STILL no good answer on Clardige's 2005 rehab...

[patsox23]

FROM PATRIOTS.COM

Ryan Claridge – This is basically Claridge’s rookie season. Not only was he injured last year, he rehabbed in Las Vegas for personal reasons and wasn’t around the team enough to learn the system. He wasn’t on the field a lot during mini-camp and will at least need to show the potential and ability to play special teams to secure a roster spot.



I've read this over and over, during the 2005 campaign and through this off-season, and I've never understood the fact that the following question has gone unanswered - honestly, it hasn't really even been raised, as far as I know:

WHY was Clardige not rehabbing in Foxboro? Doesn't it seem like it would have been beneficial for him to at least be in meetings, getting to know the system a bit, becoming acclimated to the team, the area, the organization? It seems very strange to me that we would just punt even the tiniest degree of development and allow/have a kid rehab somewhere AWAY from the team. This isn't a 7th round flyer we took on a never-gonna-make-it QB, this was a mid-round selection of a linebacker - a spot where we desperately need youth to develop, ASAP. You can't tell me we wouldn't have been better served having Claridge stick around and go through meetings, filmwork, just general TEAM stuff. I don't get it.

Anyone have any insight?

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

I've wondered this myself.

Not to contradict the article, but didn't people mention Claridge taking some reps in camp? I guess that PFW is more of an authority on this than some, but I thought that he had participated to some degree.

 

[shakadave]

I agree that this question needs to be raised. I seem to recall having the same frustration with Ben Watson's rookie injury. If I was injured, I'd still want to sit in on all the meetings and learn what I could.

Hopefully, Claridge was red-shirted and is in good health, although it doesn't sound like it lately. I also hope and assume that Claridge learned a lot studying on his own, but wouldn't a defensive player learn more from seeing "moving" pictures (with a coach commenting) rather than reading a playbook?

 

[I'm Ron Borges?]

His brother committed suicide. Perhaps there were personal issues going on with his family that he needed to be close to home for. For the Patriots to let him not be around the team is unusual. He must have had a very good reason why he needed to be in Las Vegas. Maybe it had something to do with his brother.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

His brother committed suicide. Perhaps there were personal issues going on with his family that he needed to be close to home for. For the Patriots to let him not be around the team is unusual. He must have had a very good reason why he needed to be in Las Vegas. Maybe it had something to do with his brother.

That was well after the rehab in Vegas was going on. His location seemed a little curious to me but he's still on the team so I guess Belichick is OK with it and I think he's fighting for a roster spot more than a major role so it's not a huge concern of mine.

 

[I'm Ron Borges?]

I've wondered this myself.

Not to contradict the article, but didn't people mention Claridge taking some reps in camp? I guess that PFW is more of an authority on this than some, but I thought that he had participated to some degree.

Are you referring to mini-camp? It doesn't say that he didn't take any reps, it just says he wasn't on the field a lot.

 

[I'm Ron Borges?]

That was well after the rehab in Vegas was going on. His location seemed a little curious to me but he's still on the team so I guess Belichick is OK with it and I think he's fighting for a roster spot more than a major role so it's not a huge concern of mine.

I'm just saying maybe there were things going on we don't know about that led up to his suicide and he felt like he needed to be close to home. I don't know, I'm just throwing out a guess.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

At least that explanation seems plausible! We may never know.

I basically crossed Claridge off my mental list when I found out that he rehabbed elsewhere. If he has something more important to do than be with the team, I have other things to think about as well.....

Supposedly, the death of his brother has re-inspired him, so maybe we will see more of him at some point. If not, I wish him well as far as his family situation.

 

[Lamanai]

His brother committed suicide. Perhaps there were personal issues going on with his family that he needed to be close to home for. For the Patriots to let him not be around the team is unusual. He must have had a very good reason why he needed to be in Las Vegas. Maybe it had something to do with his brother.

Travis Claridge died on February 28, 2006....well after the season ended.

 

[I'm Ron Borges?]

