The Definitive Guide to 2013 NFL Offseason Injuries

Chris TrapassoJun 1, 2018

The training camp injury bug has infested the NFL.

Players are seemingly dropping like flies—no pun intended—and teams are being forced to cope with season-ending injuries even before taking a preseason snap.

This is your comprehensive guide to all the significant injuries we've witnessed thus far.

Running Tally

Number of torn ACLs—(16)

Team with most season-ending injuries (Philadelphia Eagles)

Most injured position (Wide receiver)

Phillip Thomas, S, Washington Redskins

1 of 31

Injury: Lisfranc fracture

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: The fourth-round rookie out of Fresno State had a chance to start at strong safety this season. He was a first-team All-American in 2012 with the Bulldogs after he accumulated 84 total tackles and eight interceptions.

His loss hurts the fantasy value of Washington Redskins defense but doesn't ruin it.

Washington's secondary allowed 282 passing yards per game last season, so it would have welcomed a ball-hawking safety on the back end.

Now, they'll have to get by with veteran Brandon Meriweather and rookie Bacarri Rambo as the starting safeties.

Plaxico Burress, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers

2 of 31

Injury: Torn rotator cuff

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: As a 35 year old a season ago, Burress appeared in three games for the Pittsburgh Steelers and caught three passes for 42 yards and a touchdown.

With Mike Wallace signing with the Miami Dolphins in the offseason, Burress gained some fantasy relevance, but he was merely a late-round option in extremely deep leagues. And that's being nice. Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders remain the top two wideouts, and Markus Wheaton is a legitimate sleeper.

On the field, the Steelers will miss Burress' size in the red zone, as veteran Jericho Cotchery is now Pittsburgh's tallest wideout (who'll play) at 6'0''. But after minimal contribution in 2012, Burress was bound for a situational role in 2013 anyway.

Bruce Campbell, OL, Carolina Panthers

3 of 31

Injury: Torn rotator cuff

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: The former fourth-round pick of the Oakland Raiders was traded to the Carolina Panthers last season, and appeared in five games.

He doesn't have a major effect on the Panthers' skill-position players from a fantasy perspective.

Campbell was headed for a backup, swing tackle/guard role before his injury. No sleep lost for Cam Newton.

Justin Hickman, LB, Indianapolis Colts

4 of 31

Injury: Foot injury

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: The former UCLA Bruin appeared in 12 games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2012 and was primed to contribute in 2013. However, his loss doesn't have a major ripple effect on the overall fantasy relevance of Chuck Pagano's defense.

The Colts aren't especially deep at the linebacker spot, so the loss of Hickman could be more problematic than initially expected.

Kelvin Hayden, CB, Chicago Bears

5 of 31

Injury: Torn hamstring

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: The Chicago Bears led the league with 24 interceptions in 2012; however, 13 of those came from Tim Jennings (nine) and Major Wright (four). With Brian Urlacher retired, the Bears won't have the exact same identity on defense, but they shouldn't be drastically worse without him. The loss of Hayden is frustrating, but Chicago will field one of the stingier defensive units, as usual.

Hayden snagged a pick himself and had 37 total tackles last year, yet ProFootballFocus.com (subscription required) rated him as the No. 72 cornerback in football. He'll be missed as a rotational defensive back in Chicago's 4-3 alignment.

Joe Morgan, WR, New Orleans Saints

6 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: Before his injury, Joe Morgan was essentially locked into the New Orleans Saints' No. 3 wideout spot behind Marques Colston and Lance Moore.

With Morgan out, rookie wideout Kenny Stills, who has a slot-receiver body type at 6'0'' and 194 pounds, will have a more prominent role in the offense.

Morgan was facing the impending consequences of an offseason DWI arrest, but the deceptively nimble receiver was primed to make a large step as a player in 2013. He caught 10 passes for a whopping 379 yards and three touchdowns in 2012. With Drew Brees at the helm, the Saints shouldn't be overly concerned.

Kenyon Coleman, DL, New Orleans Saints

7 of 31

Injury: Torn pectoral muscle

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: The Saints defense was historically bad in 2012, and even with Rob Ryan calling the shots on that side of the ball, this unit didn't carry much, if any, value from a fantasy perspective even before the injury to Coleman.

