CBS Elfin : London Fletcher Plans to Play Next Season, Having Ankle Surgery

[SNF]

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013...r-having-ankle-surgery-plans-to-play-in-2013/

London Fletcher is having surgery this morning to repair the left ankle that bothered him for much of the second half of the 2012 Redskins season. Later this month, the Pro Bowl inside linebacker will go under the knife again for some cleanup work on an elbow. What’s amazing is that after 15 NFL seasons and nearly 38 years on the planet, the operations will be the first of Fletcher’s life.

But they had to happen because as Fletcher told me the other day while making me promise to hold the news until this morning, “Surgery is the first step towards prepping for next season.”

So the captain has shelved the retirement talk that has been swirling and is planning to return in 2013 after helping lead Washington from a 3-6 start to a 10-6 finish, its first playoff berth in five years and its first NFC East title since 1999.

Fletcher’s decision to keep playing also has to be a relief for coach Mike Shanahan and the cap-strapped Redskins since veteran backup Lorenzo Alexander is six days from being a free agent and the other possible replacement on the roster, Keenan Robinson, is recovering from a torn pectoral muscle suffered on Thanksgiving.

On a personal level, I’m also glad that Fletcher’s coming back and not just because he’s about as close to my age as a pro team sports athlete gets. Unlike such young Redskins as Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris, Fletcher’s too old to be my son.


Quite a bit more at the link above ...

 

[Lanky Livingston]

Its annoying that he waited until March 6th to have these procedures done...why wait so long? I feel its always better to maximize your recovery time.

 

[DieselPwr44]

Oscar Goldman is overseeing the recovery.

"We can rebuild him. We have the technology...."

 

[Dead Money]

Its annoying that he waited until March 6th to have these procedures done...why wait so long? I feel its always better to maximize your recovery time.

So he can cruise through the summer at his own pace. I agree, annoying at the very least. Looks likes Shanny's little potshot in the media worked though, they needed a decision and Fletch needed a break. They both get what they wanted and we don't end up with a huge gaping hole in the middle of our defense. Winner winner chicken dinner.

I do hope they seriously work on his replacement though, if last year was any indication he could be in for another sharp drop in his physical skills this season.

 

[DieselPwr44]

I do hope they seriously work on his replacement though, if last year was any indication he could be in for another sharp drop in his physical skills this season.

I thought he was already on the roster? Perry Riley?

 

[Lanky Livingston]

I thought he was already on the roster? Perry Riley?

Need one more...the Robinson kid from Texas looked pretty decent, but he's no sure thing.

 

[Miles Monroe]

While I love Fletch, if having him for one more season means loosing Alaxander, I'm not real sure how happy I am.

 

[Dead Money]

I thought he was already on the roster? Perry Riley?

Need one more...the Robinson kid from Texas looked pretty decent, but he's no sure thing.

While I love Fletch, if having him for one more season means loosing Alaxander, I'm not real sure how happy I am.

I don't know if Lorenzo is a middle linebacker. I mean he's whatever you want him to be in short stints. I love the guy but at heart, he's a superb ST'r and a guy that can fill in all over the place. I think he becomes ordinary if we put him in the middle. I agree MM that if it comes to one or the other I hate to him go because of it.

Riley passed the smell test early but he struggled at times and I'm not sure he's "the guy" . If we pair him with someone pretty decent (Fletch) I think Riley can be depended on but as the leader in the middle? No quite sold on that just yet. Robinson is a complete mystery, the little we saw of him gives us no room to even guess if he's an answer to this situation.

So Fletch coming back and grooming Riley for another year is a great situation in my eyes. At the end of the year we should know whether he can be trusted moving forward and next year we'll have some money to spend on veteran FA if we have to.

I wonder if Alexander would be happy as their primary backup/special teamer along with some of the reps at OLB he gets?