Post by TheShadow on Dec 11, 2003 19:38:56 GMT -5
www.pressdemo.com
Defensive tackle becomes 10th Raider this season to be placed on the season-ending list
December 11, 2003
By PHIL BARBER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
ALAMEDA -- John Parrella's rehabilitation from a groin injury always was a race against time.
Parrella has made steady progress since ripping the muscle from the bone while trying to tackle Bears quarterback Kordell Stewart on Oct. 5. The question was: Could the defensive tackle heal in time to help the Raiders this season?
The answer is no. Parrella lost the race Wednesday when the Raiders announced he had become the 10th player this season to go on injured reserve status.
"That's unfortunate," said defensive end Akbar Gbaja-Biamila. "John Parrella is a great defensive tackle. He's an asset to the defensive line. I thought he'd come back. I saw him running around out there recently."
On Nov. 28, Parrella decided to test the groin at the beginning of practice. "I went out for warm-ups and tried to explode out of my stance," he said. Afterward, he was a bit sore. So after conferring with his agent, Parrella was examined last week in Birmingham by Dr. James Andrews, the eminent orthopedic surgeon. Andrews didn't like what he saw.
"He didn't think it was ready to get banged on yet," Parrella said of the groin.
The Raiders are paper-thin at defensive tackle, with only Rod Coleman and Chris Cooper fully healthy. Dana Stubblefield recently returned from a severe ankle injury; Sean Gilbert has groin issues of his own. But with little riding on the next three games for either the defensive tackle or the team, Oakland chose to deactivate Parrella rather than risk a re-injury.
Coach Bill Callahan admitted Wednesday that the decision might have been altered if the Raiders were in playoff contention, instead of mired at 3-10.
"That's a different scenario," Callahan said. "You have to consider all the options. But I'm sure John would do everything he could to get back on the field in that situation."
As it is, this is a sad, if not unanticipated, end to the season for the hard-working and perennially upbeat Parrella. "The funny thing is, I've played with worse," he said. "Twisted ankles, sprained knees."
To take Parrella's place on the 53-man roster, the Raiders promoted wide receiver John Stone from the practice squad. In turn, they signed offensive lineman Blaine Saipaia, who was with the team in training camp, to the developmental squad.
"I was very excited," Stone said of hearing the news from his agent. "I've been waiting all year. I feel very fortunate to be on the practice squad all year, then to get the call now."
As for Parrella, the veteran does have reason to stay optimistic. He said he is nearly back to full strength now, and anticipates getting there in the next several weeks. He's already working the groin muscle.
"I'm squatting," he said. "I started slide-boarding last week. That's supposed to be real good for it. (Strength coach) Tim Adams and I have been working one-on-one. We'll be working one-on-one every day during the entire offseason. I'm counting on being 100 percent sometime in January."
Over the long term, Parrella expects to have no lingering problems with the groin. "(Defensive end) Trace Armstrong had the same injury, and he recovered 100 percent," Parrella observed. "He said he had no effects from it."
Just the same, injured reserve is foreign to a guy who had never missed a game -- and, by his reckoning, had sat out only one practice -- in 10 NFL seasons.
"I thought I could come back right away," Parrella said. "But the bottom line: It is what it is."
And that's another season-ending injury for an already depleted team.
Defensive tackle becomes 10th Raider this season to be placed on the season-ending list
December 11, 2003
By PHIL BARBER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
ALAMEDA -- John Parrella's rehabilitation from a groin injury always was a race against time.
Parrella has made steady progress since ripping the muscle from the bone while trying to tackle Bears quarterback Kordell Stewart on Oct. 5. The question was: Could the defensive tackle heal in time to help the Raiders this season?
The answer is no. Parrella lost the race Wednesday when the Raiders announced he had become the 10th player this season to go on injured reserve status.
"That's unfortunate," said defensive end Akbar Gbaja-Biamila. "John Parrella is a great defensive tackle. He's an asset to the defensive line. I thought he'd come back. I saw him running around out there recently."
On Nov. 28, Parrella decided to test the groin at the beginning of practice. "I went out for warm-ups and tried to explode out of my stance," he said. Afterward, he was a bit sore. So after conferring with his agent, Parrella was examined last week in Birmingham by Dr. James Andrews, the eminent orthopedic surgeon. Andrews didn't like what he saw.
"He didn't think it was ready to get banged on yet," Parrella said of the groin.
The Raiders are paper-thin at defensive tackle, with only Rod Coleman and Chris Cooper fully healthy. Dana Stubblefield recently returned from a severe ankle injury; Sean Gilbert has groin issues of his own. But with little riding on the next three games for either the defensive tackle or the team, Oakland chose to deactivate Parrella rather than risk a re-injury.
Coach Bill Callahan admitted Wednesday that the decision might have been altered if the Raiders were in playoff contention, instead of mired at 3-10.
"That's a different scenario," Callahan said. "You have to consider all the options. But I'm sure John would do everything he could to get back on the field in that situation."
As it is, this is a sad, if not unanticipated, end to the season for the hard-working and perennially upbeat Parrella. "The funny thing is, I've played with worse," he said. "Twisted ankles, sprained knees."
To take Parrella's place on the 53-man roster, the Raiders promoted wide receiver John Stone from the practice squad. In turn, they signed offensive lineman Blaine Saipaia, who was with the team in training camp, to the developmental squad.
"I was very excited," Stone said of hearing the news from his agent. "I've been waiting all year. I feel very fortunate to be on the practice squad all year, then to get the call now."
As for Parrella, the veteran does have reason to stay optimistic. He said he is nearly back to full strength now, and anticipates getting there in the next several weeks. He's already working the groin muscle.
"I'm squatting," he said. "I started slide-boarding last week. That's supposed to be real good for it. (Strength coach) Tim Adams and I have been working one-on-one. We'll be working one-on-one every day during the entire offseason. I'm counting on being 100 percent sometime in January."
Over the long term, Parrella expects to have no lingering problems with the groin. "(Defensive end) Trace Armstrong had the same injury, and he recovered 100 percent," Parrella observed. "He said he had no effects from it."
Just the same, injured reserve is foreign to a guy who had never missed a game -- and, by his reckoning, had sat out only one practice -- in 10 NFL seasons.
"I thought I could come back right away," Parrella said. "But the bottom line: It is what it is."
And that's another season-ending injury for an already depleted team.