After appearing in all 32 regular-season games for the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys from 2010 to 2011, injuries kept him out of nine games last season. Coleman mustered 15 total tackles and a forced fumble. After Victor Butler's injury, losing another defensive front seven player certainly isn't an encouraging development for a team that struggled mightily to stop its opponents last year.

Mike Johnson, RT, Atlanta Falcons

8 of 31

Injury: Broken fibula and dislocated ankle

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: Johnson was battling for the starting right tackle job, a spot left vacant by Tyson Clabo, who joined the Miami Dolphins this offseason. His loss doesn't exactly bode well for Matt Ryan or the newly signed Steven Jackson.

Lamar Holmes is now the favorite to win the right tackle job, one of importance, especially with all the skill-position talent on the Falcons roster. Matt Ryan was only sacked 28 times in 2012, but as a team, Atlanta averaged a pedestrian 87.3 yards on the ground per game.

Arrelious Benn, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

9 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: Following Jeremy Maclin's season-ending injury, Benn surfaced on the radar screens of fantasy football owners. Although he drastically underwhelmed in Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers, at 6'2'' and 225 pounds with speed, he had upside in Chip Kelly's uptempo system.

Now, Jason Avant, Damaris Johnson and Riley Cooper are decent depth options to be selected late in drafts.

Before his injury, Benn had a great opportunity to finally make his mark in the NFL with the Eagles. While he wasn't a lock to be a key piece to Kelly's offense, the former Oregon head coach will now likely look to feature his running backs, LeSean McCoy, Bryce Brown and possibly even Chris Polk, more often this year.

Danario Alexander, WR, San Diego Chargers

10 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: After his breakout second half in 2012 when he snagged 37 passes for 658 yards with seven touchdowns, Alexander was a considered a sleeper fantasy option on a San Diego team without many consistent receiving options.

Third-round rookie Keenan Allen may be relied on earlier in his career than expected, and Malcom Floyd mustn't be forgotten, although he's known for his spotty production.

At 6'5'' and 221 pounds with deceiving downfield speed, Alexander fit perfectly as a Vincent Jackson replacement. Now, Allen and Floyd will have to take over as the primary contributors for Philip Rivers out wide. Floyd had two 100-yard outings in 2012 but also finished with fewer than 50 yards five times. It's looking bleak offensively in San Diego.

Bryan Bulaga, OT, Green Bay Packers

11 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Likely out for season

Fantasy impact: Bulaga missed nine games—including the playoffs—last season, and the Green Bay Packers mustered a 6-3 record without him.

While his loss is an irritating one for a team that's had trouble protecting its franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the past, with some offensive line shuffling, Mike McCarthy's squadron should be fine.

Fourth-round rookie David Bakhtiari could replace Bulaga on the left side and Marshall Newhouse can kick over to right tackle. Remember, Rodgers was sacked a league-high 51 times in 2012 but still threw 39 touchdowns, eight interceptions and led the NFL with a touchdown percentage of 7.1.

Chris Culliver, CB, San Francisco 49ers

12 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: The vaunted San Francisco 49ers defense won't be lost without Culliver in the secondary this season, but he was a key rotational piece during a marvelous 2012 campaign.

With Aldon Smith, Justin Smith, NaVorro Bowman and Patrick Willis all expected to be ready for the regular season, the 49ers remain a top defensive unit, one that should be targeted in the late rounds of just about every fantasy draft.

In 691 snaps last year, ProFootballFocus.com (subscription required) gave Culliver the second-highest rating of any San Francisco cornerback, trailing only Tarell Brown in overall effectiveness.

Now the 49ers will be forced to call on Nnamdi Asomugha, Tramaine Brock or Perrish Cox to play those nifty slot receivers on the inside.

Darius Fleming, LB, San Francisco 49ers

13 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: Fleming has yet to play for the San Francisco 49ers. His loss does nothing to the team's fantasy outlook.

Fleming could have snuck onto the field situationally in 2013, but the 2012 fifth-round pick will have to wait another year to make an impact.

Dan Koppen, C, Denver Broncos

14 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: The Denver Broncos would have loved to stick Koppen in the middle of their offensive line in 2013, but as long as Peyton Manning's calling the shots, there shouldn't be much worry. If anything, running backs Ronnie Hillman and Monte Ball could now be a bit more unattractive fantasy-wise with Koppen out.

