Maroney's banged-up shoulder...
turns out he had a serious shoulder injury that needed surgery. who knew? i hope for 2 things: 1. full and speedy recovery, 2. this was the reason for his drop-off in performance as the year went on. if not, then i have little confidence he can carry the load as a true #1 back, especially since workhouse dillon is gone.
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PHOENIX - Patriots running back Laurence Maroney had offseason shoulder surgery that revealed "fairly significant damage," according to a league source, though the long-term impact is unclear.
Maroney felt shoulder pain down the stretch and in the playoffs that limited his ability to absorb contact. He underwent exploratory surgery that revealed more damage than anticipated, and corrective surgery was performed.
The exact nature of his injury is unclear, though it was enough to land Maroney in a sling. Team spokesman Stacey James could not confirm last night if Maroney is taking part in the team's offseason conditioning program.
The surgery is just the latest physical setback for the running back, who also suffered torn rib cartilage and a minor knee sprain during the season. With veteran Corey Dillon cut at the start of free agency, Maroney will enter the season as the lead back.
He didn't appear completely healthy in the playoffs. After averaging 4.3 yards per carry during the season, Maroney gained just 87 yards on 31 carries in the postseason (2.8). He carried 13 times for 18 yards in playoff games vs. San Diego and Indianapolis, fumbling in the red zone against the Chargers after coughing the ball up just once in 175 carries during the season.
A hard-nosed runner out of Minnesota, the 5-foot-11, 220-pounder appealed to the Patriots because of the way he combined speed with toughness. In college, Maroney was well schooled in the Walter Payton drill, a gauntlet created by the Gophers coaching staff that taught runners to lower their shoulder and gain extra yards rather than step out of bounds.
Maroney exhibited such fearlessness during the season, but his health was occasionally an issue.
He hurt his knee in the next-to-last exhibition game and sat out the exhibition finale. He was ready to go for the season, however, and recorded his only 100-yard game in Week 4 against the Bengals.
Maroney remained healthy until Week 13 against the Lions, when he was injured in the first quarter of a 28-21 victory. He tore rib cartilage while absorbing a jarring hit from safety Terrence Holt.
He missed the next two games, but returned to rush 20 times for 121 yards in the final two games of the regular season, scoring two touchdowns. He rushed 175 times for 745 yards in the regular season.
http://www.fflivewire.com/Article.as...62007gey3430ez
