Two more starters headed for IR

[RamWraith]

By Bill Coats 11/05/2007 4:48 pm


Two more names are about to be added to the Rams’ bulging injured-reserve list. Guard Richie Incognito, hurt Oct. 28 against Cleveland, is scheduled for a knee operation Tuesday in Birmingham, Ala., and defensive end Leonard Little is facing toe surgery, likely sooner rather than later.

“That really is the only option,” Little said Monday. “It isn’t the type of injury where it will heal on its own.”

Little sat out vs. Browns, the first game he’d missed with an injury since 2003. He has a torn ligament in his left big toe, and he said Monday that if his season is finished, “it would be one of the hardest things I’ve been through in football in a long time. I’ve had injuries in the past, but I was always able to overcome them. This time it’s something that I can’t overcome.”

A consultation with Dr. Robert Anderson, a specialist in Charlotte, N.C., during the bye week “didn’t go well,” Little reported. “We pretty much knew what he was going to say anyway. We tried to give it two weeks for it to heal back up, but it never responded.”

A speed rusher, Little can’t be effective without his wheels. “I use my feet a lot; I made my career by running,” he said. “With this injury, I can’t run, I can’t push off and I can’t do the things that I normally do.”

Even wearing shoes is a painful experience. “It hurts, period,” he said. “I’m not going to sit here and say that it doesn’t, because it does. I have to get it fixed; that’s the only way to make it any better.”

Little said he’d be facing four to six months of rehab. “It’s a severe injury,” he said. “I don’t have a ligament on the side of my foot.”

Already are on IR are tackle Orlando Pace (shoulder), guard Mark Setterstrom (knee), safety Jerome Carter (foot), linebacker Raonall Smith (knee) and guard/tackle Adam Goldberg (knee).

***

It was a big night for football Friday at Peach County High in Fort Valley, Ga., Not only did the Trojans blast visiting Macon Southwest 57-14, but former star Randy McMichael was in attendance for a ceremony to retire his number 5.

“I remember when the first jersey was retired from my high school, Greg Lloyd’s jersey my senior year,” said McMichael, the Rams’ tight end. “I said to myself that was the most awesome thing I’ve ever seen, and hopefully one day I’ll be blessed enough to have my jersey retired. My jersey’s right there with his now, and it’s a great feeling.”

Lloyd, a hard-hitting linebacker, spent 11 seasons in the NFL – 10 with the Steelers and his last, in 1998, with the Panthers. He was selected for five Pro Bowls.

On Saturday, McMichael was in Athens, Ga., watching his alma mater, the Georgia Bulldogs, knock off Troy 44-34. “It was a great week,” he said.

***

Notes & quotes:

>>The injury news wasn’t all bad. RB Steven Jackson (back) did some individual conditioning work at practice Monday and is expected to play Sunday at New Orleans. Also, C Brett Romberg (ankle) did some light drills and has a chance, too.

>>WR/KR Dante Hall (ankle) probably is a week away from getting in serious work at practice.

>>With the Rams still seeking offensive line help, Nick Leckey remained at right guard with the first unit.

>>QB Marc Bulger had noticeable zip on the ball Monday.

>>Newcomer Hanik Milligan will be installed on the coverage units right away. He was a special-teams Pro Bowler in 2005 when he was with the Chargers.

All for now . . .

[moloch41]

I'm sorry- I refuse to believe that this many injuries are just due to bad luck. Maybe they should change their offeseason conditioning program, check into the turf at the EJD to see if maybe it's a design, or maybe start playing the starters a little more during the preseason, so they are not thrown into full speed contact action in game one of the season without ever playing a down before that. We've had a lot of injuries in the last two years under Linehan and I realize that some of our guys are getting older, but there's some young guys going down too.

[LA Rammer]

I'm sorry- I refuse to believe that this many injuries are just due to bad luck.

I was just thinking about this yesterday, good post. It's true you just don't see this many injuries. I like you suspect something is going on other than "bad luck."

But if it were turf wouldn't we see more injuries from the opposition? I would take a long look at the conditioning program and yes the coaching.

[TekeRam]

I agree that it bears investigating, whether the training staff or medical facilities are unsatisfactory, or if the turf is bad, however, the dome switched to field turf, which a couple years ago was heralded to actually prevent injuries. Especially over the "track" that astroturf is. While it's true that there's still a concrete floor under the turf, there is much more turf between the player and the concrete than the bare carpet that is astroturf. There's also ground tire that gives a fair deal as well.

That said, sometime teams just have bad luck. Look at the Browns. Nothing was ever found about the staff infections that were rampant with them, and they certainly had their string of offensive line injuries and they play on grass! While it could be personnel, I think it's just a bad bad couple years.

[moloch41]

however, the dome switched to field turf, which a couple years ago was heralded to actually prevent injuries.

Is all field turf created equally though? I remember when the discussions first started about moving from astroturf to field turf, the Rams were actually complaining about the cost and how much harder it would be to take out the tracks to make room for the other non-football events they hold there. I wonder if they went with a cheaper solution.