After starting center J.D. Walton was forced to undergo surgery on an ankle he injured last year, the veteran Koppen was expected to be snapping the ball to Peyton Manning in Denver this season. Recently retired Ryan Lilja, who played guard for the Indianapolis Colts from 2004 to 2009, was signed to replace Koppen.

Offensive line shuffling is rarely a good thing.

Jeremy Maclin, WR, Philadelphia Eagles

15 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: Jeremy Maclin, who was entering his fourth professional season, looked to be a fine value pick in most fantasy drafts. He was best receiver on the Philadelphia Eagles roster in 2012, and he would have held that distinction in 2013. Will DeSean Jackson see more targets which will yield more production? Or will he be blanketed by double-teams on a consistent basis?

If healthy, LeSean McCoy should see more passes out of the backfield. Don't sleep on Jason Avant, Damaris Johnson and Riley Cooper (yes, Riley Cooper) either.

Maclin easily had the most targets on the team and led the pass-catching contingent in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Now, DeSean Jackson will have to shoulder the No. 1 receiving load on a team that's suddenly thin at the position.

New head coach Chip Kelly will almost be forced to prominently feature the running backs this season.

Dennis Pitta, TE, Baltimore Ravens

16 of 31

Injury: Fractured and dislocated hip

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: Tight end is not necessarily a deep position this year in fantasy football. After 61 catches for 669 yards and seven touchdowns on 93 targets in 2012, Dennis Pitta was considered one of the better value picks. Now, Ed Dickson and Visanthe Shiancoe are Baltimore's tight end options. Ray Rice, Bernard Pierce and Torrey Smith should see more targets from Joe Flacco this year.

Pitta was integral to the Ravens' deceptively efficient attack last season, and the tight end was primed for a huge year in 2013. According to Pete Damilatis of ProFootballFocus.com, Pitta and Anquan Boldin combined for 72.3 percent of Baltimore's slot yards and 14 of 16 slot touchdowns in 2012.

The overhauled Ravens will have their work cut out for them to replace their reliable tight end.

Armon Binns, WR, Miami Dolphins

17 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL and MCL

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: With Binns out, Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline will see tighter coverage but more targets from second-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Tight end Dustin Keller should be see an uptick in targets, as well.

Binns hadn't really made his mark with the Miami Dolphins since joining the club late in the 2012 season. However, at 6'3'' and 210 pounds, he likely would have seen his fair share of red-zone targets this year.

Jason Phillips, LB, Philadelphia Eagles

18 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: Phillips was bound for a backup, situational role with the Philadelphia Eagles this season. Losing him for the season doesn't change much.

On a defense with a variety of new pieces, the veteran Phillips could have carved out his own niche in sub-packages for the Eagles. However, the linebackers in front of him—DeMeco Ryans and Mychal Kendricks—are solid.

Turk McBride, DL, Chicago Bears

19 of 31

Injury: Ruptured Achilles tendon

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: Losing a pass-rushing defensive lineman won't kill the Bears' defensive plans in 2013, but with Julius Peppers on the wrong side of 30, they could have used the former New Orleans Saint.

However, losing him doesn't change the value of Chicago's defense.

McBride had five sacks in 2010 and two more in 2011. At 6'4'' and 285 pounds, he's not a traditional edge-rusher and likely would have seen time on the inside of the Bears defensive line this season. McBride was penciled in as a depth player.

Aaron Berry, DB, New York Jets

20 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: After losing Darrelle Revis in the offseason, the New York Jets secondary was a question mark going into the 2013 campaign.

With Dee Milliner leading a defensive backfield with many new pieces, Berry was set to be an important rotational player this season. However, losing him for the year shouldn't change how fantasy owners feel about Gang Green's defense.

Berry showed some promise with the Detroit Lions early in his career, but he's had trouble staying healthy. Kyle Wilson will likely be the primary No. 3 cornerback in 2013.

Jonas Mouton, LB, San Diego Chargers

21 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Out for reason

Fantasy impact: Jonas Mouton was a second-round pick in the 2011, yet he's now suffered two serious injuries that have kept him off the football field. His loss doesn't mean much to San Diego's defensive fantasy value.

