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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.Respect. Most of the players you name are/were far more durable than Dobson has been to this point. Nobody is questioning his talent to play the game and he could very well emerge like the guys on your list, but he has to be on the field to do it. And I don't say this as a slight to you at all, but to mention Dobson or even some of the other guys in the same sentence as Steve Smith is an insult. That guy is a warrior, a great receiver and a fierce competitor. The same cannot be said about a lot of the other guys.There's a history of third year wideouts breaking out. Demaryius Thomas, Eric Decker, Laveranues Coles, Reggie Wayne, Roddy White, Santana Moss, Steve Smith, Javon Walker, Donte Stallworth, Braylon Edwards, Sidney Rice are a few names that come to mind. I remember Roddy White specifically being considered a bust after 2 years, and then emerging into one of the best and most reliable receivers in the game over the ensuing decade.
That's not to say it will work out for Dobson, of course.
And I don't say this as a slight to you at all, but to mention Dobson or even some of the other guys in the same sentence as Steve Smith is an insult.
I didn't miss the point. In fact, I say it in the very next paragraph . . . ? That sentence you highlight was just a product of my immense respect for Steve Smith and the fact that I would put him as a fringe HOFer, if not a guarantee (though it would probably take a few tries). I don't care what Dobson's rookie stats read, he has a loooong way to go before we can talk about him in the same light as Smith. Sorry, man. You won't get me to say otherwise. Dobson has not seen the field in a very long time and unless that changes, he will never be anything in the league.Sure, but it seems you missed the point. Smith is 36 and Dobson is 24. Dobson's rookie season was much better than Smith's. I mean, if Dobson became three quarters of the player Steve Smith has been over his career I'd be ecstatic, but I'm just pointing out that a lot of wide receivers did not really break out until their third year.
Its a tough call to make to determine if the team's course of treatment for AD was bordering on malpractice. Depending on the type of stress fracture, they can take 6-8 weeks to heal. As I understand it, since he experienced the injury Week 12, he had ~5 weeks to heal which seems on the low side but reasonable. Depending on the severity of the break and location, there are some instances where stress fractures just need surgery no matter what but if you can play through it, it won't cause additional/long term damage. However, as you point out, depending on the fracture if you keep walking/running/jumping on it, the break will take longer to heal or potentially expand.
My point is that I struggle with perceptions we as fans have around what the team/doctors did right/wrong with a patient. I'm just as guilty in doing that. We don't know the diagnosis or the prognosis.
IMO, when it comes to injuries, I think the Pats more often than not err on the side of caution and do not force players out there that have a heightened risk of long term injury. Without knowing anything, I really don't think they were rolling the dice with AD's career or grossly misdiagnosed the condition.
I'm not a doctor but I've had two different types of stress fractures. For the first one, recovery was easy as it was minor. For the second one, it was sheer hell because I never let it fully heal.
Respect, Deus. But your point, though very well taken, only works with the assumption that these doctors are always acting in the best interest of the player. I don't believe this to be true. I think that was part of the controversy two years ago with Gronkowski choosing to act on the advice of his personal doctors rather than team doctors. I know that story likely was more overblown than anything, but I do believe and expect that there was some truth to it at least. Otherwise, you are absolutely right to state what you did.Regardless of the usually stated healing 'range', a doctor should always insist upon longer healing times for foot issues in an athlete, and they should always insist on a full battery of tests before clearing the player, even after that extra healing time. Not doing so can severely limit, or ruin careers.
But all of them were on the field, for the most part, for their first two years.
Only Deion Branch.
Givens was targeted 15 times his rookie reason
Edelman was targeted 15 times his 2nd season and only 8 times his 3rd year.
If Brady had Branch and Brown to throw to and attempted 100 fewer passes, Dobson's 2013 probably wouldn't have seen as many targets
Edelman played in 15 games his second year, too. He was on the field
Dobson & KT played a key role in Brady having the second worst season of his career apart from 2006. They weren't good, at all.
There is little evidence he can even be an effective NFL WR. He's also injury prone.
Bringing up his rookie stats are nonsense because 1. The only other options were Collie and Slater 2. The NFL has changed big time. Check out all the rookie WR stats from 2014.
Put 2002 rookie Branch in Dobson's 2013 situation and his stats are much different.
I have low expectations. We'll see. Tough to see him cracking the field when Lafell comes back.
I think you're being a wee bit harsh in your assessment here.
I agree. We don't know what ADs situation was.Regardless of the usually stated healing 'range', a doctor should always insist upon longer healing times for foot issues in an athlete, and they should always insist on a full battery of tests before clearing the player, even after that extra healing time. Not doing so can severely limit, or ruin careers.
BostonBackyardSports @BBSports44 Jul 31
Bill Belichick on Aaron Dobson right now: He's in "great" shape and "Put himself in good position" #NFL #Patriots
That's a little dated but I'm hoping he still feels that way. I really don't want to see a 36 year old Wayne keeping us from developing this guy.
Outside of NE not handling an injury properly, Wayne isn't going to keep Dobson from developing. Dobson is doing it all on his own.I really don't want to see a 36 year old Wayne keeping us from developing this guy.
Outside of NE not handling an injury properly, Wayne isn't going to keep Dobson from developing. Dobson is doing it all on his own.