Monroe's knees red flagged?

[shower beers]

This is per rotoworld:

Virginia OT Eugene Monroe will reportedly be red flagged by some teams after he was discovered to have "knee issues" at the NFL Combine.
Often teams will spread pre-draft information like this about players they're hoping will fall to them. Monroe, a possible No. 1 or 2 overall pick, missed two games as a junior with a knee injury. He also dislocated his left kneecap as a sophomore. It's uncertain if Monroe is considering surgery.

This is per Chicago Tribune:

A possible first overall pick, Monroe will be red-flagged on some teams' boards because of knee issues that were revealed during medical testing at the combine. Further testing could help alleviate concerns.


Who knows if there is any legitimacy to these allegations, but it appears to be more than just a made up rumor, and warranted discussion on the boards. Has anyone else seen anything about this?

[Curly Horns]

Interesting.....this is the first I've read about it.

If the Rams can keep Pace, as Devaney recently indicated, then I think they should take Curry with their first pick.

[Nick]

This is the first I've seen this, and I don't believe anything was reported during the combine about him needing additional tests or having injury flags then. Obviously the significance of the injury is going to be the determining factor as to where he ranks for the Rams. Hard to make a judgment one way or the other just yet without more information, but it's something to keep an eye on.

[shower beers]

Right now it seems like something very minor, and I would still put him at the top of my "board", as is stands, but let's see what happens from here.

[Bald_81]

I was waiting for a story like this to come out. Now for some insightful and inspiring dialogue:

Muñoz was selected with the third overall pick in the 1980 National Football League draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. His selection was viewed as a major risk by many pundits since knee problems limited the 6'-6", 280-pound Muñoz to just a combined eight games in his junior and senior seasons. However, Muñoz became a starter in his rookie season and remained a fixture at left tackle for the Bengals for 13 seasons and is considered one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history. Despite his history of injuries, Muñoz missed just three games during his first 12 seasons.

Be cautionary of these reports. He didn't miss any games as a senior, and much like Dorsey last year (who didn't miss a game as a rookie), has a bunch of hoopla being said in order to create some doubt in people's minds. Until I see further reporting to suggest it's a big problem, I'm not going to take this seriously.

[r8rh8rmike]

I've seen this report in a few places but it doesn't seem to be getting any significant traction, even though he did have a few knee injuries in college, including a dislocated kneecap his sophomore season. It will be interesting to see how it plays out, if at all.

[C-Mob 71]

I don't know, even though it seems minor, with as close as Smith and Monroe are it may just sway the decision of the first OT taken... unfortunately whether it is true or not

[Nick]

I don't know, even though it seems minor, with as close as Smith and Monroe are it may just sway the decision of the first OT taken... unfortunately whether it is true or not

Perhaps. But it probably won't sway the decision unless the Rams are one of the teams that flagged Monroe for health issues. It'll be interesting to see what else comes from this story. This news isn't as specific as the Dorsey reports from this time last year; right now they're just saying "knee issues" which could be any number of things. We'll have to wait and see what, if anything, further testing reveals.

[Bald_81]

This news isn't as specific as the Dorsey reports from this time last year; right now they're just saying "knee issues" which could be any number of things. We'll have to wait and see what, if anything, further testing reveals.

It doesn't matter how much more specific the report on Dorsey was since he checked out 100% medically at his pro day last year. Like you said, it all depends on the further testing performed on him at his pro day. But as of right now, I still think these reports are likely a ruse to create doubt in the minds of the top tier teams of the draft.

[general counsel]

Teams make their own professional evaluations. Unlike fans, they are rarely influenced by rumour and innuendo. If the rams examine him and think his knee is fine, its irrelevant what anyone else thinks.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[Nick]

It doesn't matter how much more specific the report on Dorsey was since he checked out 100% medically at his pro day last year.

Mmmm, that's not quite how I remember it. I don't remember any additional medical testing being done at Dorsey's pro day to clear him. LSU made their doctors and Dorsey's medical records available, and Dorsey didn't appear to show any lingering effects of an injury in his workout, but his medical testing was going to done when he visited with specific teams. Plus, after his pro day, an additional report was released that continued to cast doubt on him being completely healthy.

Regardless, the point I was making is that we really have no idea the extent or the significant of these "knee issues," because the report isn't specific at all. It's just a one-line blurb in one person's column and hasn't gained any traction or buzz that I can see. For all we know, it could simply be referring to past issues that most draft followers already know about. Thus, it's hard to get too concerned about it until we learn more. If more specific and more concerning information comes out about Monroe like it did last year about Dorsey, then the injury may be an issue. You'd have to think that if Monroe's "knee issues" were a significant story, Pompei wouldn't bury their mention in the middle of his story as a one-line tidbit.

Only time will tell though; we'll see if this topic comes back up as the draft process continues. I've asked both Howard Balzer and Jim Thomas about this issue. Howard said he'd look into it but hasn't heard anything. We'll see if Thomas uses my question in Tuesday's chat session.

[txramsfan]

Teams make their own professional evaluations. Unlike fans, they are rarely influenced by rumour and innuendo. If the rams examine him and think his knee is fine, its irrelevant what anyone else thinks.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

GC nailed it. Some teams might be floating these rumors to have someone's stock drop low enough so they can sign them.

When it comes to the draft, smoke and mirrors is the game. I believe what comes out of North Korea's official spokesman about as much as I believe anything coming out of GM's pressers before the draft.

[laram0]

Nothing like some good ol bomb tossing!

[Nick]

Here is what Jim Thomas had to say regarding my question in his chat today...

Nick: Jim, Dan Pompei wrote in the Chicago Tribune that Eugene Monroe will be red flagged by some NFL teams because medical testing at the NFL Combine revealed what Pompei only referred to as "knee issues." Have you heard anything more about this, and do you know if the Rams are one of the teams that are concerned aboutMonroe's knees? Or is this just another instance of pre-draft misinformation being put out there to try and get a guy to slip a bit?

Jim Thomas: The Rams obviously were privvy to all of the medical info at the draft. To the best of my knowledge, they are still very interested inMonroe.

The more I think about this report, the more I think Pompei was referring to Monroe's past injuries and not anything new. If it was new information or a new injury discovery, it would have gotten more attention by now and wouldn't have been buried as one blurb towards the end of a Pompei article on multiple prospects.

[TekeRam]

I think the key to take away from it all is this: We'll have our private work out and an extensive medical check on him. We'll see how he performs and we'll find his weaknesses. If we pick him at #2, I am absolutely sure that his knees will have been passed many times over by our docs.