Just when you think there's nothing left to say about Clemson DE Da'Quan Bowers' knee injury, something else comes pops into the conversation. Concerns about Bowers' knee slid him down draft boards. Once a potential top three pick, Bowers is now seen as mid-round question mark. Rick Gosselin's NFL mock draft last week had Bowers going to the St. Louis Rams with the 14th pick. But a recent column by Sports Illustrated injury expert Will Carroll may have draftniks and the Rams rethinking that possibility.
Carroll reminders readers that Bowers did not have microfracture surgery. Nevertheless, the procedure he did have "points to degenerative problems, making it possible that Bowers would lose both speed and explosiveness both now and in the future." Of special concern to the Rams:
Teams playing on artificial turf seem especially concerned about Bowers.
In case you forgot, the Rams play on artificial turf. But they've never had problems with injuries and the turf before, right? Oh wait...
Carroll notes that the best fit for Bowers is a team in the 20s, like the Eagles or the Seahawks, that have experience working with this type of injury. Drafting Bowers at #14 to play on turf sounds like it could be a big mistake.