Hightower out for the year with a torn pec

[Froob]

Curious to see what Mayo thinks, Mayo had the same kinda injury and it seemed to be the end of his career.

 

[FCB02062]

God damn it... Hopefully we can avoid a 2015 situation...

If they get to the AFC title game it'll be a successful season considering the injuries

 

[PatriotsNumero1Fan]

Let's see how our run defense and defense in general's affected by all this. Maybe Harris can fit in nicely.

 

[A Defiant Goose]

The "good news" (I feel dirty saying that) is that most every other contender is dealing with equally impactful injuries. The Berry injury in KC. The Hicks/Peters injury in Philly. Denver's offense just sucks so they may as well all be injured. Houston's injuries to Watt and Mercilus. The only team AFAIK who isn't going through bad injuries yet is Pittsburgh and we own them. So it may not be the end to our season that it was in 2015

 

[A Defiant Goose]

Let's see how our run defense and defense in general's affected by all this. Maybe Harris can fit in nicely.

He's also basically only playing 9-13 games this year so hopefully he won't experience the wear that comes with a full season at his age

 

[Nikolai]

Trying to find a way to polish this turd...I guess I'll hang my hat on the hope that the "out for the year" talk is premature. Otherwise...I will be a sad panda today.

The "good news" (I feel dirty saying that) is that most every other contender is dealing with equally impactful injuries. The Berry injury in KC. The Hicks/Peters injury in Philly. Denver's offense just sucks so they may as well all be injured. Houston's injuries to Watt and Mercilus. The only team AFAIK who isn't going through bad injuries yet is Pittsburgh and we own them. So it may not be the end to our season that it was in 2015

It also looks like we won't have to go into our house of horrors (Denver) for the AFCCG this year either.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

Not sure if this was posted. Breer said it was 55% torn before season, so does not sound good.

UPDATED: Pats' Hightower has season-ending pec tear

Wow, Dr. Chao called it after watching the film of the injury on Monday. Pretty insightful.

Terrible news though. Not going to hold out hope for a different opinion from Dr. Andrews.

 

[luuked]

Curious to see what Mayo thinks, Mayo had the same kinda injury and it seemed to be the end of his career.

I have read this now multiple times but I dont get why people think that the pec injury was what cut Mayos career short. The patellar tendon rupture was a much more devastating injury for a LB and it seemed like he never got back from that.

 

[Ring 6]

BB pays for future production, not past. I wanted HT back, we all wanted, BB had a number in his mind and didn't bother in Hightower visiting other teams. I think his number (10 Mi a year) was already accounting for missing some 3 or 4 games. HT is still worth that, but there was definitely a risk of him going into the IR path down the road in future years, the guy is huge and has had knee and shoulder problems, and play LB needless to say.

Honestly BB might have been into a corner where he had no choice, if we had a replacement already in place or ammo for trades I'm not sure he would be back. I think he wouldn't even with the situation at the time if others teams offered 2Mi more.



You better not log in tomorrow.

BB is never backed into a corner and certainly not with Hightower
Hightower is a unique player who can do everything. You don’t really build a defense around that you USE it. So with no Hightower he would put together a defense but it just wouldn’t have that versatile piece.
The added value of that piece makes the risk worthwhile.
It’s rare for a BB defense to have a piece like that because he is about team defense and discipline but Hightower is the rare reliable disciplined immense talent at the position.

 

[Ring 6]

Wow, Dr. Chao called it after watching the film of the injury on Monday. Pretty insightful.

Terrible news though. Not going to hold out hope for a different opinion from Dr. Andrews.

Why would you not hope for good news?

 

[DaBruinz]

3 names that Ryan Hannable of WEEI threw out as potential Hightower replacements are:
Potential options for Patriots when it comes to replacing Dont’a Hightower


Jonathan Casillas (OLB) - Will be a UFA at the end of the season. Familiarity with the system.

Jon Bostic (ILB) - Will be a UFA at the end of the season. Familiarity with the system. Personally, I thought that Bostic struggled with the team and don't see him as an option.

Brock Coyle (ILB) - Currently with the 49ers. UFA at the end of the season. No familiarity. Concern with Concussions as he missed 2 weeks this year with one..


The key to getting someone is to determine which position you want to fill. ILB or OLB as Hightower was playing one or the other depending on the play call. Or do you look for a DE to rotate in with Flowers, Marsh, and Wise..


Akeem Ayers (OLB) - UFA currently. Pats had him in a few weeks back and chose not to sign him, which was interesting in and of itself. Has familiarity with the system since he was part of the 2014 SB team.

Kerry Wynn - DE - He's the size that the Patriots seem to be looking for in that he's 6'4 7/8 inches tall and 266 lbs.. He'd solidify the rotation at DE and could provide stability for setting the edge.. UFA at the end of the season.

Hau'oli Kikaha - OLB/DE - 6'2 3/8 - 258 lbs. Pats are familiar with him from joint practices. Supposedly on the trading block. Missed all of the 2016 season with a torn ACL injury after starting 10 of 15 in 2015.. The ACL was his 3rd team of the same knee. The other two tears occurred in 2011 and 2012.

