Post by TheShadow on Dec 11, 2003 18:53:51 GMT -5
www.sacbee.com
By Gregg Bell -- Bee Staff Writer
ALAMEDA -- It finally happened, the most painfully obvious of the 10 additions to the Raiders' injured-reserve list since their sickly season began.
John Parrella's season is officially finished.
Ten weeks after he tore a groin muscle off his hip bone in a pileup after tackling Chicago quarterback Kordell Stewart, the Raiders' square-jawed defensive tackle went on injured reserve Wednesday -- four days before NFL rushing leader Jamal Lewis brings his rugged Baltimore Ravens into the Coliseum.
So ended two months of false hope for the 33-year-old Parrella, Oakland's big (300-plus-pound) free-agent signing from San Diego before the 2002 season. His daily rehabilitation succeeded in getting him to jog again. But it failed in getting him ready to crash into offensive linemen 60-plus times a game over the last three completely meaningless weeks of the Raiders' season.
"I thought I could come back right away," a seemingly resigned Parrella said. "But the bottom line is, it is what it is."
The Raiders are what they are, too: 3-10 and going nowhere but home after their Dec. 28 season finale. All the more reason to shelve Parrella.
When asked if the team would have put Parrella on IR if the team was in playoff contention, coach Bill Callahan said, "That's a different scenario. ... We'd have to consider all options then."
Parrella said he tried to cut in half the time that doctors initially estimated for his rehabilitation.
"I would keep preparing like I would be playing this week or the next," he said.
Oakland coaches and the team's medical staff also believed Parrella could return. But that optimism changed when Parrella recently went to Birmingham, Ala., to see famed orthopedist James Andrews, who consulted former Raider Bo Jackson on his career-ending hip injury a decade ago.
Andrews told Parrella that his tear is not career-threatening -- teammate Trace Armstrong had the same injury 12 months ago, sat out eight months and returned to start at defensive end in September. But Andrews also advised Parrella that he could play again in future seasons only if he did not try to return for this one.
So the NFL's 31st-ranked run defense will have played the final 11 games without its best run-stopper. The team promoted undrafted free-agent receiver John Stone from the practice squad to replace Parrella on the roster.
Readying Rob -- New backup quarterback Rob Johnson said before practice that he hopes to get a few more snaps with the first-team offense this week. Then Callahan gave them to him.
Callahan said he had full confidence Sunday in Pittsburgh that Johnson was prepared enough to replace starter Rick Mirer after Mirer sprained his left ankle, though Mirer struggled on. That's despite the fact that Mirer and Callahan both estimate that Johnson was getting less than 10 percent of the first-team work.
Mirer "did fine" in Wednesday's practice, Callahan said. So he will start Sunday.
Et cetera -- Running back Charlie Garner, suddenly inconsistent with only 498 rushing yards and 326 receiving yards in 12 games after approaching 1,000 in each category last season, missed practice for personal reasons. Last week, the reclusive Garner told Sacramento radio station KHTK (1140) he had been dealing with "family issues."
• Rod Woodson's wait for suitable cadaver cartilage has ended. The 38-year-old free safety said the surgery to fill missing cartilage in his left knee will be next week. Woodson wants to see how he recovers from the procedure before deciding whether to return for an 18th season in 2004.
• Center Barret Robbins (degenerating right knee) is "very doubtful" to play against the Ravens, Callahan said. Adam Treu would make his second consecutive start.
By Gregg Bell -- Bee Staff Writer
ALAMEDA -- It finally happened, the most painfully obvious of the 10 additions to the Raiders' injured-reserve list since their sickly season began.
John Parrella's season is officially finished.
Ten weeks after he tore a groin muscle off his hip bone in a pileup after tackling Chicago quarterback Kordell Stewart, the Raiders' square-jawed defensive tackle went on injured reserve Wednesday -- four days before NFL rushing leader Jamal Lewis brings his rugged Baltimore Ravens into the Coliseum.
So ended two months of false hope for the 33-year-old Parrella, Oakland's big (300-plus-pound) free-agent signing from San Diego before the 2002 season. His daily rehabilitation succeeded in getting him to jog again. But it failed in getting him ready to crash into offensive linemen 60-plus times a game over the last three completely meaningless weeks of the Raiders' season.
"I thought I could come back right away," a seemingly resigned Parrella said. "But the bottom line is, it is what it is."
The Raiders are what they are, too: 3-10 and going nowhere but home after their Dec. 28 season finale. All the more reason to shelve Parrella.
When asked if the team would have put Parrella on IR if the team was in playoff contention, coach Bill Callahan said, "That's a different scenario. ... We'd have to consider all options then."
Parrella said he tried to cut in half the time that doctors initially estimated for his rehabilitation.
"I would keep preparing like I would be playing this week or the next," he said.
Oakland coaches and the team's medical staff also believed Parrella could return. But that optimism changed when Parrella recently went to Birmingham, Ala., to see famed orthopedist James Andrews, who consulted former Raider Bo Jackson on his career-ending hip injury a decade ago.
Andrews told Parrella that his tear is not career-threatening -- teammate Trace Armstrong had the same injury 12 months ago, sat out eight months and returned to start at defensive end in September. But Andrews also advised Parrella that he could play again in future seasons only if he did not try to return for this one.
So the NFL's 31st-ranked run defense will have played the final 11 games without its best run-stopper. The team promoted undrafted free-agent receiver John Stone from the practice squad to replace Parrella on the roster.
Readying Rob -- New backup quarterback Rob Johnson said before practice that he hopes to get a few more snaps with the first-team offense this week. Then Callahan gave them to him.
Callahan said he had full confidence Sunday in Pittsburgh that Johnson was prepared enough to replace starter Rick Mirer after Mirer sprained his left ankle, though Mirer struggled on. That's despite the fact that Mirer and Callahan both estimate that Johnson was getting less than 10 percent of the first-team work.
Mirer "did fine" in Wednesday's practice, Callahan said. So he will start Sunday.
Et cetera -- Running back Charlie Garner, suddenly inconsistent with only 498 rushing yards and 326 receiving yards in 12 games after approaching 1,000 in each category last season, missed practice for personal reasons. Last week, the reclusive Garner told Sacramento radio station KHTK (1140) he had been dealing with "family issues."
• Rod Woodson's wait for suitable cadaver cartilage has ended. The 38-year-old free safety said the surgery to fill missing cartilage in his left knee will be next week. Woodson wants to see how he recovers from the procedure before deciding whether to return for an 18th season in 2004.
• Center Barret Robbins (degenerating right knee) is "very doubtful" to play against the Ravens, Callahan said. Adam Treu would make his second consecutive start.