Joey Porter's knee injury is bad news
There is much angst among Dolphins staff, coaches and personnel people in connection to Joey Porter's knee problem.
Porter, it seems, is likely going to have arthroscopic surgery and that has been a cause for some alarm because he is only the biggest acquisition of the offseason -- bar none- and the reputation of a lot of folks is at stake as Porter either succeeds or fails in Miami.
So the Dolphins are being very cautious in making a decision about the player to whom they delivered $20 million in guaranteed money.
Because the contract was sooo large and because it came even as the Pittsburgh Steelers decided Porter wasn't worth the $5 million he was to earn this year, the team welcomed the idea that Porter get a second opinion on what to do with the knee after he initially saw team doctors last week.
The Dolphins are holding their breath because, now that this is becoming an issue, it marks the second year in a row their signature offseason acquisition might be having knee issues. (Um, remember someone named Culpepper last year?)
So the team is treading very carefully here. It has already refuted a report on profootballtalk.com that said Porter had already undergone knee surgery. I spoke with a spokesman of Dr. James Andrews today and no such surgery has been performed at this time.
That doesn't mean it won't happen. But simply the evaluation probably isn't complete as of this writing. (Quick aside: Have you noticed how many Dolphins players don't totally trust the words of the team's doctors and seek second opinions, not to mention how many would rather get their surgery with someone else?)
This situation, which would be a passing blip on the typical radar, is mountain huge at Dolphins camp because it begs some tough questions:
1. Did Porter have this knee issue before the Dolphins signed him?
2. Did the Steelers know something about Porter's health, which led them to get rid of him?
3. Even if Porter didn't have this issue when he signed, how long has his knee been bothering him, because after all, if he would have spoken up in the offseason it wouldn't be an issue now.
4. How is it that Cam Cameron said today he didn't know what the first opinion given by doctors was even as he was announcing Porter is getting a second opinion? He's the team's coach, right? Don't they tell him stuff?
Anyway, it says here that regardless of how serious or not this knee injury is, the damage is likely to be felt into the regular season.
If Porter decides against surgery, this issue isn't something that simply will disappear so it will be a recurring theme all year long until he gets the injury completely resolved. If he gets the surgery he will likely miss -- best case scenario -- two to four weeks of practice time.
Why is that important? The last time I talked to Porter (last week) he told me he still wasn't completely comfortable in the Dolphins system and he couldn't really go full-tilt in that system until he found that comfort level.
Said another way, Porter won't be Porter until he gets the defense.
And so if he misses a good amount of practice, that is a significant setback considering the Sept. 9 regular-season opener is only five weeks away. It will mean he'll be getting comfortable on the fly -- during the regular season.
That is, of course, assuming he's full-go in the regular season -- which could be an unwise assumption based on this team's recent history with knees.
Porter, it seems, is likely going to have arthroscopic surgery and that has been a cause for some alarm because he is only the biggest acquisition of the offseason -- bar none- and the reputation of a lot of folks is at stake as Porter either succeeds or fails in Miami.
So the Dolphins are being very cautious in making a decision about the player to whom they delivered $20 million in guaranteed money.
Because the contract was sooo large and because it came even as the Pittsburgh Steelers decided Porter wasn't worth the $5 million he was to earn this year, the team welcomed the idea that Porter get a second opinion on what to do with the knee after he initially saw team doctors last week.
The Dolphins are holding their breath because, now that this is becoming an issue, it marks the second year in a row their signature offseason acquisition might be having knee issues. (Um, remember someone named Culpepper last year?)
So the team is treading very carefully here. It has already refuted a report on profootballtalk.com that said Porter had already undergone knee surgery. I spoke with a spokesman of Dr. James Andrews today and no such surgery has been performed at this time.
That doesn't mean it won't happen. But simply the evaluation probably isn't complete as of this writing. (Quick aside: Have you noticed how many Dolphins players don't totally trust the words of the team's doctors and seek second opinions, not to mention how many would rather get their surgery with someone else?)
This situation, which would be a passing blip on the typical radar, is mountain huge at Dolphins camp because it begs some tough questions:
1. Did Porter have this knee issue before the Dolphins signed him?
2. Did the Steelers know something about Porter's health, which led them to get rid of him?
3. Even if Porter didn't have this issue when he signed, how long has his knee been bothering him, because after all, if he would have spoken up in the offseason it wouldn't be an issue now.