 

[Ring 6]

Sorry, I hate this comment. A lot of people say it. Unless BB has some time machine we don't know about, he is paying on past production. Or at least 90% past production, otherwise what are you basing your projected future production on? Players get injured, it is what it is. Hightower has powered through injuries on both Super Bowl runs and contributed immensely in both so BB was probably paying him with the thought that he could probably contribute immensely in a future Super Bowl.

I know it's not going to be a popular opinion around here and people are going to throw stats and everything at me but this is precisely why I didn't like the Collins trade. It didn't end up biting us in the ass last year but we got lucky because without him we had nothing behind HT. This year it might not be so big of a dropoff, time will tell with how David Harris plays out. But it sure would be nice to have a LB with Collins's athletic ability on the roster right now. If only he weren't such a ****ing dunce

The comment means he doesn’t do what many teams do and sign aging declining players (or those on the cusp) to big money based upon his good they were in their prime.

 

[Ring 6]

Wow, Dr. Chao called it after watching the film of the injury on Monday. Pretty insightful.

Terrible news though. Not going to hold out hope for a different opinion from Dr. Andrews.

He called it after reading an article that said “season ending injury for Hightower”

 

[SHOWTIME15]

I wonder if the pats knew that he had 55% tear before signing that big contract. Sounds like HT kept it quiet becuase of his pending free agency...

 

[A Defiant Goose]

The comment means he doesn’t do what many teams do and sign aging declining players (or those on the cusp) to big money based upon his good they were in their prime.

But how good they were in their prime directly correlates to whether or not he signs them. I mean you can't really argue with that. It may affect how long he signs them for, but it's not like it's something specific to BB that no other team does. Ooooh, BB doesn't sign on past production oooh. Well, he does, to some extent.

 

[Ring 6]

But how good they were in their prime directly correlates to whether or not he signs them. I mean you can't really argue with that. It may affect how long he signs them for, but it's not like it's something specific to BB that no other team does. Ooooh, BB doesn't sign on past production oooh. Well, he does, to some extent.

I think you are missing the point.
It is a common practice in free agency to not anticipate impending decline. Many players who have peaked and are starting their descent get top dollar contracts and they are long term.
IF you are saying BB would pay as much short term that may be right but it shuts him out of contention for the player.
It is very different from the norm that BB avoids those kind of players.

I think what you are saying is their past play shows their ability and that is true but this is a different factor.

 

[long distance]

3 names that Ryan Hannable of WEEI threw out as potential Hightower replacements are:
Potential options for Patriots when it comes to replacing Dont’a Hightower


Jonathan Casillas (OLB) - Will be a UFA at the end of the season. Familiarity with the system.

Jon Bostic (ILB) - Will be a UFA at the end of the season. Familiarity with the system. Personally, I thought that Bostic struggled with the team and don't see him as an option.

Brock Coyle (ILB) - Currently with the 49ers. UFA at the end of the season. No familiarity. Concern with Concussions as he missed 2 weeks this year with one..


The key to getting someone is to determine which position you want to fill. ILB or OLB as Hightower was playing one or the other depending on the play call. Or do you look for a DE to rotate in with Flowers, Marsh, and Wise..


Akeem Ayers (OLB) - UFA currently. Pats had him in a few weeks back and chose not to sign him, which was interesting in and of itself. Has familiarity with the system since he was part of the 2014 SB team.

Kerry Wynn - DE - He's the size that the Patriots seem to be looking for in that he's 6'4 7/8 inches tall and 266 lbs.. He'd solidify the rotation at DE and could provide stability for setting the edge.. UFA at the end of the season.

Hau'oli Kikaha - OLB/DE - 6'2 3/8 - 258 lbs. Pats are familiar with him from joint practices. Supposedly on the trading block. Missed all of the 2016 season with a torn ACL injury after starting 10 of 15 in 2015.. The ACL was his 3rd team of the same knee. The other two tears occurred in 2011 and 2012.

Good job.

Id guess BB goes with what he has at the moment.

Casillas had a couple of good years in NY and was good in NE. He's no High replacement but one of the few possibly available LBs who could help the LB unit esp. in coverage. Went out w neck injury that he had also during preseason so that complicates possible trade.

Ayers travelled everywhere in the past months and some ended taking unknown rookies over him.. (also Pats took Rilley over him)

 

[Froob]

I have read this now multiple times but I dont get why people think that the pec injury was what cut Mayos career short. The patellar tendon rupture was a much more devastating injury for a LB and it seemed like he never got back from that.

Could be, could also be a combination of multiple injuries that finally wore him down too. I had forgotten Mayo was still good in 2014, think I confused it with 2015.

 

[luuked]

I wonder if the pats knew that he had 55% tear before signing that big contract. Sounds like HT kept it quiet becuase of his pending free agency...

Oh boy.. you are aware that players go through medical checks, right ? That is one of the hottest (read stupidest) takes so far..

 

[Uptown]