Is Achilles the new ACL?

[50-yard-line]

Interesting and hopeful thoughts from Rich Hill:

Don't Count Out Wilfork | ChatPats.com

A few years ago, an ACL was very likely a career-ender. Now, not so much - at all.

More recently, many with Achilles injuries are showing promising returns (even, like Peterson with his ACL, career years):

Brent Grimes
Demarius Thomas
Jason Peters
Michael Crabtree
Terell Suggs

Hopeful news for the Pats, maybe? Wilfork, Wilson, and T.J. Moe all went down with Achilles problems.

 

[ripatsfan91]

Interesting and hopeful thoughts from Rich Hill:

Don't Count Out Wilfork | ChatPats.com

A few years ago, an ACL was very likely a career-ender. Now, not so much - at all.

More recently, many with Achilles injuries are showing promising returns (even, like Peterson with his ACL, career years):

Brent Grimes
Demarius Thomas
Jason Peters
Michael Crabtree
Terell Suggs

Hopeful news for the Pats, maybe? Wilfork, Wilson, and T.J. Moe all went down with Achilles problems.

Still better to part ways with Wilfork. Its a risk to keep him and hope he comes back healthy, especially at his size. Plus Vince will be what 33? He is gonna start to slow down. Best to use that money to continue with the youth movement.

 

[50-yard-line]

Still better to part ways with Wilfork. Its a risk to keep him and hope he comes back healthy, especially at his size. Plus Vince will be what 33? He is gonna start to slow down. Best to use that money to continue with the youth movement.

No way I'd cut him if he can play. You cannot underestimate what that presence frees up for those around him.

Restructure him out a couple of years - that was always on the books anyway - and carry on with about 4 million in cap savings this year.

 

[mayoclinic]

Interesting and hopeful thoughts from Rich Hill:

Don't Count Out Wilfork | ChatPats.com

A few years ago, an ACL was very likely a career-ender. Now, not so much - at all.

More recently, many with Achilles injuries are showing promising returns (even, like Peterson with his ACL, career years):

Brent Grimes
Demarius Thomas
Jason Peters
Michael Crabtree
Terell Suggs

Hopeful news for the Pats, maybe? Wilfork, Wilson, and T.J. Moe all went down with Achilles problems.

I'm not convinced that Achilles' recovery has caught up to ACL yet. ACL's take time to recover from, but it's pretty clear that players can recover from them and play at a Pro Bowl level. Achilles' isn't so clear.

And there just isn't any existence proof for a 325-350# 32 year old guy with a family history of severe diabetes coming back from this kind of injury.

 

[Kontradiction]

The issue with the guys that you brought up is that they are smaller guys. Wilfork looked like he was pushing 400 lbs. the last time we saw him and, even if he drops a little of that weight, he's still a 300+ pounder that puts much more stress on that area than the guys you mentioned considering how he anchors. I would be ecstatic if he were able to come back at some semblance of what he used to be but, for a guy that size, I'm not counting on it.

 

[BlueThunder]

Wifork at 80% is better than most at 100%. I'll wait and see how BB and the staff evaluate him. You KNOW that they won't carry him at his current cap cost. Cut or restructure is the question of the day.

Either way, A FA signing or drafted player will be coming on board along the DL is my guess. ( And I'm sure I am not alone)

 

[mayoclinic]

The issue with the guys that you brought up is that they are smaller guys. Wilfork looked like he was pushing 400 lbs. the last time we saw him and, even if he drops a little of that weight, he's still a 300+ pounder that puts much more stress on that area than the guys you mentioned considering how he anchors. I would be ecstatic if he were able to come back at some semblance of what he used to be but, for a guy that size, I'm not counting on it.

From a medical perspective, Wilfork's family history of severe diabetes is something of concern as well.

 

[Kontradiction]

From a medical perspective, Wilfork's family history of severe diabetes is something of concern as well.

 

[50-yard-line]

From a medical perspective, Wilfork's family history of severe diabetes is something of concern as well.

Legitimate speculation, but all of that, of course, is up to the team doctors.

They know where Wilfork is at (weight and recovery).
Same with Kelly.

I expect we'll have a lot of answers in the next couple of weeks, at least from a preliminary perspective of the Pats...

 

[dales804]

The issue with the guys that you brought up is that they are smaller guys. Wilfork looked like he was pushing 400 lbs. the last time we saw him and, even if he drops a little of that weight, he's still a 300+ pounder that puts much more stress on that area than the guys you mentioned considering how he anchors. I would be ecstatic if he were able to come back at some semblance of what he used to be but, for a guy that size, I'm not counting on it.

