Kevin Dodd’s debut at Tennessee Titans practice won’t happen until training camp officially begins. Thursday morning the second-round pick out of Clemson had what is being called “preventative foot surgery.” The team expects him to be fully healthy and participate in training camp.
It’s an off piece of halfway good injury news lately. It seems every day I’m typing out some knee-related disaster befalling some high-round draft pick. During the Titans’ rookie minicamp the team discovered Dodd had a stress fracture. The procedure he’ll undergo Thursday will put insert a screw into his foot to repair it.
#Titans DE Kevin Dodd learned in rookie camp he had a stress fracture in his 5th metatarsal. Screw inserted. TEN plans on him back by camp
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 26, 2016
Last year with the Tigers Dodd recorded 46 tackles, 24 for a loss, 12.5 sacks, a fumble recovery and one forced fumble.
Dodd isn’t the only player that will have to hold off action until training camp. Detroit Lions running back Ameer Abdullah had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder back in January.
#Lions RB Ameer Abdullah had labrum surgery in Jan. Finishing rehab. Should be back by fall camp (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/sUBFr4Gvc1
— NFL Total Access (@NFLTotalAccess) May 26, 2016
The Lions for some reason have been practically silent about a surgery that really shouldn’t be that big a deal. It could be because Adbullah played with the injury last season and the team could get fined or in some kind of trouble with the league if that came out. Either way, Abdullah is still recovering and will miss all the planned organized team activities. Like Dodd, though, he should be back in action for training camp.
Abdullah was a second-round pick out of Nebraska last season. He had 143 carries for 597 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 4.2 yards per carry for the Lions last season.
Ravens lose one week of OTAs, John Harbaugh fined
Don’t be too thrown by the fact that I’m writing about the NFL punishing a team for breaking the rules and it’s not about the New England Patriots. Hey, it feels weird to me too. Like watching someone put mayonnaise on a hot dog. Messed up.
Last week the Baltimore Ravens put rookies and first-year players in pads during what they called a “five-minute period” during their rookie minicamp. That’s a violation of the NFL’s current rules about non-contact practices and the collective bargaining agreement.
After getting busted, the Ravens will lose one of their organized team activities and fined $343,057, which seems an incredibly precise amount. Like the NFL was trying to make its sales tax figures line up with an even number. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was also fined $137,223. Again, where do they get these totals?
NFL fined the Ravens $343,057 and HC John Harbaugh another $137,223 for practice violations, per @JimTrotter_NFL.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 26, 2016
Harbaugh, a Lamborghini or so lighter in the wallet, was contrite when he met with the press Thursday.
“It’s on me,” Harbaugh said. “It’s completely me. It was my decision. That’s the situation that we’re in and we’ll adjust and we’ll adapt. We’ll still become the best football team that we can be.”
Contrite, but he still wasn’t specific about what his team did wrong, or how wrong it was.
“There are things that you look at and you say, ‘I think we have an opportunity to gain some ground with our rookies,'” Harbaugh said. “It wasn’t the case. It was wrong. I read it the wrong way. The bottom line: It’s on me. In some ways, maybe the rest could be good for us,” Harbaugh said. “I told the guys that I’m pretty sure that I would have thought about giving our guys some time off after only six weeks of hard work. Maybe the good Lord was looking down and giving us what we need right now.”
Two years ago the Seattle Seahawks faced a similar punishment for violating non-contact rules. The team was fined $200,000 and lost two days of minicamp practice. Head coach Pete Carroll was fined $100,000 in numbers that make a lot more sense.
Saints Jordan still not cleared to practice
New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan may have just made his second NFL’s Top 100 team, but he still can’t practice with his team. Jordan has told reporters that his recovering from what’s being called “minor back surgery” is “ahead of schedule,” but not so ahead of schedule that he can actually do anything but ride a stationary bicycle.
Jordan made his second Pro Bowl last season after recording 45 tackles, 10 sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
