Demaryius Thomas workout for Patriots yesterday - video!

Just Average Gait

Elijah said:

Achilles tear is way worse.

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Sanders also tore his Achilles (not ACL) and similarly will not be ready Week 1.

I've always had very high opinions of both players but if their careers aren't basically over then something surprising has happened. No problem with taking the flier on Thomas, though.

Elijah said:

Achilles tear is way worse.

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Yes It was an achilles tear as well, my mistake on the previous message

primetime said:

I think Chao's fine but doesn't take a medical doctorate to assume a guy in his thirties who tore his Achilles in December won't be ready to play football in September.

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The difference he is basing it on what he is seeing on the video plus his experience and not "common wisdom". That is a huge difference.

I thought he was being held back by a resistance band or something.

Forgot about his injury

Curran said on a recent QuickSlants that what he heard from medical experts is that even if DT comes off PUP during camp it will take most probably another 1-2 months to get himself back in terms of speed ect.

So Curran kinda implied that the team might as well just keep him on PUP during that time and let him recover, not waste a roster spot and then hit the ground running once he comes off PUP during the season.

luuked said:

Curran said on a recent QuickSlants that what he heard from medical experts is that even if DT comes off PUP during camp it will take most probably another 1-2 months to get himself back in terms of speed ect.

So Curran kinda implied that the team might as well just keep him on PUP during that time and let him recover, not waste a roster spot and then hit the ground running once he comes off PUP during the season.

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If he is on pup he cannot practice. So throwing him on the roster mid season never taking a throw from Brady or even running a route seems like a very long shot.

luuked said:

Curran said on a recent QuickSlants that what he heard from medical experts is that even if DT comes off PUP during camp it will take most probably another 1-2 months to get himself back in terms of speed ect.

So Curran kinda implied that the team might as well just keep him on PUP during that time and let him recover, not waste a roster spot and then hit the ground running once he comes off PUP during the season.

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sounds good in theory but I doubt this will happen. Best bet for DT seems to be to get ready for camp and hit the ground running. If he is not ready by training camp, I don't see him making an impact.

AndyJohnson said:

If he is on pup he cannot practice. So throwing him on the roster mid season never taking a throw from Brady or even running a route seems like a very long shot.

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Worked out okay last year with Josh Gordon.

Nehalem said:

Worked out okay last year with Josh Gordon.

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That wasn't exactly mid season and I can confidently project that Gordon 2018 is better than 2019 DT post achilles tear

Nehalem said:

Worked out okay last year with Josh Gordon.

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If “something kinda similar kinda worked once” is the solution to every issue there wouldn’t be any issues.
There are far more examples that support pup would effectively end his season than that it’s no problem to walk into your first practice as a wr with Tom Brady in week 11

SBLIII said:

Best bet for DT seems to be to get ready for camp and hit the ground running. If he is not ready by training camp, I don't see him making an impact.

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The medical reality is that what you are saying is not particularly likely and according to actual medical experts it will take additional 1-2 months post camp to get where he is supposed to be. So the best bet is most certainly not for him to be ready for camp but at some point in mid October.

He will be ready when he is ready there is no financial or roster reason to rush it.

luuked said:

The medical reality is that what you are saying is not particularly likely and according to actual medical experts it will take additional 1-2 months post camp to get where he is supposed to be. So the best bet is most certainly not for him to be ready for camp but at some point in mid October.

He will be ready when he is ready there is no financial or roster reason to rush it.

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The best bet in terms of predicting the reality it's mid season yes, but the best bet for DT personally to contribute significant is not coming off PUP mid season. That would be an uphill battle for him.

AndyJohnson said:

If he is on pup he cannot practice. So throwing him on the roster mid season never taking a throw from Brady or even running a route seems like a very long shot.

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Of course he can practice. Just not with the team but obviously he can do his own drills (under supervision) and rehab work. Similarly he can sit in on all team meetings.

Finally just keeping him on PUP gives them a free 3 weeks where he can even practice with the team before taking up a roster spot when they activate him.

SBLIII said:

The best bet in terms of predicting the reality it's mid season yes, but the best bet for DT personally to contribute significant is not coming off PUP mid season. That would be an uphill battle for him.

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You are arguing as if it is in his hands whether he can be ready for camp or not. He is recovering from a devastating injury. Whatever time it will take it will take and there is not much he can do personally to speed it up.

I don't see why he'd be in any uphill battle, really. If he stays on PUP he still attends all team meetings and gets his mental reps. He has the route running skills and veteran experience to be a contributor if his health permits. Hell, he would have less of an uphill battle than Dorsett or Gordon had in the last two years.

SBLIII said:

The best bet in terms of predicting the reality it's mid season yes, but the best bet for DT personally to contribute significant is not coming off PUP mid season. That would be an uphill battle for him.

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Thomas is coming from basically the same offense in Houston, where he played well despite being acquired midseason last year. There's really no question about Thomas' acumen when it comes to learning the playbook. He's a high football IQ player coming from a Bill O'Brien team. The Patriots clearly signed him with the almost certain understanding that he wouldn't be available for camp; Achilles injuries are devastating and his was suffered late in the year. There are real questions about whether he'll be able to contribute, but those are related to his recovery at age 31 from an Achilles injury, not his ability to pick up the offense.

Darkwa is moving pretty good in that video after he tore his achilles 7 months ago...about the same amount of time DT recovered from his in the past...but of course he was younger then. We'll see.

I wonder if putting a little lift under the heal inside the shoe could help prevent more of the same ...as the achilles wouldn't be extended as much.

luuked said:

Of course he can practice. Just not with the team but obviously he can do his own drills (under supervision) and rehab work. Similarly he can sit in on all team meetings.

Finally just keeping him on PUP gives them a free 3 weeks where he can even practice with the team before taking up a roster spot when they activate him.

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That’s not practicing.
If he has to start the season on pup I see almost no chance he will be contributing. And I doubt they would have signed if that was the expectation.
We will see.

primetime said:

Thomas is coming from basically the same offense in Houston, where he played well despite being acquired midseason last year. There's really no question about Thomas' acumen when it comes to learning the playbook. He's a high football IQ player coming from a Bill O'Brien team. The Patriots clearly signed him with the almost certain understanding that he wouldn't be available for camp; Achilles injuries are devastating and his was suffered late in the year. There are real questions about whether he'll be able to contribute, but those are related to his recovery at age 31 from an Achilles injury, not his ability to pick up the offense.

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He played 7 games in Houston and didn’t exactly set the world in fire. Less than 40 receding yards per game is not exactly playing well. I’m not sure he has the cerebral reputation you are assuming either.
Learning this offense with this qb in order to do better than 39 yards a game will be a challenge.