4. How is it that Cam Cameron said today he didn't know what the first opinion given by doctors was even as he was announcing Porter is getting a second opinion? He's the team's coach, right? Don't they tell him stuff?
Anyway, it says here that regardless of how serious or not this knee injury is, the damage is likely to be felt into the regular season.
If Porter decides against surgery, this issue isn't something that simply will disappear so it will be a recurring theme all year long until he gets the injury completely resolved. If he gets the surgery he will likely miss -- best case scenario -- two to four weeks of practice time.
Why is that important? The last time I talked to Porter (last week) he told me he still wasn't completely comfortable in the Dolphins system and he couldn't really go full-tilt in that system until he found that comfort level.
Said another way, Porter won't be Porter until he gets the defense.
And so if he misses a good amount of practice, that is a significant setback considering the Sept. 9 regular-season opener is only five weeks away. It will mean he'll be getting comfortable on the fly -- during the regular season.
That is, of course, assuming he's full-go in the regular season -- which could be an unwise assumption based on this team's recent history with knees.
posted by Armando Salguero at 1:28 PM
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28 Comments:
I could be wrong Armando but I believe that getting a second opinion is quite common for a lot of pro athletes. I hear about football players getting second opinions all of the time. That doesn't mean that the Dolphins doctors are trusted by the players,which you hinted at in your article, I just think it shows that it's not just a symptom of the Dolphins.
I'm very confused about this Porter thing. It seems to me that Joey knew he was sore in that knee before the Dolphins signed him but never told anyone. Couldn't that be construed as a breach of contract? I hope he gets the surgery now and gets it over with. Eventhough you say he will be learning on the fly, I don't think that's completely accurate. It's not like he's going into game 1 with no knowledge of the Def. He's been through some training camp and he will be on the sideline re-habbing and at team meetings. Any way you slice it this guy is a terror and in my opinion is a huge upgrade over Spragan, even with only a couple of weeks training camp under his belt. Armando, Is Spragan still on the team to back Porter up in case he's out?
LOL Armando you crazy, considering the teams history with knee's!!!!
Anyway this is how our luck always goes!!!! I just want to know what the hell was Cam and the rest of the team trainers and doctors thinking when they cleared him to sign the big money contract!!!
Also he better have his butt on the field by the start of the season, if he's not he'll be the next target of all the DC haters!! Can I get a "he's stupid" "he's a team cancer" he can't even read offense's""he's washed up" the normal list of dumbass comments from the haters!!!
Miami Herald= the negative dolphins site
I don't think you all ever post anything positive. DO us a favor and go **** off somewhere.
Arthroscopic knee surgery is really not a big deal. I don't think it's gonna affect him that much.
My team sucks! We're the gang that can't shoot straight. We're the keystone cops. We are an episode of the series Jackass.
I thought it was curious that Cameron didn't know the prognosis of his prize FA... Sounds like a Belichick line to me, which probably means there is more here then is being said.
I wouldn't jump to conclusions though, a lot of these guys get scoped during the course of their careers. If it's loose cartilage then he should be okay in a couple weeks. What we don't want to hear is ligament damage, then there will be reason for concern.
Cameron needs to learn to be misleading with a little more tact. He doesn't want to tell the rest of the league his bookend to Taylor is damaged goods. He needs to say something like, "he twisted his damn knee and he'll be fine." Then give that Belichick stare... Saban tried it but he was too much of an ass to pull it off.
is it just me or does this cameron seem like a total friggin buffon?the things that have come out of his mouth are way worse than anything saban or even god-forbid wanny ever said! porter was quickly signed without due-dilligence because the pats signed adalius thomas so he and mueller figured they had to sign the next best guy before someone else did!the offensive line looks even worse than last year by all accounts,the secondary looks suspect at best,they gave up a probable 4th round pick for a over the hill qb who would almost surely have been released a few days later!their top draft pick likely won't even be a starter this year,their best interior lineman has fallen down to second string for no apparent reason(my guess is maybe he used the lords name in vain!)need i say more?
finndolphan, no it's not just you. Many other morons express the same anger over a coach who has not had a chance to prove himself yet. It's because you are ignorant and don't really understand the behind the scenes stuff so it's okay. Most people are of the belief that you give a coach a couple of years to prove what he's got. That would be the intelligent way of thinking but unfortunately you and intelligence do not walk the same path, Hell, you don't even live on the same planet.
