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Mick doing what he does best. Creating a situation in his mind where we all are in the wrong and he's about to educate us.
BTW, he's never met a Cowboys' move he didn't like. He's supported everything over these last 16 years of failure.
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Knowing Your A-C-Ls
Welcoming Back Carter In Due Time
Mickey Spagnola
DallasCowboys.com Columnist
IRVING, Texas - As soon as these words came out of Charles Haley's mouth on April 29, "With the 40th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select Bruce Carter, linebacker, North Carolina," I could only imagine the reaction:
Something like, what the heck?
And I'm guessing not enough of you, judging from the post-draft reaction to this second-round pick, bothered to listen to the exact words following the choice from NFL Network's Mike Mayock:
"Now I like that pick."
What, like that pick? These (insert own unflattering term) just selected a guy who had reconstructive knee surgery the second week in December, is still rehabbing and might not be ready to play football this season, assuming the season starts on time.
If that was you - still you - then you didn't do your homework.
The Cowboys did, believe me, and extensively, and had you refrained from throwing a pillow at your flat screen in disgust, you also would have heard Mayock say, "This was a top 15 pick if he didn't get hurt," and then later called Carter "a four-down player." That's right, four-down: first, second, nickel-capable on third in the middle and whatever special team you want to put him on, short of a field-goal attempt.
In fact, the Cowboys did an immense about of homework on this one-time high school quarterback, running back and safety, and actually had some quality inside information on the guy if you consider he was playing for former Cowboys defensive coordinator Butch Davis at North Carolina, was training under former Cowboys' 1992 fourth-round draft pick Tom Myslinski, and currently is rehabbing under a former 11-year veteran NFL athletic trainer Scott Trulock, who last worked in the NFL under Mike Shanahan in Denver as the assistant trainer and before that served as Jon Gruden's rehab guy at Tampa Bay. The Cowboys were working their contacts right up to the start of the draft.
So they knew all they needed to know about this Carter. Like what a great guy he was and one of the reasons he was a Tar Heels captain this past season, how hard he works on and off the field and how diligently he has been rehabbing from surgery to repair his torn ACL, since the Cowboys training staff knows Trulock. And they also know - and get this, especially for a guy nearly 6-3, 240 pounds - that he had been clocked in the 40 at 4.39, with a 40.5-inch vertical. And if you try to minimize that with underwear Olympic logic, just go watch his game tape. He gets from here to there in a blink, not to mention his instincts and leaping ability helping him to set a UNC career record by blocking seven kicks (six punts and a field goal) during his four years in Chapel Hill.
The Cowboys biggest problem with Carter just might be to rein him in if you really want to know. He's got a little Sean Lee in him, another one of those hyperactive guys who know nothing about pace or making concession to injury. And from just having interviewed him twice - during his pre-draft visit to The Ranch and then when he came in for that one day during the draft - that this guy would feel obligated to hit the ground running as soon as football starts seemed quite obvious.
Now that is exactly what head coach Jason Garrett's message was to the other seven draft choices, telling them (catch The Blitz Sunday night at 11 p.m. on CBS-11 in DFW or on DallasCowboys.com multimedia) to be ready the minute the lockout is lifted and don't dare be "that guy" everyone looks at the first time and wonders why in the world did we draft him.
But to Carter, it was to continue doing your work under the guidance of the UNC staff and don't feel obligated to be on the field the very first day of training camp, whenever that might be, at the risk of suffering a setback from overworking. And while the Cowboys can't remain in contact with Carter under the rules of the lockout, they can stay in contact with those third parties in charge of player rehabs.
The Cowboys felt good about that minimal contact, and the fact their training staff, led by Jim Maurer and Britt Brown, has experienced wonderful success rehabbing ACLs.
"We are one of, we may be the only team in the NFL that has two trainers, frankly almost equal trainers with one of them totally dedicated, Britt Brown, to rehab and that particular area," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said when answering question about the logic behind Carter's selection. "So I am real comfortable when we take a player that is in rehab because of the attention we give it and Britt Brown."
Not every player heals at the same pace, but if Carter were here now, as he might have been by this coming Monday without a lockout, he would still be rehabbing and not taking part in any minicamps or OTAs. The goal would be to be ready maybe by the start of training camp, but that all would depend. Because if you think about it, if training camp starts on time, which normally would be the final week in July, Carter would be just seven months removed from his ACL surgery, which normally is considered to be a 7- to 9-month rehab, with 100-percent recovery like a year removed from that.
So there is a good chance if camp starts on time that the Cowboys place Carter on PUP or even non-football injury since the injury occurred prior to the Cowboys owning his rights. That way they could buy him another six weeks of rehab, and then if he still wasn't ready for the start of the season they could retain his rights without taking up a spot on the 53-man roster (PUP eligible) or having to place him on injured reserve.
And the best thing is, at least it seems from what Carter says, the 23-year-old understands successfully rehabbing his knee for the long term is his primary goal, and not to necessarily be ready for the start of camp or even the season.
"You may feel better than how they project you to feel so you just have to take everything in stride," Carter said. "And believe them and trust in them that they are going to get you back to 100 percent.
"(Doctors) are saying I will be ready sometime during training camp. I will have to work my way in and slowly get into it."
Sounds good. Sounds as if Carter thoroughly understands.
The Cowboys, they certainly understand, too, having dealt with umpteen ACLs.
