” it’s too early to label offensive lineman Danny Watkins a bust,” argues the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, just a paragraph or two after he’s essentially done just that.
“If they were drinking truth serum down at the NovaCare, instead of the usual mix of delusion and denial, the Eagles would admit that they shouldn’t have drafted Watkins in the first round of the 2011 draft,” (at the ripe old age of 26 to boot). While opinions vary about Watkins’ future value, it does seem there’s some confusion amongst the Philly brain trust when it comes to Watkins’ propensity for ankle injuries.
Adding intrigue to Watkins’ standing is an ankle that Reid called “chronic” Oct. 26 after he missed his first two practices of the season because of the injury. Reid said it was an injury Watkins had for years, one he said he knew about before the draft.
“This will pass here,” Reid said Thursday. “It’s not where it’s going to be career-ending.”
Watkins declined to answer questions about his ankle, he said Friday, because “coach doesn’t want us talking about injuries.”
Earlier Friday, Reid said that he chose the wrong word — chronic, “marked by long duration or frequent recurrence,” as defined by Webster’s — in describing the ankle. He said that Watkins had a history of ankle injuries — two sprains on each leg while in college.
But Watkins had more than just ankle sprains in college, according to a source within the Baylor University program. He had a broken bone in one of his ankles during his senior season. Watkins hardly practiced during the week, but didn’t miss a game, the source said. The injury went unreported.