Yeah, I have to agree with nyscott. I'm really sick and tired of people bad mouthing Cam before they even give him a chance. And this Finn guy is sticking up for Saban AND Wanny?! WOW. 1Somehow Finn knows that they signed Porter because NE signed Thomas? Guy,that doesn't even make sense.2 "The offensive line looks worse". Says who? Oh that's right Finns an expert at coaching.3 A lot of first rounders wont be starting dummy.4 Gave up a 4th round pick for someone who can groom his succesor JOHN BECK. Remember him? He's the guy who will be taking over most likely by the start of next year. Name our last four fourth round picks and then ask yourself who gives a crap.5 Your blaming Cameron for the secondary that Saban put together? LOL. What was he supposed to do get rid of everyone his first year eventhough the Dolphins were fourth in the league in team defense WITHOUT Porter and Daniels who was injured most of the year? Ignorant was the right description for you. 6 Their best interior linemen sucks. Is that good enough reason to drop him down? Or maybe he doesn't practice hard and they are trying to teach him a lesson. Your questioning Hudson Houck now? The man is the best in the biz. Get a clue Finn!
Finndolphan, You need to realize that Sabans last draft was horrendous and his first draft was mediocre. There are not to many coaches who would have wanted to take on the mess that Wanny and Saban left. Let Cam re-build the team his way and in three years if it doesn't work out you can roast him then. Doing it now is not fair to him in any way. If you dislike him that much maybe you should think about rooting for another team for a while. We will accept you back when Cam gets this thing turned around but you will have to sit in the nose bleeds until you earn your fan status back. Stop the whining.
everyone simmer down. i agree - let's keep the negative talk to a minimum. it doesn't do anyone any good.
There you go again Armando. "Joey Porters knee injury is bad news". So you're basically saying that if Porter has scar tissue that is removed by a scope and he misses 2 weeks that it's still bad news? You are so negative. Glass is always half empty with you huh? What if Porter has the surgery and takes a few weeks off, studies his ass off to learn the system and then comes back rested and has an awesome season? Then it's not bad news right? And that is just as likely to happen as what you are saying. I'm sorry for being so harsh but as a life long Phin fan it is very hard to read constant negativity about OUR team, as you always put it (YOUR Dolphins). Meaning you are not a fan and write for a paper whos customers are primarily Dolphin fans. It seems like when bad things happen it makes you happy. Are you a Jets fan? I remember back in the 70's and into the late 80's we were ALL Dolphin fans. The writers,the fans, and the coaches. We all wanted what was best for the team and didn't question and pick apart every single move the orginazation made. It created a family like atmosphere that brought positive feelings to all of us especially the players. I guess those days are over and it is now more popular to want people to fail so others can feel better about themselves. It's very frustrating. The media in no way speaks for the fans and I truly hope that the players and coaches understand this. GO DOLPHINS!
You guys crack me up. I tell you that Joey Porter being injured is bad news and you think that's me being negative?
Guys, I don't believe in the tooth fairy or Santa Claus. I'm just being realisitic here.
If you guys want to live in a fantasy land and think Porter is going to get better sitting on his butt the next three or four weeks, you go right ahead.
Hey, maybe the tooth fairy can play the position better so it's really good news. And she'll knock somebody's teeth out doing it!! Yippie, this is wonderful!!!!!
I hope these doctors are not the same ones that gave the prognosis on DC's knee. Those guys should have been fired last year. This must be a new crew
Excellent post Walter. You expressed exactly the way I feel and I believe the way any true Dolphin fan feels. -Dolphin Fan Since 1970.
I did not have a good feeling about Culpepper. Didn't think he was ever that great a QB, didn't like the whole knee thing, lack of mobility, ect. I have a similar negative feeling about Porter. The guy signs this humongous contract from the Dolphins, goes out and gets in a brawl in Las Vegas. He's 30. Now he's got a bad knee. I'm not saying I'm suffering huge dissappointment. But I am saying that Porter never added up for me as a move that made total sense, and my only hope now (sadly) is that Cameron, when Porter is off and on this season with the knee and playing mediocre and saying he just needs a few more reps and a few more games, and then playing but then having more knee pain and the whole daytime drama of "the bad move'', I just hope Cameron cuts his very significant losses, and talks about Porter about as much as he talked about Culpepper and Ricky.
