not need to designate that player when he’s placed on IR. In the past, if a player was hurt in the preseason or early in the regular season, teams would have decide whether to use the return designation — or, in some cases, whether to place the player on IR at all until it had a clear timetable for a potential return.

 

[Sharkinva]

Rule change could add strategy to bringing a player back from IR




A rule change passed Wednesday morning basically eliminates the injured reserve – desginated for return list but does not eliminate the rule allowing one player per team, per season to return to action from the injured reserve list.

Now, teams can simply choose a player who’s been on injured reserve for at least six weeks and activate him once he’s healthy enough to play again.

Still only one player per season may be activated from injured reserve, but the team does not need to designate that player when he’s placed on IR. In the past, if a player was hurt in the preseason or early in the regular season, teams would have decide whether to use the return designation — or, in some cases, whether to place the player on IR at all until it had a clear timetable for a potential return.

Good info. But the fact that its still limited to one player limits what teams can do with it. Still think Romo goes on the PUP list as it gives them a better time table and lets them hold this card just in case they need to use it during the season.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Good info. But the fact that its still limited to one player limits what teams can do with it. Still think Romo goes on the PUP list as it gives them a better time table and lets them hold this card just in case they need to use it during the season.

True. Boys have shown a history of rushing Romo back. Seems that strategy should evolve to more caution as back and other injuries have racked up and so has his age.

 

[Sharkinva]

Don't teams have the option to choose which IR boomerang player returns this year?

Yea. But look at it like this. Say they put Romo on IR and in week two (Key PLayer) gets hurt. Now this guy is hurt bad enough he will miss weeks 3-10, but should be healthy enough to come back should the Cowboys be in a run for the Division.

At that point because they have Romo, and Key Player both on IR, they can only bring one of them back

Better option... Romo goes on the PUP now. His recovery time table was 8-10 weeks.. from last week. So if they put him on the PUP, he is eligable to be reactivated in week six, and they can hold off determining up until week nine. This would also give them the flexibility to still be able to bring back Key player that got hurt in week 2.

~~Disclaimer... I am not wishing for, nor predicting a long term injury to ANY Cowboys players in the week two game. This was for hypothetical situation analysis only. ~~

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Can't really say this surprises me at this point, every year it seems like something. Hopefully it's minor, he's one of the few Cowboys I really like to watch play.

 

[Sportster 72]

That kid was a stud at Penn State Cali and a very good LB for Dallas but he has never been able to stay healthy. Same problem in college. He played with NaVorro. Feel for the kid.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

A really thought provoking letter from Ross Tucker.

Agree with everything in it myself.




Tony,

I don't know that we've ever officially "met" but we were teammates for a short time back in 2003 in Dallas before Bill Parcells cut me in June right after a minicamp, which ironically became one of the best things that ever happened to me after the Bills picked me up on waivers.

Back then, you weren't really even on the radar. I figured you were just a camp arm they had signed because you went to the same college as Sean Payton, our offensive coordinator at the time. I also remember your buddy Jason Witten being terrible during that minicamp and thinking he was a poor draft choice. Here we are, 13 years later, and you guys are two of the greatest Cowboys in history and still playing after all this time. Truly amazing.

That's actually why I'm writing this to you; whether you realize it or not, I think you've got a tough decision to make regarding whether or not you should ever play the game you love so much again. I'm not going to tell you what to do -- that's ultimately up to you to decide. I'm just going to give you some things to think about from a guy that has also had back issues and is eight years removed from my playing days.

It really comes down to this: I don't know many (any?) guys that have had spine injuries like we have yet feel totally fine these days. Those guys just don't seem to exist. I actually feel pretty decent most of the time, but I am very conscious of avoiding anything that could potentially aggravate my back, which has bothered me off and on since I hurt it in 2004 and subsequently had surgery on it in 2005 with Buffalo. I've learned that lesson the hard way too many times and basically don't do anything that could compromise how it feels. It's just not worth it.

