PA Season Ticket Holder
04-07-2003, 01:30 PM
When Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich works out for NFL scouts on Monday, all eyes will be focused not on his arm, but on his leg.
Leftwich's run for the Heisman was interrupted by a fracture sustained on November 2. Leftwich hid the fact that he'd suffered a broken bone until the February scouting combine. Since then, the buzz has been that Byron could slide through the first round of the draft.
Some are comparing the injury to the broken ankle suffered by former Texas defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, who went from being a top five pick to a second-rounder in 2001. (Rogers, of course, rebounded nicely, starting all 16 games as a rookie.)
Likewise, some believe that Leftwich will require surgery immediately after the draft to remove a pin or a plate that was inserted to assist the healing process.
As a result, at least one G.M. predicts that Leftwich will fall to the second round -- just like Rogers did two years ago.
In contrast, ESPN.com's Len Pastabelli reports that renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews has sent a letter to all 32 teams regarding Leftwich's status. Andrews says that Leftwich is cleared to participate in all drills, and that there will be "no further removal of surgical hardware."
The "no further removal of surgical hardware" phrase implies that some removal of surgical hardware already has occurred.
Still, the fact that Leftwich concealed the nature of last season's injury until late February rightly should raise/fuel concerns. Leftwich claims that he previously said nothing about the injury because he didn't want opponents to target the leg. Even if Lefwtich genuinely believes that teams weren't already targeting his gimped-up wheel, he played his last game in late December.
So why did he need to keep it secret at a time when he no longer needed to keep it safe?
Even if Leftwich makes it through his Monday workout without any limps or hops or hiccups, questions will continue to swirl regarding his health unless and until each team has a chance to examine the leg thoroughly and completely. And if Leftwich hesitates at all in this regard, it'll confirm that he's merely engaged in a high-stakes bluff intended to get him paid like a top ten guy in 2003 . . . even if he won't be able to play until 2004.
http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm
Leftwich's run for the Heisman was interrupted by a fracture sustained on November 2. Leftwich hid the fact that he'd suffered a broken bone until the February scouting combine. Since then, the buzz has been that Byron could slide through the first round of the draft.
Some are comparing the injury to the broken ankle suffered by former Texas defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, who went from being a top five pick to a second-rounder in 2001. (Rogers, of course, rebounded nicely, starting all 16 games as a rookie.)
Likewise, some believe that Leftwich will require surgery immediately after the draft to remove a pin or a plate that was inserted to assist the healing process.
As a result, at least one G.M. predicts that Leftwich will fall to the second round -- just like Rogers did two years ago.
In contrast, ESPN.com's Len Pastabelli reports that renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews has sent a letter to all 32 teams regarding Leftwich's status. Andrews says that Leftwich is cleared to participate in all drills, and that there will be "no further removal of surgical hardware."
The "no further removal of surgical hardware" phrase implies that some removal of surgical hardware already has occurred.
Still, the fact that Leftwich concealed the nature of last season's injury until late February rightly should raise/fuel concerns. Leftwich claims that he previously said nothing about the injury because he didn't want opponents to target the leg. Even if Lefwtich genuinely believes that teams weren't already targeting his gimped-up wheel, he played his last game in late December.
So why did he need to keep it secret at a time when he no longer needed to keep it safe?
Even if Leftwich makes it through his Monday workout without any limps or hops or hiccups, questions will continue to swirl regarding his health unless and until each team has a chance to examine the leg thoroughly and completely. And if Leftwich hesitates at all in this regard, it'll confirm that he's merely engaged in a high-stakes bluff intended to get him paid like a top ten guy in 2003 . . . even if he won't be able to play until 2004.
http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm