This article is part of our Injury Analysis series.
C.J. Anderson
The Broncos' backfield is one of the more intriguing position battles. Anderson missed a significant portion of last season because of a torn meniscus in his knee. The injury required surgery and, while the procedure was described as a repair, that term is often misused.
When the meniscus is damaged the surgeon normally has two options: removal or repair. A removal, or meniscectomy, is the more common of the two procedures and has shorter recovery timeline. Following a meniscectomy, an athlete can usually return to activity within six weeks. Because the cartilage is removed, a meniscectomy can increase the risk for long-term issues like osteoarthritis and other complications including cysts.
A true meniscus repair is only an option if the tear is a specific type and in a certain location of the disc. Repairs are believed to have better long-term results than a partial or full meniscectomy. However, this security is accompanied by a much lengthier recovery, often three to six months.
Unfortunately, most meniscus surgeries are reported as a repair regardless of the surgical option performed. As a result, it's best to consider the estimated timeline provided by the team and not the medical terminology. If recovery following a meniscus surgery is measured in weeks and not months than it is likely the injured individual underwent a removal.
Based on context clues it seems Anderson might have had an actual repair. Regardless of specifics, Anderson appears healthy and was an active participant in OTAs and minicamp. With veteran
C.J. Anderson
The Broncos' backfield is one of the more intriguing position battles. Anderson missed a significant portion of last season because of a torn meniscus in his knee. The injury required surgery and, while the procedure was described as a repair, that term is often misused.
When the meniscus is damaged the surgeon normally has two options: removal or repair. A removal, or meniscectomy, is the more common of the two procedures and has shorter recovery timeline. Following a meniscectomy, an athlete can usually return to activity within six weeks. Because the cartilage is removed, a meniscectomy can increase the risk for long-term issues like osteoarthritis and other complications including cysts.
A true meniscus repair is only an option if the tear is a specific type and in a certain location of the disc. Repairs are believed to have better long-term results than a partial or full meniscectomy. However, this security is accompanied by a much lengthier recovery, often three to six months.
Unfortunately, most meniscus surgeries are reported as a repair regardless of the surgical option performed. As a result, it's best to consider the estimated timeline provided by the team and not the medical terminology. If recovery following a meniscus surgery is measured in weeks and not months than it is likely the injured individual underwent a removal.
Based on context clues it seems Anderson might have had an actual repair. Regardless of specifics, Anderson appears healthy and was an active participant in OTAs and minicamp. With veteran Jamaal Charles still recovering from a meniscus procedure of his own, De'Angelo Henderson appears to be Anderson's primary competitor for the starting spot.
Mike Williams
The rookie wide receiver is dealing with a problematic back injury that could necessitate a trip to the operating room. Williams' injury first surfaced in mid-May when he was bothered by tightness in his lower back. As the issue lingered, further testing showed d a mild herniation of an intervertebral disc.
The spine is divided into five regions comprised of 33 vertebrae. The vertebrae at the end of the spine are fused while the top 24 articulate with each adjacent segment. Between each of these joints sits an intervertebral disc, a fibrocartilage structure capable of absorbing and diverting the various stresses placed on and through the spine. The unique makeup of the intervertebral disc makes this all possible, though it can be disrupted with excessive or high amounts of stress.
Imagine a jelly donut. This sugary confection is crispy dough surrounding and containing the gelatinous center. If enough pressure is applied to the donut, the jelly center would begin to leak. This is comparable to a disc herniation.
An intervertebral disc is made up of a fibrous outer ring known as the annulus fibrosis (the dough) and the nucleus pulposus, a gel-like middle (the jelly). If undue stress is applied to a disc, the nucleus pulposus can protrude out of the annulus fibrosis, just like the aforementioned squashed donut. While a flattened donut is little more than a mess, a herniated disc can bulge enough to impinge or irritate nearby nerves. This can leave the effected individual with pain at the site of irritation and potentially radicular (shooting) pain into their lower extremities. A herniated disc can be treated conservatively with physical therapy and medication. However, if the problem lingers surgery is often performed.
Williams is expected to be evaluated in the coming days. He has refuted the reports that surgery is necessary but likely will start training camp on the preseason Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.
Keep in mind the preseason PUP is different from the regular-season PUP. Individuals placed on the preseason PUP cannot practice with the team but can be activated at any time. Those who end up on the regular-season PUP are required to sit out the first six games of the regular season. After six games, the team must then decide whether to activate the recovering player and return him to the active roster. Players unable to progress in their recoveries may be shifted to injured reserve and ruled out for the season.
Regardless of Williams' optimism, be leery of investing too much in the first-year wideout. Back injuries like this often resurface and can be very limiting for position players. Let someone else assume the risk at this stage of the game.
TURF BURNS
Josh Doctson: A persistent Achilles' heel injury limited him to just two games during his rookie season, but many are predicting a breakout year for Doctson with DeSean Jackson in Tampa Bay and Pierre Garcon in San Francisco. However, I have a hard time getting overly excited about a speed-based wide receiver entering camp third on the depth chart with a major red flag in his injury history. His current ADP seems fair with him falling to the 14th round in a 10-team league.
Corey Coleman: Coleman is another young wide receiver who can't seem to shake the injury bug. After hand and hamstring injuries cut his rookie season short, the 23-year-old reports to camp recovering from another hamstring injury sustained in OTAs. I generally shy away from wide receivers with multiple muscular injuries in their lower extremities. One strain can be viewed as an isolated incident but any more than that, especially when it is on the same leg, establishes a pattern. Even worse, Coleman's hamstring problems extend beyond his professional career and date to his time at Baylor. He's also undergone surgery to address a sports hernia, further raising his risk profile. Add Coleman only after you've filled out your starting WRs.
Andrew Luck: The Colts confirmed their quarterback will start training camp on the preseason PUP list. The move isn't a surprise as Luck is still in the early phases of a throwing program after undergoing offseason surgery to repair the labrum in his throwing shoulder. Consider this move a necessary step on the road to recovery and look for him to be activated from the PUP prior to the start of the regular season.
