Webb Recovery Time and Long-Term Prospects

**Sascha** · 02-19-2013, 12:03 AM

How optimistic should we be about seeing Lardarius Webb return to full strength next season?

It seems to take most CBs a full season of playing to get back to full speed. If he's lost a step, would it make sense to move him to safety (assuming, of course, that Reed isn't around)? Webb has always been a great tackler for a CB, and that skill should serve him well at FS. Maybe then the Ravens could bring in Gorrer for some depth at CB. (I still can't get over his release.)

On a related note, does Webb's injury give the front office some leverage for a restructuring of his contract? If so, is there any useful restructuring to be done? or is that impossible, given that he is still near the beginning of a long-term deal with a large amount of guaranteed money?

**leachisabeast** · 02-19-2013, 04:10 AM

Isn't this like the 50th thread about moving Webb to safety?

**The Excellector** · 02-19-2013, 05:17 AM

Originally Posted by Sascha

How optimistic should we be about seeing Lardarius Webb return to full strength next season?

It seems to take most CBs a full season of playing to get back to full speed. If he's lost a step, would it make sense to move him to safety (assuming, of course, that Reed isn't around)? Webb has always been a great tackler for a CB, and that skill should serve him well at FS. Maybe then the Ravens could bring in Gorrer for some depth at CB. (I still can't get over his release.)

On a related note, does Webb's injury give the front office some leverage for a restructuring of his contract? If so, is there any useful restructuring to be done? or is that impossible, given that he is still near the beginning of a long-term deal with a large amount of guaranteed money?

I think that I can answer a few of these questions.

1.) We should be more optimistic about his return from this ACL injury, because it happened earlier in the season and he has experience rehabbing this injury.

2.) If he has lost a step, it may be something to consider, but you first need to give him the opportunity to show that he has fully recovered.

3.) If the team is concerned about Webb's durability or ability to handle the CB position, he would not be the ideal player for contract restructuring. That would be a player that you are fully confident in seeing play out the length of the deal. So, when you backload some of that money, you are still getting a return on your investment. Either way, after two ACL injuries, I don't think Webb would be a likely candidate, whether he comes back strong or not.

**JAB1985** · 02-19-2013, 05:58 AM

I actually think this debate of moving him to FS holds a lot more water now that he has two torn ACL in 3 years. Durability is an issue. Problem is, and why I still dont think itll happen, hes the best CB on this team when healthy, and hes being paid top CB money not S money.

to answer your question about being optimistic. I am not. I think he takes a year to get back to form. he didnt really progress much during the season when he was recovering, and because of that i think low expectations are in order. If he started out bad and ended up looking pretty good by the end of 2010 i could say the extra time would prove helpful to some degree but it seems to me hes just a slower healer than others. You have Webb that had a subpar return year 9 months after injury and pretty much continued the entire season that way vs and Adrian Peterson who almost set a single season record after the same amount of time.

Its no knock on Webb, im sure hes rehabbing just as hard as anybody, people just heal differently. having this injury myself and knowing others with it, the time frames in which we healed were all over the place, but most Drs wont clear you for sports until 6 months regardless of how fast you heal.

Just to clarify, I do think Webb can be effective this year and possibly still our best CB, I just dont think hes going to return to all pro form right away and will need an entire season to regain some of that explosion and ability. When youre talking about one of the best in the league playing down, he can still be very good. Going through it before I think it will only be helpful in the aspect that hell already know what exercises to do, but the time frame wont really change at all just because he went through it already, imo.

**RavenScallywag** · 02-19-2013, 06:07 AM

Webb's tear was on his left knee. His previous ACL tear was right knee. On the one hand, I guess both knees will be a bit weaker from having the reconstruction done on them. But obviously, the worst case would be, like RG3, having the tear on the same knee that previously had it.

When he had the tear last time, it was in late December 2009, and he returned in Week 2 of the 2010 season. So, that'd be about 9 months from injury to playing (albeit not at full speed I guess). IF that same timetable holds true, he'd be able to play by mid-July, so roughly by the start of camp.

