Raiders head coach Jon Gruden is champing at the bit to do what he does best; mix it up with his players, build chemistry and take the pulse of his team. In a normal season, Gruden would have met all his players by now, learned what kind of shape they are in, discovered what buttons
Plantar fasciitis is a nasty, tenacious injury. I hope Williams can overcome it and it stays away.
Can Abram’s shoulder hold up over the long haul? Now that you can’t use your head in tackling, the shoulder gets more hits. I hope he also can hold up.
I share your concern about Abram’s ability to stay healthy, Ghost!
It’s a really good point on shoulders being in line for injury now that contact with the head is outlawed but that change was made for a good reason: the long term health of Football players.
It’s time to look at tackling without leading with the helmet. Leading with the shoulder instead opens up that complex joint to serious damage…. as shown by Jacobs and other punishing runners who lead with the shoulder when rushing the ball as well as hard tackling defenders.
The league and players need to look at techniques that don’t throw players into an all or nothing hit with a major joint. In Rugby Union, for instance, tackles have to be made with a wrap of the tackling arm… shoulder charges are not allowed and result in a penalty. God tackling techniques of this kind decrease shoulder and neck injuries for tacklers and tackled players.
The NFL has always shown a great ability to learn. It might be time to look at other full contact sports to allow proper tackling but make it safer.
Sorry, good tackling techniques… not God!