That's why I don't play golf or basketball, two things I thought I'd do when I was done with the NFL. Almost all of my workouts (swimming, elliptical, stairmaster, yoga, stationary bike) to stay in shape specifically involve things where my body does not impact the ground at all. I'm very conscious of things like how soft a chair is or even the angle of the back of the chair when in a restaurant. My comfort and enjoyment of the meal depends on it.

As you are well aware, you have had two surgeries on your back already, including one to repair a herniated disc. You've previously fractured a few bones in your back. Now you have a compression fracture of your vertebra. That's a lot man, and we aren't even talking about the three separate times you have fractured your clavicle. Maybe your body is telling you something?

I know you are a competitor and you've got team goals you still desperately want to accomplish. That's part of the reason you've been able to play at such a high level for so long. The reality is there are 31 other teams that have the same goals and at least 10, quite frankly, that have a better chance of achieving them than you and the Cowboys do this year or really anytime soon.

Even putting those goals aside, I also know how hard it must be to decide not to play anymore. I miss football every single day, but do you know what I would miss more? The quality of life I have with my wife and two daughters now if I was in constant pain every day for the next 50 years. But don't just take my word for it.

"He needs to decide how much of a risk he want to take to go out and play with this," longtime Jaguars head athletic trainer and Sunday Night Football medical analyst Mike Ryan told me when I asked him about you on the Ross Tucker Football Podcast, adding, "There are potential long term effects and short term risk factors."

"He's had damage to the vertebra and disc already. He already has stress and trauma there."

I even asked Mike just how much a back can take and whether or not he thinks you should keep playing.

"Well I think that conversation with his family needs to take place right now. When you have guys with spine injuries you need to have frank conversations with them when nobody else is around."

Think about that, Tony. That's an NFL trainer saying you need to have honest dialogue with medical experts when nobody from the team is around. That says a lot.

While I'm sure you wouldn't mind getting more of Jerry Jones' money the next few years, you've already made well over $100 million (and that's just from the team), so it's not about that anymore. You've got two boys and a lot of life to live and I'm sure a lot of activities you want to be able to do with them.

I don't envy the decision you have to make. It's going to be difficult either way. When I herniated a disc in my neck so badly that it bruised my spinal cord back in 2007, I asked the spine surgeon for his honest opinion. He said, "You played seven years, you're 28 years old, and you went to Princeton. I think it's time to get a real job." And this was before talking about the concerns and risks once the spinal cord is involved.

That was enough for me, but I wasn't the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. I was a journeyman offensive lineman that no team was going to really want anymore, anyway. My decision was easy.

Yours won't be. No matter what you choose.

Good Luck,

Ross

 

[Caliskinsfan]

And....back with the Gnats...

 

[Iggloo]

Can't really say this surprises me at this point, every year it seems like something. Hopefully it's minor, he's one of the few Cowboys I really like to watch play.

New photo of Sean Lee surfaces!

 

[Caliskinsfan]

New photo of Sean Lee surfaces!

Ouch.

I'm not a fan of memes like this myself cuz I still have PTSD from Griffin and Theisman.

But I get the gallows humor as injuries are a reality in the NFL.

That said, the guy seems definitely snake bit. Jerrah of course was busy saying he's just fine on the radio. Just like Romo was just fine after his game the other night. Never saw an owner so open to looking foolish when it comes to discussing player injuries. Let the doctors be doctors, Jerry.

Snyder has too many faults to count but at least he does not ramble on radio weekly about players, thank gawd.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

@Iggloo

Andy Benoit is posting some good Eagles info on his timeline right now

 

[Iggloo]

Theisman was serious, that was no joking matter.

I don't have anything against Sean Lee, who seems like a decent enough dude, but he clearly cannot withstand the rigors of being an NFL linebacker. He is always hurting something.

On Jerrah, yeah he and the Dallas coaches were acting like he just had a little bruise on his back after the game, might not even get an MRI. Then news breaks: broken back.

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Iggloo]

@Iggloo

Andy Benoit is posting some good Eagles info on his timeline right now

Now why you gotta make me read this?

 

[Caliskinsfan]

 

[Caliskinsfan]

Now why you gotta make me read this?