BREAKING TWEET: Vince Wilfork may never return to the field.

[Triumph]

Do the Pats burn a draft pick on a trade for a DT?

Jax and Oakland are out of it. Anybody there worth a look?

 

[Sticky Caulk]

Do the Pats burn a draft pick on a trade for a DT?

Without a good NT, the run defense is going to take a huge hit. That means the LBers will be helping and Spikes will have to come in more often. This then creates a huge hole in the secondary which Gonzalez already exploited without the run game.

If a run stuffer is available, it's worth a decent pick. I would normally be against that, but this team is 4-0. That can't be ignored.

 

[ivanvamp]

I think they should spend a 6th or 7th (whatever we can get away with) on Deaderick, who knows the system and now plays for uber-crappy Jacksonville as a backup. He's no Vince (who is?) but he would help.

 

[Oswlek]

Kelly and Armstead are considered by me personally to be more of the "usual" and average kind of middle to low tiered free agent signings that happen just about every year, not that I am knocking them on any level, b/c these are the kinds of cap friendly signings that have high upside--as we are currently seeing with Kelly.

Bill has coveted Kelly for a while, he never considered him a flyer. And you are way, way underselling Armstead. I understand being cautious with a guy who is currently on NFI without ever playing an NFL down, but he would have been a ~2nd rounder coming out of college before tearing it up in Canada. He isn't a true Vince replacement, but he is every bit as good a prospect as those you lament passing over.

 

[Oswlek]

Without a good NT, the run defense is going to take a huge hit. That means the LBers will be helping and Spikes will have to come in more often. This then creates a huge hole in the secondary which Gonzalez already exploited without the run game.

If a run stuffer is available, it's worth a decent pick. I would normally be against that, but this team is 4-0. That can't be ignored.

They only need a NT if they plan on running 3-4. Otherwise, just competent run defense from the DT paired with Kelly should be enough to get by.

I seriously doubt they are going to trade, Bill has known this is a possibility and seems content with the youngsters and Armstead waiting in the wings.

 

[Sivy]

These reports happen every time a major pats player gets injured.

 

[MassPats38]

Not breaking news at all. This 2010 article says the same. But then again, 'reports' were questioning whether Brady would return after his injury in 2008.

The reality is Wilfork is a physical freak. People were amazed when Welker returned to full ability well ahead of schedule (after Brady's recovery, there seemed less talk of if but rather when Welker would come back). Greg Ellis had the same injury at about the same time in his career, and returned for 3 more seasons, to include a pro bowl visit and comeback player of the year award the year after his injury. It just isn't worth dwelling on negative possibilities at this point, because every player handles individual injuries differently. Wilfork has shown the ability to literally change his body to adapt to defensive requirements of a given year. I am not writing him off just yet.

 

[DaBronxPats14]

Let it play out see after this season. Determine it after rehab take it from there.

 

[dannydyn]

When is Armstead eligible to play?

 

[Bella*chick]

Yeah, I remember the "Brady may never be the same again" stuff after his injury. Pretty much this sort of thing is said after every major injury.

Is it a concern? Yes. I wish everyone would just calm down though. It happened less than 48 hours ago.

 

[DarrylS]

FYI Big Vince is >325 lbs.

Without regard, he has very special qualities, but not sure about "magical" qualities... it will be an extremely difficult road back for him.

 

[grux]

I wouldn't read to much into this bs. We don't even know how severe he teared his achilles. I am hopeful that the tear wasn't to bad and he can get back on the field next year.

 

[Boogs]

His added weight and age are going to kill his recovery...

I follow Polamalu a bit. He had samilar injury with a calf tear and is a year older than Wilfork. But Polamalu is a health nut who follows a strict diet and the dude even drinks Kale juice for recovery. And weighs 205-210. Troy says he has fought to work out that scar tissue from the tear in his calf.
That achilles will be tight from it. He'll also be very susceptible to other problems due to this. With decreased foot and lower leg flexibility, that often throws off alignment when bending the knee. With Wilforks weight, that's added stress on the knee. So unfortunately, I don't think he'll be back. And if he does come back, I don't think he'll ever be the same. And as you said, the extra weight will slow recovery. This is a tough injury.

 

[Rob0729]

I will wait for a legitimate source to deliver this news.

That said, it could be the end of Wilfork's career. With his age and weight, he is going to face a tough recovery. I hope he makes it back, but there are no guarantees.

 

[SHOWTIME15]

Look there is no way around it, vince is going to get cut even if the docs say a recovery is possible. The pats are a harsh organization. Belichick does what's beat for the team - vince makes a lot of money and is old. He won't be the same vince we know and love.

 

[Rob0729]

One thing we have to accept that even if Wilfork comes back, his Patriots career could be over. His cap hit is $11.5 million next year with a $7.5 base salary. I don't know if the Pats are going to give him that salary unless he is close to 100% and still an elite player.

Unless Wilfork takes a pay cut, I think there is a very good chance he played his last game with the Pats.

 

[Mack Herron]

In March 2010, four orthopedic doctors at Duke University published a study that reviewed the careers of NFL players after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon between 1997 and 2002. The doctors concluded that only about two-thirds of players returned to the field.

Of the 31 players who tore their Achilles tendons, 21 came back at an average of 11 months after the injury. Those players saw a decrease in the number of games they played and a dip in production in the three seasons after their return.

Terrell Suggs' quick recovery from Achilles injury goes against recent history - Baltimore Sun

Peters, 31, who is 6-foot-4, 340 pounds, has five Pro Bowl selections on his resumé and a reputation as one of the NFL's top left tackles. He's a converted tight end who moves as well as any left tackle.

But Peters is recovering from an Achilles tendon that was twice ruptured in 2012. That injury is difficult to recover from, even without Peters' heft or years. Yet he was a full participant in Friday's practice, and is being counted on to anchor the offensive line.

"I'm full tilt," Peters said. "Ain't no monitoring it. I'm out there and I'm going. . . . That's the way I'm going to go. The doctors said there ain't no limits. It don't even get sore, so I'm just going to go and play it out."

Peters did not appear to show any noticeable signs of injury.

Eagles' Jason Peters going 'full tilt' after injury - Philly.com

 

[MassPats38]

Let's see, the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. It appears this thread has cycled through all stages within 35 posts. Is that a PatsFans.com record?

 

[grux]

One thing we have to accept that even if Wilfork comes back, his Patriots career could be over. His cap hit is $11.5 million next year with a $7.5 base salary. I don't know if the Pats are going to give him that salary unless he is close to 100% and still an elite player.

Unless Wilfork takes a pay cut, I think there is a very good chance he played his last game with the Pats.

I hope Vince and the organization can come to an agreement if he can't play at an elite level. Vince has strong ties to New England and at this point in his career probably doesn't want to play for another team.

 

[50-yard-line]

No idea about the source.

All I know is BB sounded devastated when talking about the injury. On a professional and personal level, this one really hurt the organization.

And if Vince can find his way back, I'm not convinced he'd get axed as so many here are saying. He'd restructure and the organization would likely work something out. Sure, they're harsh, like every other team, by the way, but there are certain players - Teddy B comes screaming to mind - that they want to finish their careers here.

Either way, it's been a helluva career for Vince Wilfork. Great player, wonderful person by all accounts. He's a beast, and I'm not counting him out of anything until HE says so.