I can certainly understand why a lot of you are tired of the negative sentiment surrounding the Dolphins. After all, this is the time of year "where hope springs eternal?" However, Armando isn't being negative. He is simply telling it like it is, and unfortunately the truth hurts sometimes. Honestly, I'm glad that Porter is doing this now, versus pretending that everything is okay and he's going to go out onto the field and light it up.
If this procedure is nothing more than a scope, he'll miss the preseason, maybe Week 1, and after all that rest he'll be fully healthy ready to rock and roll. It may take him a little longer to get acclimated to the defense after a few weeks off, but teams will still have to account for him because he is still a very disruptive force. Let's all just calm down, take a deep breath, and let's gear up for the first preseason game against the Jaguars! Dolphins football is back!!! If you're not down with that, I'VE TWO WORDS FOR YA..... SUCK IT!!!!!
R Mon Dough...."the most important acquisition this off season" WRONG...that would easily be Trent Green.....but there's nothing wrong with him so why bring him up, right???
Armandito, you, guy, crack me up. Here's how you could have headlined your post.
"Joey Porter's Knee Soreness is Cause for Concern"
For now, THAT'S realistic.
You don't know that he has sustained an 'injury.' We might find out that Dr. Andrews suggests no scoping is necessary, just a little rest. The soreness might be a natural result of playing hard on the heels of last May's scoping or it might just be plain old soreness. I slept a little funny last night and my neck is sore. It's not bad news, it's just what it is.
Now, that's a lot of 'mights' and I could be wrong, but you could be as easily mistaken. Aren't real journalists supposed to report rather than slant the news?
I think you ARE negative. Sorry that Santa and the Tooth Fairy didn't treat you well as a child.
Trent Green is the most important acquisition of the offseason? The Dolphins did not guarantee $20 million to Trent Green, idiot.
If Green flops, we suck but we move on. If Porter flops, we suck and it affects the salary cap for the next three years.
This is good news for Dolphin fans. Joey Porter is getting his knee checked before we play the Patriots, Jets, or Bills.
Are you kidding me IPSE Dick? You've got your panties in a bunch because the headline said Porter's injury is bad news instead of cause for concern?
Here's a headline you shouldn't worry about: Your brain is cause for concern.
I say, given the suddenly putrid history of the dolphin medical staff, that some firings need to take place within their ranks. The Steelers did not let go of Porter because of a lack of leadership or playing ability; they let him go because of his injury history. That should have been a giant warning sign to the Dolphin team doctors, espacially one year after the Culpepper debacle. How many signing bonuses do we need to waste before we get a valid, thorough evaluation of a free agent? The medical staff has some 'splainin to do, and I say they do it as the door is hitting their butts on the way out.
Dear thetruth...
If you had prescience enough to follow the entire thread and Armando's previous negative posts before offering non-sequiturs, my comment would not cause you such consternation.
In other words, fuh cough.
Hey, Ittypeepee dix, I think you're in the minority here, boy. What you see as negative is what many of us see as reality.
That alarm clock sounding in your head? It means it's time to wake up from you dreamining.
And, although Armando might not agree because he's Mr. Christian, if you don't like the tone of the blog you fuh cough.
Look, Joey Porter has had an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee and will be back in a few weeks - no doubt in time for the first regular season game.
We got along fine with Spragan last year and, no matter what Armandito says, this is not bad news, IT'S REALITY. So all you so-called fans who want to wallow in negativity, continue to allow Armando to get away with his constantly negative view. I'll try to convince him to write ONE, JUST ONE blog post that is completely positive.
The world is not just one big dark place and this football team has some really positive things going on. Can Armando find ONE to write about or will we continue to hear nothing but the negative from Armandito? Cameron lied. CPep, our 'best' QB was mistreated and released. The o-line is crappy, we have a weak secondary. Huizenga blew it when he gave an ultimatum for all the draftees to be in camp on time etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.,
Football is a GAME, people. We're supposed to be excited and energized this time of year and ENJOY IT, but all you clowns can do is cry. "Oh, woe is we. This is wrong; that is wrong, blah. blah, blah.
So, I'll continue to positive and await that positive post from Armando (I know it will pain him to do it.) The rest of you can go sit in chit and cry, babies.
I think porter should have stayed with the steelers
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