Okeafor out for the season (1 Viewer)

[Anthony Borbely]

Link

Kent Somers' Blog

Injury update

The news is not good. Not only did an MRI confirm that Chike Okeafor did suffer a torn left bicep, a club official said right tackle Oliver Ross suffered a torn left tricep.

Both players are expected to seek second opinions, but if surgery is required, they'll be out for the season.

The news on Okeafor was not unexpected. He was on the injury report last night. But Ross wasn't, so his loss comes as a surprise. Rookie Levi Brown steps in and starts for him, but Okeafor's replacement isn't so clear cut.

Darryl Blackstock is listed as the backup. Blackstock hasn't played much, and the club could swing Calvin Pace or Joe Tafoya over from the weak side to the strong to compensate.

I don't think there will be much more news today. The players are off, and Ken Whisenhunt is unavailable for comment.

 

[Weiner Dog]

That's too bad...I've always respected Okeafor. He quietly does his job each and every year.

Here's to a quick recovery...

 

[BigSteelThrill]

Yep, thats too bad about Chike. Hope he has a quick recovery.

 

[massraider]

From an IDP stance, I wonder how ARI will react. It bears watching. Does Buster Davis get reps inside, and does Dansby go back outside? Blackstock is listed as Chike's backup, so maybe he gets first crack, but I dunno how excited anyone is about his prospects.

 

[Chaos Commish]

It bears watching.

 

[spec1alk]

 

[Pick]

 

[Bob Magaw]

Does Buster Davis get reps inside, and does Dansby go back outside?

this was the first thing i thought... could depend on (among other things), how good dansby has looked on the inside, & how ready davis looks...possibly pace could get a look as starting OLB...not sure, but i thought blackstock generally hasn't impressed as a pro so far, but he is young & inexperienced...

 

[Rozelle]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

I was expecting him to be listed as a DL, and think he was in for a big year. As for who replaces him, unless its another DL da' Cards are going to stand up, I don't see them having much value.

 

[Biabreakable]

If Okeafor does have to have surgurey I would think this will force AZ to move Dansby outside. Getting some pressure from the OLBs is a must for the 3-4 to work imo. That is more important than having solid play from the LBers inside.

I guess Pace could be an option as he is a tweener but he has never been able to muster consistent pressure. He gets blocked out of too many plays. I would think its going to be Dansby. Blackstock is not going to cut it as a starter and the Cards can work with Davis and others inside along with Hayes as the lesser of 2 evils.

JMO

 

[Anthony Borbely]

I wonder if they will play more 4-3 due to the personnel they have, especially now. Losing Okeafor will hurt them regardless.

 

[gregjcross]

ILB Buster Davis may be overhyped and si no lock as the backup to Hayes/Dansby; a rookie they brought into camp is reportedly outplaying him, named Pago TogofauFrom ProFootball Talk; Undrafted rookie LB Pago Togafau has been more impressive than third-round pick Buster Davis in Cardinals camp. From Arizona Republic: IN THE MIDDLE OF THINGSUndrafted rookie linebacker Pago Togafau, who is currently ahead of third-round draft pick Buster Davis on the depth chart, has impressed coaches during camp. He likely did it again against the Raiders.Togafau finished with six tackles after getting extra playing time because backup middle linebacker Monty Beisel left with back spasms."I got a break, kind of, when (he) went down," said Togafau. "I just wanted to do the best I could. I still have a lot of work to do. I'm just a rookie."Defensive lineman Chris Cooper also continued his strong camp with six tackles and a pair of quarterback sacks

I wonder if they will play more 4-3 due to the personnel they have, especially now. Losing Okeafor will hurt them regardless.

 

[John Norton]

I wonder if they will play more 4-3 due to the personnel they have, especially now. Losing Okeafor will hurt them regardless.

I've thought all along that Dansby would be a better fit on the outside. He's an excellent pass rusher and has the skill set to be very good there. It was a bit surprising to me that they had him inside to begin with. I chalked that up to the fact that they had to do something with Berry and Okeafor who are also very good players. When they drafted Davis I was convinced that the long term plan was to move Dansby outside anyway. Pace will probably get a look as will Blackstock but in the long run I see it as a golden opportunity to get Davis on the field.

 

[Jene Bramel]

I don't have anything special to add in this blog post to what's already been said about Okeafor and I share the same opinion as most, but it's as good a spot as any to remind everyone that the IDP staffers have been contributing to the FBG blog over the past month. The blog is free and the posts will often touch on many of the same things that we contribute to the forum but is still worth checking out for all kinds of offensive and defensive insights.

 

[BassNBrew]

Whew....caught the title and thought the Bobcats were in trouble.