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Suggs fails physical, headed back to Cleveland
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - Running back Lee Suggs failed his physical with the New York Jets on Tuesday, voiding his trade from Cleveland.
Suggs, who has had a myriad of injuries throughout his four-year career, was brought in to help bolster the group of backs struggling without the injured Curtis Martin. Now, he is headed back to the Browns. Cornerback Derrick Strait, who was sent to Cleveland in the deal made Monday, returns to New York.
"We have a whole series of tests that we do, and we were very thorough with the process," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "He just didn't pass those tests. ... Each team has a criteria they set up that they believe is what's important and what's needed to be competitive. I'm very comfortable with the tests we have set up."
With Martin unable to practice because of a lingering right knee injury, the Jets needed depth at the position. Derrick Blaylock and Cedric Houston are taking the majority of snaps, but are not the type of backs to shoulder the load.
The 33-year-old Martin, who is No. 4 on the all-time rushing list, continues to rehab and his future is in doubt. Though Martin wants to play this season, it is unclear whether he will be able to. It has been eight months since he had surgery on his knee.
Suggs hasn't been able to stay on the field for the Browns, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2003 draft. At various times in his pro career, Suggs has been sidelined by injuries to a shoulder, neck, toe, ankle and thumb.
Mangini declined to say what part of the physical Suggs failed.
"It's just standard operating procedure. You go through a trade, you have to go through the complete process," Mangini said. "This is part of the process. Lee has done a good job in Cleveland, he's a good person and that's part of the reason we pursued him. I really think the opportunity was good for both players and both teams. I wish Lee well, and I look forward to Derrick getting back here and getting to work."
Mangini also declined to give a timetable for Martin's return, and said the trade had no bearing on the future of the running back.
"We were looking at it as an opportunity to improve the competition at the position," Mangini said. "Our goal is to increase competition and to make our team that much more competitive and improve the team where we can."
He also didn't rule out future deals to bring in another running back.
"It's fair to assume that there could be a lot of moves," Mangini said. "The moves are going to be predicated on the opportunities, and the opportunities are going to based on whether that move can improve the team."
The speedy 6-foot, 213-pound Suggs appeared in only seven games as a rookie because of a shoulder injury he sustained at Virginia Tech. Suggs won a starting job in training camp in 2004, but hurt his neck in the final preseason game and was inactive for the first three games of the regular season. He returned to play in seven games before missing three straight with a toe injury.
Suggs hurt his ankle during the preseason last year and missed Cleveland's first two games. He dressed in Weeks 3 and 4, but injured his thumb and was inactive for six weeks.
Suggs has rushed for 1,048 yards and four TDs as a pro.
http://www.theredzone.org/news/showarticle.asp?ArticleID=4200
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. - Running back Lee Suggs failed his physical with the New York Jets on Tuesday, voiding his trade from Cleveland.
Suggs, who has had a myriad of injuries throughout his four-year career, was brought in to help bolster the group of backs struggling without the injured Curtis Martin. Now, he is headed back to the Browns. Cornerback Derrick Strait, who was sent to Cleveland in the deal made Monday, returns to New York.
"We have a whole series of tests that we do, and we were very thorough with the process," Jets coach Eric Mangini said. "He just didn't pass those tests. ... Each team has a criteria they set up that they believe is what's important and what's needed to be competitive. I'm very comfortable with the tests we have set up."
With Martin unable to practice because of a lingering right knee injury, the Jets needed depth at the position. Derrick Blaylock and Cedric Houston are taking the majority of snaps, but are not the type of backs to shoulder the load.
The 33-year-old Martin, who is No. 4 on the all-time rushing list, continues to rehab and his future is in doubt. Though Martin wants to play this season, it is unclear whether he will be able to. It has been eight months since he had surgery on his knee.
Suggs hasn't been able to stay on the field for the Browns, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2003 draft. At various times in his pro career, Suggs has been sidelined by injuries to a shoulder, neck, toe, ankle and thumb.
Mangini declined to say what part of the physical Suggs failed.
"It's just standard operating procedure. You go through a trade, you have to go through the complete process," Mangini said. "This is part of the process. Lee has done a good job in Cleveland, he's a good person and that's part of the reason we pursued him. I really think the opportunity was good for both players and both teams. I wish Lee well, and I look forward to Derrick getting back here and getting to work."
Mangini also declined to give a timetable for Martin's return, and said the trade had no bearing on the future of the running back.
"We were looking at it as an opportunity to improve the competition at the position," Mangini said. "Our goal is to increase competition and to make our team that much more competitive and improve the team where we can."
He also didn't rule out future deals to bring in another running back.
"It's fair to assume that there could be a lot of moves," Mangini said. "The moves are going to be predicated on the opportunities, and the opportunities are going to based on whether that move can improve the team."
The speedy 6-foot, 213-pound Suggs appeared in only seven games as a rookie because of a shoulder injury he sustained at Virginia Tech. Suggs won a starting job in training camp in 2004, but hurt his neck in the final preseason game and was inactive for the first three games of the regular season. He returned to play in seven games before missing three straight with a toe injury.
Suggs hurt his ankle during the preseason last year and missed Cleveland's first two games. He dressed in Weeks 3 and 4, but injured his thumb and was inactive for six weeks.
Suggs has rushed for 1,048 yards and four TDs as a pro.
http://www.theredzone.org/news/showarticle.asp?ArticleID=4200
