Dominique Easley headed to IR.

[soxhop411]

Tom E. Curran ‏@tomecurran 9m9 minutes ago
Bad news on DL. Dominique Easley headed to IR.

Kind of a shock since he did not go to the locker room when he got injured and was on the exercise bike that is on the sidelines...

 

[jsinger121]

Tough loss. He was playing pretty well too.

 

[RG33]

That sucks. He was having a solid year. Still have good depth there, but it was nice to see him bounce back this year and be healthy and productive.

 

[Ed Hillel]

This guy was too risky to use a first round pick on imo. Spoiler alert, he's gonna blow a tire in 2016, too. Oh well.

 

[jablo1312]

Hope some of the other interior guys step up on pass rushing downs. He was a real force at times this year- the Pats haven't had a guy who can collapse a pocket from the middle of the line on 3rd down like that since 2010/11 Wilfork. Luckily they have a solid rotation of DT's, although I don't recall seeing much pass rushing prowess out of Hicks or Branch this year. Maybe we'll see more of Sheard being moved inside on clear pass rushing downs instead of replacing Jones or Ninkovich. Or maybe just more HIghtower/Collins blitzes up the A gap once they're healthy.

 

[BrazilianSoxFan]

It may just be a case of the team needing live bodies and DL having a reasonable depth.

 

[Mugsy's Jock]

What kind of a thigh injury is that debilitating? Is a torn quad a thing?

 

[jablo1312]

This guy was too risky to use a first round pick on imo. Spoiler alert, he's gonna blow a tire in 2016, too. Oh well.

While I think he's definitely an injury prone guy, I doubt he'd be going on IR right now if it he wasn't playing at a position of depth this late in the season with a number of other positions shorthanded right now.

Edit: At least that's my guess if it's just a nagging quad/thigh issue. Maybe it's torn and I'm talking out of my ass.

 

[RedOctober3829]

That's a tough loss. He was having such a good year and the Houston game was the best I've seen him. This has to be more about maintaining long-term health than anything since he's so brittle.

 

[ifmanis5]

Let's make the regular season longer so the whole team can get replaced by PS squad guys.

 

[Jed Zeppelin]

While I think he's definitely an injury prone guy, I doubt he'd be going on IR right now if it he wasn't playing at a position of depth this late in the season with a number of other positions shorthanded right now.

Edit: At least that's my guess if it's just a nagging quad/thigh issue. Maybe it's torn and I'm talking out of my ass.

I had the same thought. Tough to carry an empty roster spot at this point in the season given the (hypothetical) uncertainty around his ability to come back at some point.

 

[Ed Hillel]

I think it has to be serious; Easley is too good not to wait on, especially given the depth they have at the position.

Or I suppose it's possible because they have 3 other guys they are waiting on already. If that's the case, I would have IR'd Blount, but what do I know?

 

[jsinger121]

Jeff Howe ‏@jeffphowe 2m2 minutes ago
Easley's injury won't have any long-term effects once he recovers, which is a good sign for next season. IR decision came after MRI.

 

[catomatic]

What kind of a thigh injury is that debilitating? Is a torn quad a thing?

This was the Cam Neely refrain, I'm afraid…

 

[BigSoxFan]

This bums me out.

 

[Section15Box113]

That's a shame. Really was liking what I was seeing. Good news, I guess, that Howe reports that there will be no long-term issue.

Turning back to the present, wonder what the corresponding move will be. Perhaps RB?

Then again, if they want to slot someone else in at interior DL, I believe this may be the last week of Chris Jones' PUP return window under the new rules.

 

[( . ) ( . ) and (_!_)]

This guy was too risky to use a first round pick on imo. Spoiler alert, he's gonna blow a tire in 2016, too. Oh well.

I disagree. Context matters and the context on when they took Easley and what happened next is significant.

Many unbiased observers suggested that a healthy Easley was a top 10 talent. The pats were a team with a young roster (at the time) and habitually drafts at the end of the first round. It was a risk but certainly a reasonable one to take on talent that could have been a real difference maker.

I think the fact that they won a Super Bowl while Easley is still on his rookie deal matters too. It suggests that his selection did not hurt them unless you think the player they could have obtained instead of Easley would contribute to winning multiple Super Bowls (which obviously you can't prove, but is just a logic except use).

To me, and opinions may differ here, Easley was a pick with risk, but also a bust proof pick because the potential payout was so high.

 

[jablo1312]

I think it has to be serious; Easley is too good not to wait on, especially given the depth they have at the position.

Or I suppose it's possible because they have 3 other guys they are waiting on already. If that's the case, I would have IR'd Blount, but what do I know?