Travis Claridge died on February 28, 2006....well after the season ended.

I understand this. Obviously you don't get my point. Did his brother just wake up one day and kill himself or were there things that led up to that decision? I don't know the answer to that question but you tell me one other rookie that BB would let rehab 3,000 miles away? That's all I'm saying. Maybe there were family issues that we are unaware of. That's the only decent excuse I can think of.

 

[VrabelMayeWin]

Did his brother just wake up one day and kill himself

I may be wrong but I don't believe Travis committed suicide.

 

[patsox23]

I'm just saying maybe there were things going on we don't know about that led up to his suicide and he felt like he needed to be close to home. I don't know, I'm just throwing out a guess.

This is kind of what I thought/think, as well. I submitted it as a question to the guys at PFW Radio and we'll see if they take it up when they're back from vacation.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

I think that the cause of death was an enlarged heart. He was on some sort of painkillers for a while, so actually I don't believe it was ever considered a suicide, was it?

 

[I'm Ron Borges?]

I think that the cause of death was an enlarged heart. He was on some sort of painkillers for a while, so actually I don't believe it was ever considered a suicide, was it?

Well if that's true, then I have no idea what he was doing in Vegas and something tells me Belichick isn't in much of a hurry to fill us in.

 

[hughthehand]

I think his brothers death was classified as an Accidental overdose. From reading the stories when they came out, I came away with the impression that his brother had a drug problem/addiction to pain killers. This is all from memory so I could be way off base.

 

[GoWhalers]

I could be wrong, but aren't there rules against having players on IR/PUP participate in team activities? I think they are basically there to prevent teams from loading up the roster with "inactive" rookies, and developing them in practice without having to carry them on the official roster. But even guys like Bruschi/Harrison weren't allowed to participate in team meetings while they're rehabbing, no?

So given that Claridge was either too injured or unready to participate with the team on the field, Belichick sent him off to study.

Again, I could be wrong about that rule.

 

[I'm Ron Borges?]

I could be wrong, but aren't there rules against having players on IR/PUP participate in team activities? I think they are basically there to prevent teams from loading up the roster with "inactive" rookies, and developing them in practice without having to carry them on the official roster. But even guys like Bruschi/Harrison weren't allowed to participate in team meetings while they're rehabbing, no?

So given that Claridge was either too injured or unready to participate with the team on the field, Belichick sent him off to study.

Again, I could be wrong about that rule.

I heard the guys on PFW say that a lot of rookies that get injured - they mentioned Guss Scott and Ben Watson - are still seen around the locker room, carrying their playbook and attending meetings. They said that's why Claridge's absence and total seclusion from the team was so unusual.

 

[Lamanai]

I understand this. Obviously you don't get my point. Did his brother just wake up one day and kill himself or were there things that led up to that decision? I don't know the answer to that question but you tell me one other rookie that BB would let rehab 3,000 miles away? That's all I'm saying. Maybe there were family issues that we are unaware of. That's the only decent excuse I can think of.

Sorry. You response was not clear. You didn't indicate that you thought the problems stemmed from before his actual death. Read it through again and see if what you wrote makes sense more than one way.

 

[Lamanai]

I heard the guys on PFW say that a lot of rookies that get injured - they mentioned Guss Scott and Ben Watson - are still seen around the locker room, carrying their playbook and attending meetings. They said that's why Claridge's absence and total seclusion from the team was so unusual.

I found this to be strange too. The closest thing I recall seeing as an explanation was that Claridge got permission to work with the trainer at UNLV. It sort of implied that he would get excellent rehab treatment there. At the time I thought it was a weak explanation (and still do).

 

[I'm Ron Borges?]

Sorry. You response was not clear. You didn't indicate that you thought the problems stemmed from before his actual death. Read it through again and see if what you wrote makes sense more than one way.

I'm not arguing with you, I'm just throwing a possible reason to why he wasn't around. Apparently the death wasn't even suicide so my theory doesn't make any sense anyway.