Intrigue Grows Over LeGarrette Blount’s Status
September 12th, 2012
It’s starting to get weird about the Bucs and LeGarrette Blount.
Blount was taken out of the game Sunday after being injured in some way — he was tended to while lying on the ground — and never played again, though later coach Greg Schiano said he could have played, but added he didn’t know what was wrong with Blount (nevermind Schiano has direct access to team trainers).
To Joe’s untrained eye, it appeared Blount may have had a cramp.
After the game while in the bowels of the stadium on Dale Mabry Highway, Joe witnessed Blount running off the field and into the tunnel to the locker room at a brisk pace; he was the very first player off the field. Just a few brief moments later, Joe witnessed Blount sprinting out of the Bucs locker room and exiting the stadium, well before media was granted access to the Bucs locker room.
To Joe’s untrained eyes, Blount didn’t seem injured but it was very curious to Joe why Blount didn’t want to celebrate the upset win with his teammates on the field and why he was in such a mad rush to get out of the stadium. The fact he dodged media members makes Joe immediately wonder just what he is hiding?
Well, late this morning, Bucs rock star general manager Mark Dominik accounced via the Bucs official Twitter feed that Blount will have an MRI on his neck and back and a concussion has been ruled out by team officials.
@TBBuccaneers: Blount will get an MRI on his neck and his back. Dominik says player safety always comes first. … GM Mark Dominik says RB LeGarrette Blount will not be at practice today. Dominik says Blount definitely does NOT have a concussion.
Joe just smells something odd here. No, Joe’s not looking for conspiracies under rocks or trying to connect dots that are not there, but adding everything up, it just seems weird.
September 12th, 2012 at 12:02 pm
He looked pretty messed up after his last run. I have no idea what’s going on though, but it sure seemed to be a real issue when he came off the field.
September 12th, 2012 at 12:06 pm
We cannot afford to lose Blount I hope he is ok,because this is a 2 back leauge and with blount out it means more carries for Martin and he is a stud but he needs a break sometimes and Blount is the only one who I trust to do it, plus its an awsome combo with the two of them.
September 12th, 2012 at 12:08 pm
Agree with Meh – I must have watched the end of that play 15 times yesterday. He gets his bell rung, pops up, then does this woozy move where it kind of looks like he’s dancing, then falls down and grabs his leg.
When I watched it live from the stands, I was sure it was a leg cramp. The replays changed my mind. I thought for sure it was a concussion, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Nerve issue? Conspiracy?
September 12th, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Very surprising news that he doesn’t have a concussion. Now I hope there was no injury to his spine. The way he got up was very concerning. Here is a link to the injury. You decide! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeOcDimskjw
September 12th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
Getting the feeling that he wont be with the team for much longer. I don’t think he fits into the Schiano way of doing things, on or off the field. I think he’ll be traded, were just waiting for the right deal to come along. I’d hate to see him go though.
September 12th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
The way his hand was twitching after he hit the ground makes me think it could be some kind of nerve issue. This could be much worse then anyone anticipated. I hope it’s just the media sensationalizing a minor injury.
September 12th, 2012 at 12:31 pm
Looking at the tape, he got hit helmet to helmet and was most definitely dazed and confused after the hit. He started stumbling around like a drunk on a bender before going to the ground. I think grabbing his knee was a reaction to thinking he might be pulled from the game if he had a concussion.
September 12th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
I think their as confused as we are as to what happened to him. They can only go off of what he is telling them is ailing him. The problem with that is that what they saw after that play and what he is saying doesnt add up hence the uncertainty of it all. I think Blount wants to play it off cause he’s afraid of what something serious might mean for his season/ future value and the staff just arent buying it was a leg thing. Their slowly ruling things out, but they’ll figure it out. Thats IMO
September 12th, 2012 at 12:39 pm
There are other possibilities to what happened medically. This MRI should clear things up some. It is also possible the hit resulted in a momentary seizure aswell.
September 12th, 2012 at 12:40 pm
If he’s having an MRI done on his Neck and Back and watching what happened to him, losing control of his leg functions. Sounds like it could be a pinched nerve or something.. I’m not a doctor, so I could be way off base but this could be bad. Hope he’s ok, we will need him. Could be good news for Ware and Smith though.
September 12th, 2012 at 12:53 pm
The worst thing about that play is that Blount had an open running late to the outside, yet he decided to cut back straight in to the heart of the defense and into a 350 pound d-lineman, might I add. What a bonehead move, maybe that is what irritated Schiano.
September 12th, 2012 at 12:59 pm
hit the hole! you need to pick better where you run! geeze guy just cant win.
September 12th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
If Blount’s prognosis will require him to miss more than a couple of games, I would put him on returnable IR and take a look at Cadillac Williams and Ernest Graham depending on who is in the best playing shape. Both crowd favorites that can block, receive out of the backfield and could fulfill a temporary role until Blount returns.
September 12th, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Schiano’s hand gestures when Blount came off the field, to me, clearly stating for him to hit the hole, which he does not do. I believe Joe’s interpretation in a post was that Schiano was telling him how to block a guy. Regardless of the reason, the fact he needed to be told that after his second touch of the 1st game of the season, 3 years into his career is troubling. We all disagree on Blount’s abilities as a RB, but I’m continuing to say he’s no more than a good backup. He doesn’t do the little things very well and you need to in order to be a good RB and you need to if you want to be “Buccaneer Men” under Schiano. Blount is here as long as we’re grooming a #2 back to replace him, then he’s gone. Believe that.