Except Peters. He's 6'4", 320 lbs. And he's had two Achilles injuries recently and he's 32, like Wilfork. Still, though, I don't trust that Wilfork will ever be what he was before that injury. And I just don't see the Patriots dolling out the $11M+ cap charge for him this year.

 

[meatface]

No way I'd cut him if he can play. You cannot underestimate what that presence frees up for those around him.

Restructure him out a couple of years - that was always on the books anyway - and carry on with about 4 million in cap savings this year.

The real problem is he very well might not be worth more than the $3 million they will have to put against the cap and nothing about the way the Patriots operates indicates that they would really have a huge problem with cutting a guy if he cannot contribute and costs too much. We all love Wilfork but 32 is the twilight of a DT career and with him coming off the achilies injury I just do not see how he can be anything but a shell of his former self.

 

[pdangle]

I'm more worried about the way he was playing BEFORE his injury.

Maybe we'll find out why during negotiations if it comes out.

 

[Brady6]

Still better to part ways with Wilfork. Its a risk to keep him and hope he comes back healthy, especially at his size. Plus Vince will be what 33? He is gonna start to slow down. Best to use that money to continue with the youth movement.

He does not actually turn 33 until next November. These players a just a few that come to mind that played well until 35 years old or older.

Ted Washington – 39
John Randle – 36
Casey Hampton – 35
Warren Sapp – 35

Wilfork has at least two more above average years left in him in my opinion.

 

[mayoclinic]

Wilfork has at least two more above average years left in him in my opinion.

That would have been my opinion if not for the injury. Right now, all bets are off as far as I'm concerned.

 

[borg]

Except Peters. He's 6'4", 320 lbs. And he's had two Achilles injuries recently and he's 32, like Wilfork. Still, though, I don't trust that Wilfork will ever be what he was before that injury. And I just don't see the Patriots dolling out the $11M+ cap charge for him this year.

Injuring the same achilles twice......and then securing a 4 year extension with $19 mill guaranteed? Now that's an agent!!

 

[Brady6]

I'm more worried about the way he was playing BEFORE his injury.

Maybe we'll find out why during negotiations if it comes out.

Before the injury he was injured, he continued to play on what was some type of Achilles injury and it ruptured.

Types of Achilles Tendon Injury

If I had to guess the team was probably hopeful that he could get through 2013 and then have offseason surgery to sure up the tendon.

Before the injury he was playing like a first team all-pro, which was 2012, the original injury was suffered in week two of the preseason.

 

[Brady6]

Interesting and hopeful thoughts from Rich Hill:

Don't Count Out Wilfork | ChatPats.com

A few years ago, an ACL was very likely a career-ender. Now, not so much - at all.

More recently, many with Achilles injuries are showing promising returns (even, like Peterson with his ACL, career years):

Brent Grimes
Demarius Thomas
Jason Peters
Michael Crabtree
Terell Suggs

Hopeful news for the Pats, maybe? Wilfork, Wilson, and T.J. Moe all went down with Achilles problems.

Here is another good article about the impact of the achilles injury.

NFL free agents slowed, not stopped by Achilles injuries

 

[gobesmug]

From a medical perspective, Wilfork's family history of severe diabetes is something of concern as well.

This isn't a concern as long as Wilfork avoids a high sucrose and glucose diet. I have no knowledge of Wilfork's family history, but if he wasn't born with type 1 then type 2 is his only concern at this point. And type 2 has proven to be almost completely diet related. And it doesn't normally occur until 40+ years or older.

 

[Coach42]

This isn't a concern as long as Wilfork avoids a high sucrose and glucose diet. I have no knowledge of Wilfork's family history, but if he wasn't born with type 1 then type 2 is his only concern at this point. And type 2 has proven to be almost completely diet related. And it doesn't normally occur until 40+ years or older.

Genetics plays a major role in the development of DM II. People are simply not made to be 320+ My guess is wilforks plan like many other former lineman is to shed 80-100 lbs. post retirement, if he wants to live past 40 that is.

 

[gobesmug]

Genetics plays a major role in the development of DM II. People are simply not made to be 320+ My guess is wilforks plan like many other former lineman is to shed 80-100 lbs. post retirement, if he wants to live past 40 that is.

Genetics role is some predisposition, but the biggest role it plays, is that most people eat and live the same life style of their parents. In other countries type II diabetes does not exist.

You are right about his weight. If he wants to live past his 50s, then he should drop about 100lbs.