Notebook: Quit worrying about meaningless workouts
Insider | Notebook
It's the first week of June. Training camps are still almost two months away. The regular season is over three months away.
So why is it that all the offseason news, particularly the negative news, creates such a fury?
If a player is injured in June, does it really matter if he is going to be ready in September?
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| The Jaguars should only be worried if Fred Taylor isn't healthy enough to play in the season opener. (Getty Images) |
The insatiable appetite for NFL information -- something I am truly thankful exists -- makes any player missing time in workouts or sitting them out in a contract dispute a major issue.
They shouldn't be.
All that matters is whether those players will be there come September.
In Jacksonville, there is major concern because Fred Taylor isn't taking part in offseason workouts as he recovers from knee surgery. The Jaguars coaches and Taylor have said that he will be ready in September, and they have been convincing about it, even though word is his knee was worse than anticipated.
It matters little if Taylor works in training camp. It matters little that he plays in the preseason. All that matters is if he's there for the opener against Seattle.
That's the same for any other injured players missing time now. Take Chris Brown in Tennessee. He broke his right hand, an injury that will keep him on the sideline for six weeks. Uh, that's not a timeframe that runs into the regular season. So the Titans need not worry, although past injury issues might make them a little worried with Brown.
As for the players missing time now for contract reasons, here's what I have to say about that: So what?
They will all be there when the games count.
Agent Drew Rosenhaus, who is a master at keeping players away as they pine for new contracts, is smart enough to know it's not wise for any player to miss a season in a holdout. That's money you can never get back.
