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All-ACL team: NFL's rehab warriors


LUUUUUKE

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This isn't a rally the troops kind of thread, but I was curious as to what WRs have come back and returned to pre-injury form, and I was actually pleasantly surprised by my research. I feel that it's important for our expectations moving forward in regards to KB.

BLUF: KB will likely come back and be just as dominant as he was before. Everything below are players that have overcome the ACL tear to go on to have successful careers since.

First let's look at the WR position:

  • WR: Jeremy Maclin

    Injury date: Preseason, 2013     Return date: Week 1, 2014

    Key before/after facts: In a small sample and in a new scheme, Maclin has been more explosive after his injury. He is averaging 16.1 yards per catch and 0.9 touchdowns per game since the injury (13.38 and 0.4 before, respectively). Also, his drop percentage has lowered from 3.4 to 1.0.

  • WR: Reggie Wayne

    Injury date: Week 7, 2013     Return date: Week 1, 2014

    Key before/after facts: In the nine games since returning, Wayne has been just as productive (5.22 receptions per game, compared to 5.13) and nearly as explosive. He's averaging 12.7 yards per catch, compared to 13.5 before the injury, and is still getting downfield. The average air yards of passes thrown his way is 10.1 compared to 11.5.

  •  

    WR: Donnie Avery

    Injury date: Preseason, 2010     Return date: Week 4, 2011

    Key before/after facts: Avery is averaging fewer receptions per game after the injury (2.7, compared to 3.2) and less yards after the catch (3.7, compared to 4.2) but is producing slightly more per reception (13.4 yards, compared to 12.6).

  • TE: Rob Gronkowski

    Injury date: Week 14, 2013     Return date: Week 1, 2014

    Key before/after facts: Since returning, Gronkowski has a higher touchdown rate (0.9 per game, compared to 0.84 before). He's averaging slightly fewer yards after the catch (5.64, compared to 5.90), but is averaging more yards after contact (3.19) than he was prior (2.40).

 

As you can see here, It is very possible if not probable that Kelvin Benjamin will be back next year and in full force as hungry as ever. These basically play the WR position and rely on making cuts on a dime. I will now add another skill position on the Offensive side of the ball. The RBs

  • RB: Jamaal Charles

    Injury date: Week 2, 2011     Return date: Week 1, 2012

    Key before/after facts: Charles' yards per carry dropped from 6.1 before the injury to 5.2. But he actually is averaging more explosive runs per game -- 12 yards or more -- since the injury (1.7) than before (1.2).

Honorable mentions include  none other than Frank Gore, and of course the exception to the rule Adrian Peterson's season where he was merely yards away from setting the NFL rushing record for yds in a season.

Just for kicks, let's look at some defensive players that require a high degree of being able to cut and pursue athletic WRs

  • LB: Von Miller

    Injury date: Week 16, 2013.     Return date: Week 1, 2014.

    Key before/after facts: Miller is actually accumulating sacks at a faster rate (one per game) since the injury than he did before (0.88 per game). At this pace, he'll challenge his career high of 18.5 sacks from 2012.

  • CB: Chris Harris

    Injury date: Divisional playoff round, January 2014.
    Return date: Week 1, 2014.

    Key before/after facts: Harris hasn't missed a start and has two interceptions in 10 games, one shy of his career high for a season. Through Week 11, he was Pro Football Focus' top-ranked cornerback. According to PFF, opposing quarterbacks have a league-low 41.7 passer rating on passes thrown into his coverage.

  • CB: Darrelle Revis

    Injury date: Week 5, 2012.     Return date: Week 1, 2013.

    Key before/after facts: Revis is intercepting passes at a lower rate since his injury (0.15 per game) than before (0.24), but Pro Football Focus rated him as its top cornerback in 2013 and has him No. 7 this season.

 

and last but certainly not least, and obviously the most important of all...

  • LB: Thomas Davis, Panthers

    Injury date: Week 2, 2011.     Return date: Week 1, 2012.

    Key before/after facts: The injury was the third torn ACL of Davis' career, and simply getting back on the field has been an extraordinary accomplishment. Since then, he's played in 41 of a possible 43 games, racking up 306 tackles in the process. In the only comparable portion of his earlier career, Davis was credited with 289 tackles in 46 games.

 

Some other honorable mentions include: Navorro Bowman, Chad greenway, Lardarius Webb, Eric Berry, Tyrann Mathieu, Brandon Meriweather, Eric berry, and Travis Benjamin.

 

Now for me, all of this has me very optimistic that KB can and will come back with a vengeance! He's 24 and was in tremendous physical shape, which anyone knows that has ever experienced any injury tremendously aids your ability to come back and heal more quickly. When you look around the locker room he has TD which has suffered not 1...not 2...but 3 ACL injuries there to guide and mentor him. He also has Stephen Hill by his side as they will undoubtedly be rehabbing together. While it definitely sucks that he incurred the injury at all, I can't think of a better circumstance for him as a player. Looking at the bigger picture, thank God that we drafted Funchess! While I'm not expecting direct stat replication, just imagine for a moment that we took a LT that was over rated at that draft spot. Let me stop ranting though

 

I just wanted to educate the fan base on the fact that his career isn't necessarily over. Now, that that's out of the way, the guys on the roster are going to have to step up this year until he returns. I'll also leave you with this. KB has already been touted for being a mentor to the younger guys. I can't imagine him not being in the film room mentoring them all while continuing to get the mental reps himself. Ricky Proehl is also a hell of a WR coach. It's on the guys on the roster to step up and produce while KB heals.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page/hotread141119offense/acl-injuries-all-star-nfl-lineup-recovered-knee-reconstruction-surgery

#KeepPounding_KB

 

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Great post man. I've been very curious about what our front office will do moving forward. Without KB we're right back to square one at Wide Receiver. Does this injury force us to use another high-round draft pick on a receiver next year? Or do we trust that KB will return to form?

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Maybe we can get him back for the Super Bowl.

No, even if we made it that far, you let him fully recover. No need whatsoever in jeopardizing the young mans future. He should come back next year fully ready and have the belief that his knee can take the impact by making any cut.

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No, even if we made it that far, you let him fully recover. No need whatsoever in jeopardizing the young mans future. He should come back next year fully ready and have the belief that his knee can take the impact by making any cut.

There's probably a stipulation that we couldn't bring him back anyway. Some guys are healing freaks though. Hope KB could be one of those guys regardless.

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Great post man. I've been very curious about what our front office will do moving forward. Without KB we're right back to square one at Wide Receiver. Does this injury force us to use another high-round draft pick on a receiver next year? Or do we trust that KB will return to form?

I think it's expected that Benjamin will be back as good as new. That said, they could still take a WR in round one or two. It would depend on who's available, and to a lesser extent, how well our current crop performed in KB's absence. 

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KB may never make it back, it's just something we need to be prepared for.

You need to be prepared to lose any player for good, at any time. That's just life in the NFL. With TD-the ACL recovery king, to help keep KB on the right track, I do feel good about his recovery.

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