Adrian Peterson

[MikeIsGood]

Linkage

Former Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, an almost certain top-10 pick in the first round of Saturday's NFL draft, re-injured his collarbone in the Sooners' loss in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day -- an injury that has not been previously disclosed except to NFL teams.

Peterson broke his collarbone on Oct. 14 against Iowa State and missed the rest of Oklahoma's regular season, returning for the first time in the bowl game against Boise State. Peterson made NFL teams aware of the re-injury at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.

But at least two teams that SI.com spoke to acknowledged that Peterson's health was a consideration in their draft analysis.

A high-level source on one team said the evaluation of his team's medical staff was that Peterson will require a surgical procedure, which would delay his availability at the start of training camp and perhaps longer. That team estimated Peterson would be sidelined after the procedure for "two or three months." That would likely mean Peterson would miss the entire offseason workouts of the team that drafted him and make him questionable for the early part of the preseason.

"Because of him re-injuring it in the bowl game, it's not as far along as it should be, it's not healed," said a team executive. "He lost three months with the re-injury. The question is, will it be healed enough to take a hit. Or will he hurt it again, the way [ex-Detroit receiver Charles Rogers] kept doing.

"It's not enough to take him off anyone's board, but it's a concern because of his straight-up running style. He has been a bit injury-prone and now you've got a situation where you're drafting damaged goods."

A source on a second team stressed that Peterson's re-injury was a "minor" consideration in the grand scheme of things.

"If we take, we take him because he's a good football player," the source said. "If it takes him time to heal, it takes him time. We're looking at his skills. But it's one of those things that everyone in the league knows about. He re-injured it in the Fiesta Bowl, but he kept playing."

Peterson told SI last week that he was "completely healthy," and that his collarbone injury had suffered no setbacks during the course of his rehabilitation. Peterson underwent a re-check from NFL medical personnel earlier this month at which time the status of his recovery was forwarded to NFL teams. That is a common step in the league's medical evaluation process for draft prospects with injury concerns discovered at the combine.

Peterson, the top-rated running back in the draft, is a candidate to go as high as No. 3 to Cleveland and is not expected, in any scenario, to last past No. 10 Houston.

[DigitalFool]

Nothing new really - teams know of his injuries and he is tough enough to play through some. That is risk you take - think McGahee...

[MikeIsGood]

Actually, it is new information. Until now it was not disclosed that he once again injured his collar bone in the Bowl game and that he might need surgery that could keep him out of summer workouts and preseason training.

What about this isn't new?

[DigitalFool]

Actually, it is new information.

'Peterson made NFL teams aware of the re-injury at the NFL Scouting Combine in February'

That is over two months ago - enough time to for NFL teams to digest. Just because we JUST heard about it, doesn't mean it's NEW. That, my friend, was my point. SO CHILL!

[MikeIsGood]

Chill? Why, because I bolded a word for emphasis? I'm not worked up. I think you're the one who needs to chill out, apparently.

It's new information to us is exactly my point. None of us have heard this before, most notably, the key point, that he might need another surgery which would keep him out through preseason practice.

Who cares how long NFL teams have known about this. None of us had a clue he was reinjured. I'm not making a point that this will affect his draft stock - I think he's the second best prospect in the draft. I'm presenting information we haven't heard as fans.

[DigitalFool]

I apologize then for misreading your statement then.

Too bad we aren't the ones making the picks then eh?

So why is this information made public NOW, three days before draft day?

[MikeIsGood]

No problem.

So why is this information made public NOW, three days before draft day?

A very good point, which makes me wonder about it's validity. Given AD's injury history I don't rule it out, but it seems like it could be questionable. I actually got the link to this article from a different forum, and one of the responses to the piece was this:

I can't buy this, it falls in the same category as Branch's leg fractures.

I can't believe that this would just now be surfacing, with so many "experts" and "insiders" out there. Plus, even it was only disclosed to teams, why is he still so highly rated????????? It is either false or minor enough not to affect his stock.

It's also interesting that in the article, it says they talked to AD a week ago and he said he's perfectly healthy and that he had suffered no setbacks. A week later they came out with an article about this re-injury, with quotes from "high level" team sources.

Strange.[/quote]

[Profound23]

If this dude falls to us at #16 we almost have to take him.