Agreed here. I think he brings much more in the pass rushing role than we've seen from any of the DT's currently on the roster. I hope that one/some of them can replace Easley's production, but I'm skeptical at this moment.

 

[Ed Hillel]

I know Easley had top 10 talent, but I would have rather taken someone with lower upside without the array of injury red flags. To me, there's too much potential of a wasted pick to take in the first. Then again, it doesn't appear there was a ton of talent taken immediately thereafter. I would still prefer a trade down with decent value, though, to a guy with Easley's level of risk.

I suppose Gronk is a fair counterargument, as well, though he was closer to mid-2nd.

 

[Koufax]

This is not what DRS forecast. I want my $10 back.

 

[SoxVindaloo]

Easley looked great vs Houston, especially that 1st quarter sack. But Hicks was also a monster with that interior pass rush and if he keeps surging then we are OK for this year. Feel bad for Easley, seems like a good kid. IR happens this time of year with the 4-6 week type of injuries, although we have no real idea what he actually hurt.

 

[DaveRoberts'Shoes]

This is not what DRS forecast. I want my $10 back.

It's in the mail.

I bet this is a torn quad muscle, not tendon. Probably a 4-6 weeks injury that happened at a bad time. It's a shame, he's a clear talent but I'm skeptical he's ever going to finish a season on an active roster. What's this make now, 4 straight seasons including college that he hasn't finished?

 

[RG33]

I mean, the guy was drafted as damaged goods based upon his upside and he played in 11 games last year. He played in 11 of the 13 games this year until tearing his quad, and he is now "injury prone"? Last year was him recuperating from his college injury and this year was bad luck. He has started to look like the guy they were hoping to get -- he has the potential to be a force in the middle of the DL for years to come.

 

[Manzivino]

Even if he gets hurt every year, 11 games per season of one of the best interior pass rushers in the league making peanuts is an above average return for a late first round pick. Would I rather he stay healthy for the whole year? Of course. But if the realistic future comes to pass where the Pats use ~$2M of cap space on him the next two years so he can help them secure a postseason berth/bye before he goes on IR, I'll chalk that up as a win.

 

[RIrooter09]

That's a shame. Really was liking what I was seeing. Good news, I guess, that Howe reports that there will be no long-term issue.

Turning back to the present, wonder what the corresponding move will be. Perhaps RB?

Then again, if they want to slot someone else in at interior DL, I believe this may be the last week of Chris Jones' PUP return window under the new rules.

Nope. Jones was already placed on IR.

http://www.patspulpit.com/2015/11/24/9794892/patriots-dont-activate-lb-dane-fletcher-and-dt-chris-jones-both

 

[Section15Box113]

Nope. Jones was already placed on IR.

http://www.patspulpit.com/2015/11/24/9794892/patriots-dont-activate-lb-dane-fletcher-and-dt-chris-jones-both

So much for that. Somehow missed the Reiss update.

Oddly, the roster page on Patriots.com - which is already updated to show Easley on IR - still shows Jones and Fletcher on Reserve/PUP (rather than IR).

Guess they don't need to officially transition them to IR - PUP was enough.

Carry on...


Edit: just reviewed the new rules again. For any player on PUP, the team has a six-week window (from the day after Week 6 to the day after Week 11) to activate the player, place the player on IR, or get him back to practice. This was Decision #1 - on 11/24.

Had Jones or Fletcher started practicing at that point, the team would have had a 3-week window to activate them - a window that would have closed today.

Ah, well.

 

[dcmissle]

Let's make the regular season longer so the whole team can get replaced by PS squad guys.

Yes, the owners want 18 games without roster expansion. Other teams have had more impactful injuries -- Dallas, Cincy -- but thie situation in NE is ridiculous. Does Rick Gosselin still do his injury analysis? If so, check it out at season's end.

I also wonder whether Chip Kelly's new age stuff is having any impact. Any team that can get any handle on this problem, even if it is partial, will have an edge.

 

[dbn]

I know Easley had top 10 talent, but I would have rather taken someone with lower upside without the array of injury red flags. To me, there's too much potential of a wasted pick to take in the first. Then again, it doesn't appear there was a ton of talent taken immediately thereafter. I would still prefer a trade down with decent value, though, to a guy with Easley's level of risk.

I suppose Gronk is a fair counterargument, as well, though he was closer to mid-2nd.

(A) If he had not had this injury (and, assumably, continued to play well) would you think the same way, and (B) do yo think this injury has anything to do with his previous injuries?

If (B) is yes, I think you have a decent argument that I disagree with. Otherwise, I don't get it.