September 12th, 2012 at 1:14 pm
Pretty bizarre. I remember a play his rookie year in Arizona when he got hit, froze up and fumbled the ball that led to a Cardinals touchdown return. It wasnt a concussion then because he came back into the game and showed us the Blunt leap for the first time.
September 12th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
if it was a concussion he would not have been consciously aware enough to fake a leg injury. The way I see it is the dude got jacked up (and it was not that bad!), got up putting full weight on his right leg and then did a bit of dance indicating loss of motor functions and inability to put weight on that right leg….then went back down and rubbed his lower hammy on the right leg. looked to me like he have gotten some sort of stinger or something that gave him a lil stinger or somethin……but i don’t see it as being as serious as everyone says.
now his inability to hit a hole or block, that is what is very serious…..in terms of his career, potential, future and bank account. get caddy on the treadmill and start makin calls dom…
September 12th, 2012 at 1:57 pm
looks like a nerve injury to me. hopefully not.
September 12th, 2012 at 2:00 pm
you know – i hope its just an insane muscle spasm.
September 12th, 2012 at 2:13 pm
You guys ever watch a boxing match and see a guy get knocked out? I’ve seen guys crumble and brake legs and ankles. Maybe an “injury” to his leg occur then, maybe spasms, Maybe some kind of nerve damage, maybe a cumulative effect injury caused by too many times getting whacked in the head and neck. Lots of “Maybe’s”, need to start ruling them out one by one.
As far as getting rid of him.
Don’t you think that other GM’s are looking at him and wondering just what his health issues are as well?
Something is a miss but I do not smeel a conspiracy…yet
September 12th, 2012 at 2:31 pm
Could have caused 2 problems at 1 time. Knocked silly but also caused a nerve or disc problem at the same time. He got out fast to hide the pain to see if it would go away before the staff saw him in that much pain. Why else would he not stay with the team and now they want to do an MRI. The pain did not go away. Just my thinking.
September 12th, 2012 at 2:48 pm
@bucfanjeff
The Schiano hand signals were before that incident. Blount was in on 3rd down and failed to cut a blitzing LB who tipped Free’s pass. He was telling Blount to cut the guy.
@ BucNeckid
I still contend that he got his bell rung, was woozy when he tried to stand (hence his head dropping down & him looking like he was trying to get up, back first then wobbling around) and falling back down like a boxer on the canvas. Then while the trainers were coming out to him, he regained some of his faculties and to tried to play it off by wiggling his leg around like it was hurt to avoid the ole concussion test. I tried the same thing in college…didn’t work. The trainers sniffed me right out by I asking me a few questions which I promptly got wrong and they took my helmet away lol
September 12th, 2012 at 2:53 pm
First thing that came to mind is that they’re planning to trade him, but they don’t want word getting out that he’s in the dog house, since that would hurt his trade value. So they’ve come up with this injury story to mask it. But the MRI thing casts some doubt on that — I doubt they’d send him for a fake MRI just to keep the cover going, since that would probably also hurt his trade value. I have no idea what’s going on.
September 12th, 2012 at 3:25 pm
I really would hate to see him go. My gut tells me he’s outta here. I still can’t believe the shot to his knee in pre-season didn’t result in a major injury. If he goes elsewhere, he will do well IMO.
September 12th, 2012 at 3:47 pm
I don’t see this as he’s out of here. If there was no MRI scheduled, then I may be inclined to believe that. Clearly there was something wrong with him, and is still some concern. I believe that’s why he didn’t go back in. I’ve never seen a football player do anything like that. It looked pretty scary. Even though Schiano is a tough guy, I don’t think he wants to play around with those type injuries, especially after what happened to Eric LeGrand. It appears as if they are being very cautious, yet very secretive (Schiano is one step below Bellicheat when it comes to being secretive about injuries). I just hope Blount is okay. Not just for football, but for his overall life.
September 12th, 2012 at 3:47 pm
“No, Joe’s not looking for conspiracies under rocks or trying to connect dots that are not there, but adding everything up,” … coupled with a few doubting JBF acrticles and you may as well say that you are creating a conspiracy.
September 12th, 2012 at 4:38 pm
bucfanjeff
2 years. He is only just starting his third season.
September 12th, 2012 at 4:57 pm
I do not get why people keeps bring up a trade? Did you not see the video? He go his bell rung and tried to walk it off but couldn’t control himself so he went back down. I haven’t heard Schiano bring up any issues with him other than not chop blocking the guy correctly. He picked up the blitzer didn’t he? Trading him will probably get you a 5th or 6th round pick for him at the most, which would not be worth it IMO. I’m pretty sure he was injury on the play and will probably sit a game for precautionary reasons. I just think they do not know what is really wrong with him so they can’t say, and don’t know what to do about it.
September 12th, 2012 at 5:09 pm
I watched the game on Game rewind… awesome this year as the iPad app is even sweeter than having to watch on the laptop.
Anyway, I watched every snap… if Blount didn’t get hurt, he would have guaranteed been in the game, no doubt about it. They ran 22 way too much. In fact, Blount would have punched that TD in when 22 was getting stuffed. We need Blount for the effective 1-2 punch.