My guess is he starts camp on the active roster, but is held out for a week or so to make sure he's able to do his work without issues.

**wickedsolo** · 02-19-2013, 06:11 AM

Originally Posted by Sascha

How optimistic should we be about seeing Lardarius Webb return to full strength next season?

It seems to take most CBs a full season of playing to get back to full speed. If he's lost a step, would it make sense to move him to safety (assuming, of course, that Reed isn't around)? Webb has always been a great tackler for a CB, and that skill should serve him well at FS. Maybe then the Ravens could bring in Gorrer for some depth at CB. (I still can't get over his release.)

Well, get over it. You saw how good Chykie Brown and Corey Graham were, right? Guess what? They're both signed next year.

Furthermore, why move one of the top young corner backs in the NFL to safety? He'll be fine. He isn't the first guy to deal with multiple knee injuries. He won't be the last. Everyone keeps saying to move Webb to safety, but I'll never understand why. Part of the reason why Webb is so good is because he can play nickel effectively. So, in nickel sets - if he is a safety - what are the Ravens supposed to do? Drop him down to nickel and put someone else in at safety? No.

IMO, the only person in the corner unit who might be a decent candidate to drop back to free safety is Jimmy Smith.

**wickedsolo** · 02-19-2013, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by RavenScallywag

Webb's tear was on his left knee. His previous ACL tear was right knee. On the one hand, I guess both knees will be a bit weaker from having the reconstruction done on them. But obviously, the worst case would be, like RG3, having the tear on the same knee that previously had it.

When he had the tear last time, it was in late December 2009, and he returned in Week 2 of the 2010 season. So, that'd be about 9 months from injury to playing (albeit not at full speed I guess). IF that same timetable holds true, he'd be able to play by mid-July, so roughly by the start of camp.

My guess is he starts camp on the active roster, but is held out for a week or so to make sure he's able to do his work without issues.

Not necessarily.

He actually might be better for it. One of the reasons why guys who injure one knee are a greater risk to injure the other is because they overcompensate.

**leachisabeast** · 02-19-2013, 06:38 AM

Originally Posted by wickedsolo

Well, get over it. You saw how good Chykie Brown and Corey Graham were, right? Guess what? They're both signed next year.

Furthermore, why move one of the top young corner backs in the NFL to safety? He'll be fine. He isn't the first guy to deal with multiple knee injuries. He won't be the last. Everyone keeps saying to move Webb to safety, but I'll never understand why. Part of the reason why Webb is so good is because he can play nickel effectively. So, in nickel sets - if he is a safety - what are the Ravens supposed to do? Drop him down to nickel and put someone else in at safety? No.

IMO, the only person in the corner unit who might be a decent candidate to drop back to free safety is Jimmy Smith.

**leachisabeast** · 02-19-2013, 06:39 AM

If Adrian Peterson can come off a serious ACL injury (that occurred later in the season than Webb's) and win MVP, Webb can come back and at the very least be a very solid nickel corner.

**wickedsolo** · 02-19-2013, 06:46 AM

Originally Posted by leachisabeast

If Adrian Peterson can come off a serious ACL injury (that occurred later in the season than Webb's) and win MVP, Webb can come back and at the very least be a very solid nickel corner.

And he is constantly getting hit and cutting on his knee.

**GOTA** · 02-19-2013, 06:48 AM

Every injury is different. We're just going to have to wait and see how Webb looks when healthy

**The Excellector** · 02-19-2013, 06:49 AM

I guess I'm putting more stock in the idea of familiarity with the process than most.

**JAB1985** · 02-19-2013, 06:54 AM

Originally Posted by The Excellector

I guess I'm putting more stock in the idea of familiarity with the process than most.

how does that make him heal faster though? being familiar with it is only mental not really physically altering anything.

