The Browns have yet to play a pre-season game and already a starter is going to miss time due to surgery.
Today starting defensive end Orpheus Roye will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Apparently Orpheus and the team’s trainers were alarmed when they heard a “clicking” sound in his knee. The decision was made to have the knee “cleaned up” with loose cartilage being blamed as the culprit.
It is yet to be known whether the Big Dawg or the Bone Lady will be holding vigil outside the hospital with their PBR's and brats.
"He has some issues with both of his knees," Crennel said. "It (his right
knee) bears a bit more weight so we're going to go ahead and get it cleaned out.
Last year or the year before, he went through a season with some cartilage that
was loose but he worked through it and struggled through it.
"We're not giving him a cane, a walking boot or immobilize the leg,"
Crennel said. "They (doctors) are going to clean the joint out. There's some
loose cartilage so they're going to clean it out. It's a normal procedure in
football."
Roye is unofficially listed as questionable for the season opener on September 9th vs. Pittsburgh.
Clearly, this isn’t a good sign when the team’s weakest area on defense is already getting hit by the injury bug. With Roye out the replacement could be former Bengal and restricted free-agent signee Shaun Smith. Also expected to gain extra reps in practice are: Orien Harris, J’Vonne Parker, and Simon Frasier.
I think that last list of names alone show just how significant this injury can potentially be to the team if it ends up being a long term issue into the season. Let’s face it, defensive is still one of the team’s biggest problem areas in terms of finding both young quality starters and dependable backups. Even with a healthy Roye to start the season, this group will still certainly have its work cut out for them.
Along with Roye, 34, the ages of the other expected defensive starters include big toilet clogger Ted Washington and Robaire Smith who will be 39 & 30 come November.
I think its safe to say this will be the team’s primary off-season focus next year.
Read the complete post at http://kidcleveland.blogspot.com/2007/08/browns-de-roye-questionable-for-opener.html