Mouton may have developed as an occasionally used inside linebacker behind Manti Te'o and Donald Butler, but that development won't happen in 2013. San Diego could be in trouble due to the lack of depth behind its starting inside linebackers.

Keenan Robinson, LB, Washington Redskins

22 of 31

Injury: Torn pectoral

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: Robinson has three tackles in his NFL career. Losing him for the year does not change the value of the Washington Redskins defense from a fantasy perspective.

A former fourth-round pick out of Texas, Robinson is still waiting to show his coaches what he can do.

Tyrone Crawford, DL, Dallas Cowboys

23 of 31

Injury: Torn Achilles tendon

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: Monte Kiffin's Tampa 2 system relies on pressure from the defensive line, and Crawford was in a position to make his mark as a rotational defensive end this year. His loss could make some fantasy owners a bit leery of selecting the Cowboys defense. In all likelihood, though, fantasy owners who like Dallas' defense this year won't be scared off by his injury.

Crawford was likely to be a frequently used defensive end in Dallas' new 4-3 alignment. The 2012 third-round pick was expected to play a relatively significant role in 2013 despite managing only 20 total tackles as a rookie.

Connor Barth, K, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

24 of 31

Injury: Torn Achilles tendon

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: Barth went 28-for-33 in 2012, including nine field goals of 50-yards or longer. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed veteran Lawrence Tynes to replace him.

Tynes made plenty of big kicks for the New York Giants over the years, and he made 33 of his 39 field-goal attempts in 2012.

Victor Butler, OLB, New Orleans Saints

25 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: Butler's injury ends any chance of the New Orleans Saints fielding a fantasy-relevant defense. Although he managed only three sacks in each of his last two seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, he was going to be in a position to have a much larger impact in 2013.

Rob Ryan brought Butler over from Dallas to man the 3-4 outside linebacker position tasked to get after the quarterback. Now the Saints will be forced to lean on Junior Galette and Martez Wilson to get the job done—both are young and promising. Butler's injury hurts New Orleans' overall depth at the outside linebacker position.

T.J. Moe, WR, New England Patriots

26 of 31

Injury: Ruptured Achilles tendon

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: Moe is a small, speedy slot receiver who, in theory, would have been battling for a chance to fill the void left by the similarly statured Wes Welker in New England with the Patriots. His injury means very little to Tom Brady's offense, however.

Danny Amendola is the guy who was acquired to replace Welker's production, and Moe will have to wait a year to see if he can make an impact with Bill Belichick's club.

Anthony McCoy, TE, Seattle Seahawks

27 of 31

Injury: Torn Achilles tendon

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: McCoy started 14 games over the last two seasons for the Seattle Seahawks, and in 2012, he caught 18 passes for 291 yards with three touchdowns.

McCoy didn't have much fantasy relevance before his injury.

With McCoy done for the year and starter Zach Miller on PUP, the Seahawks are laboring through some injuries at their tight end position. Fifth-round pick Luke Willson has a chance to contribute early in his rookie season.

Melvin Ingram, OLB, San Diego Chargers

28 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Out for season

Fantasy impact: The San Diego Chargers allowed the 16th-most points per drive in 2012, according to Football Outsiders. They did so without getting much contribution from first-round pick Melvin Ingram, who dealt with nagging injuries most of the year.

If anything, the loss of Ingram thrusts Dwight Freeney into the spotlight even more at outside linebacker and gives Larry English one final shot to make an impression.

The aforementioned Freeney will have to be a intimidating force off the edge for San Diego, as will the less-dynamic Jarret Johnson.

If healthy, Ingram had a shot to improve upon a lackluster rookie campaign. The Chargers pass-rushing unit isn't exactly formidable at this juncture.

Greg Scruggs, DL, Seattle Seahawks

29 of 31

Injury: Torn ACL

Prognosis: Likely out for season

Fantasy impact: The Seattle Seahawks have a loaded defense but are waiting for Cliff Avril and Chris Clemons to return from injury. Losing Scruggs may be a hit to Pete Carroll's overall depth on the defensive line, but nothing more.

Scruggs was a seventh-round selection out of Louisville a season ago, and he actually tallied two sacks in his rookie campaign. His loss is minimal for Seattle.