From Big Cat Country, DE Aaron Kampman has a torn ACL and is out for the rest of the season. He was their best pass rusher (kind of a low bar, but still) and "hands down leader on the defensive line." They'll be turning back to 2008 1st round bust DE Derrick Harvey to replace him. The injury occurred when he "tweaked" his knee during practice on Thursday. I was reluctant about re-signing him this offseason because it seemed likely that a 30 year old lineman with a bad knee could break down again, but this is more of a fluke injury then general wear-and-tear. But now it seems even less likely that a 30+ year old defensive lineman with two surgically reconstructed knees (the latest ACL tear was to his right knee, he tore his left ACL last year) will play out his entire four-year contract. Good luck to Aaron as he recovers from his second knee surgery and rehab in two years.
From the Onion QB Brett Favre said in an interview this week with the NFL Network that 2010 will be his final season. Stop laughing, I'm sure he means it this time. Maybe, ask him again after he turns the Vikings back into playoff contenders.
It's probably a surprise to few reading this that RG Josh Sitton has been their best lineman over the past couple seasons, but he's still not well known in general. Jason Cole of Yahoo sports has finally caught up with us and gives Sitton his due. Unfortunately the article is titled "unlikely contributors" and includes Sitton in a group of "misfits-turned perfect fits." Was it all that unlikely that their best offensive lineman from 2009 was an unlikely contributor?
Last week we kicked around the almost entirely unwanted idea of claiming LB Shawne Merriman off waivers. Instead he went to Buffalo and look what the Packers missed out on: 15 minutes of practice time before the injury prone player is once again injured. Oh, what could have been.