Now, hopefully, you guys totally understand, too.
BTW, he's never met a Cowboys' move he didn't like. He's supported everything over these last 16 years of failure.
-
Knowing Your A-C-Ls
Welcoming Back Carter In Due Time
Mickey Spagnola
DallasCowboys.com Columnist
IRVING, Texas - As soon as these words came out of Charles Haley's mouth on April 29, "With the 40th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys select Bruce Carter, linebacker, North Carolina," I could only imagine the reaction:
Something like, what the heck?
And I'm guessing not enough of you, judging from the post-draft reaction to this second-round pick, bothered to listen to the exact words following the choice from NFL Network's Mike Mayock:
"Now I like that pick."
What, like that pick? These (insert own unflattering term) just selected a guy who had reconstructive knee surgery the second week in December, is still rehabbing and might not be ready to play football this season, assuming the season starts on time.
If that was you - still you - then you didn't do your homework.
The Cowboys did, believe me, and extensively, and had you refrained from throwing a pillow at your flat screen in disgust, you also would have heard Mayock say, "This was a top 15 pick if he didn't get hurt," and then later called Carter "a four-down player." That's right, four-down: first, second, nickel-capable on third in the middle and whatever special team you want to put him on, short of a field-goal attempt.
In fact, the Cowboys did an immense about of homework on this one-time high school quarterback, running back and safety, and actually had some quality inside information on the guy if you consider he was playing for former Cowboys defensive coordinator Butch Davis at North Carolina, was training under former Cowboys' 1992 fourth-round draft pick Tom Myslinski, and currently is rehabbing under a former 11-year veteran NFL athletic trainer Scott Trulock, who last worked in the NFL under Mike Shanahan in Denver as the assistant trainer and before that served as Jon Gruden's rehab guy at Tampa Bay. The Cowboys were working their contacts right up to the start of the draft.
So they knew all they needed to know about this Carter. Like what a great guy he was and one of the reasons he was a Tar Heels captain this past season, how hard he works on and off the field and how diligently he has been rehabbing from surgery to repair his torn ACL, since the Cowboys training staff knows Trulock. And they also know - and get this, especially for a guy nearly 6-3, 240 pounds - that he had been clocked in the 40 at 4.39, with a 40.5-inch vertical. And if you try to minimize that with underwear Olympic logic, just go watch his game tape. He gets from here to there in a blink, not to mention his instincts and leaping ability helping him to set a UNC career record by blocking seven kicks (six punts and a field goal) during his four years in Chapel Hill.
The Cowboys biggest problem with Carter just might be to rein him in if you really want to know. He's got a little Sean Lee in him, another one of those hyperactive guys who know nothing about pace or making concession to injury. And from just having interviewed him twice - during his pre-draft visit to The Ranch and then when he came in for that one day during the draft - that this guy would feel obligated to hit the ground running as soon as football starts seemed quite obvious.
Now that is exactly what head coach Jason Garrett's message was to the other seven draft choices, telling them (catch The Blitz Sunday night at 11 p.m. on CBS-11 in DFW or on DallasCowboys.com multimedia) to be ready the minute the lockout is lifted and don't dare be "that guy" everyone looks at the first time and wonders why in the world did we draft him.
But to Carter, it was to continue doing your work under the guidance of the UNC staff and don't feel obligated to be on the field the very first day of training camp, whenever that might be, at the risk of suffering a setback from overworking. And while the Cowboys can't remain in contact with Carter under the rules of the lockout, they can stay in contact with those third parties in charge of player rehabs.
The Cowboys felt good about that minimal contact, and the fact their training staff, led by Jim Maurer and Britt Brown, has experienced wonderful success rehabbing ACLs.
"We are one of, we may be the only team in the NFL that has two trainers, frankly almost equal trainers with one of them totally dedicated, Britt Brown, to rehab and that particular area," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said when answering question about the logic behind Carter's selection. "So I am real comfortable when we take a player that is in rehab because of the attention we give it and Britt Brown."
Not every player heals at the same pace, but if Carter were here now, as he might have been by this coming Monday without a lockout, he would still be rehabbing and not taking part in any minicamps or OTAs. The goal would be to be ready maybe by the start of training camp, but that all would depend. Because if you think about it, if training camp starts on time, which normally would be the final week in July, Carter would be just seven months removed from his ACL surgery, which normally is considered to be a 7- to 9-month rehab, with 100-percent recovery like a year removed from that.
So there is a good chance if camp starts on time that the Cowboys place Carter on PUP or even non-football injury since the injury occurred prior to the Cowboys owning his rights. That way they could buy him another six weeks of rehab, and then if he still wasn't ready for the start of the season they could retain his rights without taking up a spot on the 53-man roster (PUP eligible) or having to place him on injured reserve.
And the best thing is, at least it seems from what Carter says, the 23-year-old understands successfully rehabbing his knee for the long term is his primary goal, and not to necessarily be ready for the start of camp or even the season.
"You may feel better than how they project you to feel so you just have to take everything in stride," Carter said. "And believe them and trust in them that they are going to get you back to 100 percent.
"(Doctors) are saying I will be ready sometime during training camp. I will have to work my way in and slowly get into it."
Sounds good. Sounds as if Carter thoroughly understands.
The Cowboys, they certainly understand, too, having dealt with umpteen ACLs.
Now, hopefully, you guys totally understand, too.