**wickedsolo** · 02-19-2013, 06:56 AM

Originally Posted by JAB1985

how does that make him heal faster though? being familiar with it is only mental not really physically altering anything.

It gives him a better idea of what works, what doesn't, timetables, and how he should feel before actually getting out there and running/cutting.

Like GOTA said, every injury is different and everyone is different.

**The Excellector** · 02-19-2013, 07:01 AM

Originally Posted by JAB1985

how does that make him heal faster though? being familiar with it is only mental not really physically altering anything.

There is the possibility that his previous recovery was slowed, due to mistakes on his part. Judgment plays a significant role in recovering from an injury. There are plenty of examples of when someone 'feels' better and pushes it, only to cause setbacks. He now has a better understanding of what healing methods were effective for him and under what circumstances.

**JAB1985** · 02-19-2013, 07:20 AM

I just dont think that was really an issue with him. I dont remember hearing there was any setbacks and i highly doubt he wasnt pushing as hard as the staff wanted. I trust our medical staff to understand that to be an issue. If you think its going to help i think you could say it could just as easily be a reason for him to push too hard this time and have a setback, so i just dont really see it as advantage or disadvantage. I dont think its going to help his body heal faster and as far as rehabbing his knee, it basically comes down to strengthening the hamstring and quad which im going to assume the staff once again has a better understanding of how to do it than Webb or myself. I think theres a protocol to follow, and although he may have aced something and moved quickly past it before, doesnt mean this time he can just skip it as he may need that one more. I dont think if I went in to rehab my other knee that my program would be much different if at all. therefore i dont see it effecting the time table much at all.

**esmd** · 02-19-2013, 07:33 AM

Moving Webb to Safety and Danny Gorrer all in one post. All I can say is

.

**Sirdowski** · 02-19-2013, 07:55 AM

I'm drawing a blank, it wasn't the same knee correct?

**bmorecareful** · 02-19-2013, 07:56 AM

Stop bringing up Adrian Peterson as even HALFWAY relevant to this discussion. Just stop it. That dude is a freak of nature with wolverine blood, and his recovery is a huge exception, NOT the rule.

ACL's take 7-9 months to recover physically which is true of pretty much everyone. Nobody disputes that. But add another 6+ months on top of that for COMPLETE recovery, i.e. mental and emotional. When you've blown your knee out it takes a long time to get the confidence back in it, especially when you FEEL the knee creaking and straining (as scar tissue breaks up) for months and months after you're "technically" 100% physically. Just the pure reprogramming of the muscle memory takes a long, long time.

We don't really even know how long it took Webb to recover from the last one, frankly. He was terrible throughout all of 2010 mostly because he MENTALLY was not recovered, so he really got his confidence back somewhere between January 2011 and September 2011. He sustained the first ACL tear in December 2009, so you're talking about well over a year worth of recovery time.

Will it be shorter this time? Maybe, hopefully. But smart money IMO is on Webb never being 100% as a man-to-man cover corner in 2013. He will not have the recovery speed, cutting ability, and agility that were hallmarks of his game in the past. That is part of what makes a temporary move to FS a good idea... that would protect him from having to do too much cutting and running directly with receivers downfield. He would be able to use his instincts, awareness, and read-and-react skills to cover instead of being more reliant on raw athleticism.

I have been on the bandwagon of saying that Webb could be an All-Pro free safety since before he was even drafted by the Ravens. The reason is very simple: he has a prototypical safety skill-set (awareness, ability to play the ball in the air, sound tackling, instincts, etc.) All he lacks as a safety is size, which is irrelevant as he plays much bigger than his size.

He has a good cornerback skill-set as well, and because corners are more valuable than safeties he has proven that he should stay at CB long-term. But short-term, if the ACL would hold him back from playing CB at 100% in 2013, he should move to FS temporarily. That would also have the double benefit of allowing us to groom Ed Reed's long-term replacement for a year while we have a very capable fill-in for Webb's role in Corey Graham on the roster.