flgreen Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 Matt Forte's injury a bad optic for Jets, but he deserves some slack Jets running back Matt Forte has missed the first four practices of training camp with a pulled hamstring. AP Photo/Seth Wenig 2:39 PM ET Rich CiminiESPN Staff Writer Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email print comment It's either a blip on the radar screen or a grim harbinger. Matt Forte pulled a hamstring before the start of training camp, causing him to miss the first four practices. In most cases, this sort of thing isn't a huge deal, except Forte is a running back and he's 30 years old. That doesn't make it a big deal, but it's certainly noteworthy. The New York Jets made Forte one of their key offseason additions, giving him a three-year, $12 million contract to replace leading rusher Chris Ivory. The early optic isn't great -- an older back already nursing an injury -- but Forte deserves the benefit of the doubt. We're talking about one of the most durable running backs in the league. Over the last five seasons, Forte has participated in 3,574 offensive plays, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Only one running back has more snaps over that span: LeSean McCoy at 3,640. Forte has missed only eight games in eight seasons, including three last season. The man plays, he doesn't sit. He's known around the league for his professionalism and work ethic, so, yes, it's too early to fret about this hamstring thing even though some folks in Chicago probably are snickering in a "we-told-you-so" kind of way. Forte called it a "minor" injury, saying it doesn't compare to the torn hamstring that felled him in 2009. "This is a 1, compared to a 10, like a tear," Forte said Sunday after another practice on the sideline. The Jets are calling it a day-to-day injury. It makes absolutely no sense to rush him back. The goal is to have him ready for the Sept. 11 regular-season opener, not the Aug. 11 preseason opener. The last thing the Jets need is a setback, as they're already banged up at running back. Khiry Robinson, coming off a broken leg in 2015, still isn't practicing. Bilal Powell, recently signed Bernard Pierce, free-agent signee Dominique Williams and rookie Romar Morris are splitting the reps. “We’re just taking it slow so I don’t reinjure it,” Forte said. “Hamstrings are tricky. If you reinjure it, then you could be set back longer . Every day I feel a lot better." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flgreen Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 I agree this could become a problem, but not sure Helu is the guy to solve it. Roy Helu having surgery on both hips Posted by Michael David Smith on February 29, 2016, 6:41 PM EDT Getty Images Raiders running back Roy Helu is having surgery on both hips this offseason. Adam Caplan of ESPN reports that Helu already had surgery on one hip and will have surgery on the other hip soon. The surgeries are designed to correct a hip impingement, which should improve his flexibility and help his mobility. Helu was healthy enough to play last year but barely got involved in the Raiders’ offense, finishing with just 17 carries for 39 yards on the season. After spending his first four seasons in Washington, Helu signed a two-year, $4.1 million contract with the Raiders last year. This year he’s due a $1.9 million base salary and a $100,000 workout bonus, with a cap hit of $2 million. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peebag Posted August 1, 2016 Share Posted August 1, 2016 On 7/30/2016 at 9:07 PM, Larz said: I've never seen a poster sweat the bottom of the roster, the guys who don't even dress on gameday, like Joe relax dude. you can sign these guys off the street in November if you need them ever heard of this cat name Jetsrule? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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