DAMN - KLM likely out for season with torn achilles tendon after brutal hit Sun

[AirFlacco]

First Urban, now KLM who appeared to be Canty's top backup. We had such depth. He tied Mosley for most snaps on defense Thurs night. DeAngelo Tyson seems to be the most likely backup to Canty now. Suggs said he was having a great camp and now this. Meanwhile, Webb continues to be sidelined with a back injury.


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Ravens' Kapron Lewis-Moore likely out for season with torn Achilles tendon

After sitting out his rookie season to rehabilitate a significant knee injury, Ravens defensive end Kapron Lewis-Moore was savoring every aspect of his return to football. But his comeback — and the Ravens’ depth at defensive line — took a brutal hit Sunday when Lewis-Moore was carted off the field with what appears to be a torn left Achilles tendon.

If early indications are correct, Lewis-Moore — who appeared to be the team’s top backup behind Chris Canty — will become the second Ravens defensive end to suffer a season-ending injury in training camp. Rookie fourth-round pick Brent Urban tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee July 30.

“Kapron Lewis-Moore had a major injury,” Harbaugh said after Sunday’s practice. “All indications are that it's an Achilles, so he'll probably be out. We’ll see, but that's what I've been told so far. That was really disappointing for a guy that had the ACL last year. It's going to be tough for him. We’ll rally around him, and he'll be back stronger than ever next year.”

Lewis-Moore, who was injured as he rushed the passer, sobbed loudly while he was loaded onto the cart and taken inside the team facility. The injury cast a somber mood on the second day of joint practices between the Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers. Players from both teams, along with 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh, took a knee in prayer as Lewis-Moore was being tended to on the field.

“The way he went down, you knew. You never heard a man scream that way,” Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith said. “You knew something was wrong. It's kind of tough to even speak about it because of what he went through last year, coming back and making headlines now of being a significant piece of what we've got going on. And then to have it give out on a simple play like that, it's really unfortunate, but the team is going to stay behind him. Hopefully, he makes a speedy recovery.”

Lewis-Moore, 24, was one of five players, including two Ravens, who didn’t finish Sunday’s practice because of injuries. Cornerback Asa Jackson, who had emerged as the leader for the No. 3 cornerback spot, also was helped inside the team facility, unable to put much weight on his right leg.

Harbaugh said the Ravens got relatively good news on Jackson, calling the injury to the third-year cornerback “minor.” Still, Jackson likely will miss “some number of days,” according to Harbaugh, the latest blow to a struggling cornerback group.

Top cornerback Lardarius Webb continues to be sidelined with a lower back injury. Veteran Aaron Ross already has been lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon that occurred on the eve of training camp. Chykie Brown, who has been working as a starter, has struggled throughout training camp.

The Ravens have been scouring the market for another cornerback for several weeks. They may now need to add defensive end to their list of needs. Lewis-Moore and Urban were listed as the top two backups behind Canty, the 31-year-old who missed one game last year and seven games in his previous season with the New York Giants.

“We have tremendous depth around here, but to lose those two guys, with all that potential … and they were doing so well in camp,” Ravens rush linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “They definitely showed that they would have been able to help this team win, and to lose them in camp is unfortunate. We all know injuries are part of the game. It [stinks] that it happened. Like I said, we wish both of those guys a speedy recovery, and when we’ll be fortunate enough to get them back, we’ll get them back. Until then, we just have to continue to work.”

The most likely scenario is third-year player DeAngelo Tyson becoming Canty’s primary backup, though the Ravens lack a proven defensive end behind Tyson. One option would be moving rush linebacker Pernell McPhee inside, which is where he played in his first two seasons in the NFL. The Ravens do like to rotate their defensive linemen in and out to keep them fresh, but the two injuries limit their options significantly.

“The next guy will be up, and we’ll find a way to do it,” Harbaugh said. “There are always going to be injuries. You adapt, you adjust and you fill out your positions.”

While still working off rust that resulted from sitting out last season, Lewis-Moore had impressed team officials with his play during training camp. He tied rookie linebacker C.J. Mosley for the most snaps on the Ravens’ defense with 24 during the 23-3 preseason win Thursday night against the 49ers.

Afterward, he spoke excitedly about being on the field again and playing in front of a big crowd. It was his first game action since he tore the ACL in his right knee as a standout defensive lineman at Notre Dame during the BCS national championship game against Alabama in January 2013. He also detached his MCL in the same knee the previous season against Southern California.

The Ravens drafted Lewis-Moore in the sixth round last year, knowing that he’d likely need a season to rehabilitate his knee. Lewis-Moore talked earlier this month about how beneficial last year was for him to not only get his knee stronger, but to learn the playbook.

Unfortunately for Lewis-Moore, it appears that he has another significant rehab ahead.

“The kid has been having a phenomenal camp,” Suggs said. “To see him work all the way back and to get injured in camp is very unfortunate. It’s a horrible feeling. I feel terrible for him, but I’m going to wish him a speedy recovery, and we’re going to get back at it.”

jeff.zrebiec@baltsun.com

twitter.com/jeffzrebiecsun

Baltimore Sun reporter Aaron Wilson contributed to this article.

[Michael Sedjro]

Sigh.

[RavenScallywag]

From the team perspective, this sucks, but in the end, you've basically got the 2013 DL group, with Jernigan traded in for Art Jones. Not exciting, but not sky is falling bad. Just makes any future injury situations devastating...

From the player's perspective, this is heartbreaking. You can understand why he was screaming after the injury (besides the pain). Waited a whole year for his ACL to heal, was on track to be a MAJOR player on NFL DL, and this happens. By the time he takes his first NFL snap, he'll be at least halfway through his contract. Sucks. Hope he can come back and be just as strong, though next year, he'll have to worry about crowding with Urban returning and Jernigan hopefully having a full year under his belt.

[AirFlacco]

Good points Scally. I didn't mean for it to sound like the sky was falling. It's not but first Urban and now KLM. We gotta be concerned about any more. We were just talking about depth on one thread and now we're losing it. Tyson now seems to be Cantys backup after KLM was so promising in camp and THURS night.

I really don't get the SIGH remark above though. The sky's not falling but it's not going to be a picnic if anymore go down and it really is damn it for KLM who came back from a year of rehabilitating the other injury to going back into rehab for something else again and for another year.

He was so promising.

It was a brutal hit. Does anyone think it would have been brutal if they were just practicing amongst themselves instead of SF?

[Sascha]

I really don't get the SIGH remark above though. The sky's not falling but it's not going to be a picnic if anymore go down and it really is damn it for KLM who came back from a year of rehabilitating the other injury to going back into rehab for something else again and for another year.

He was so promising.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I understand the "sigh" remark above to mean "sigh -- it sucks that another one of our exciting young DEs is out for the season." If that's what he meant, then I totally agree.

[Bigfish]

True, we lost Art Jones and gained Kerrigan, but Williams and Tyson really didn't contribute much last year. If they've grown and become major contributors, then all is not lost. It still sucks we lost KLM and Urban, theres nothing good about that. Especially KLM, this will be 2 years out of the game and the achilles is a scary injury.

[AirFlacco]

BF - Remember when Ameche went down with an achilles tendon in 1960. Players didn't come back from that in those days but Ameche could have but he didn't like Weeb who gave him a hard time and his restaurant business was taking off so he said screw football. We never had another great replacement like him again. Lenny Moore was still on the team as the other RB and WR. Jerry Hill took over but couldn't run but was our Leach of the day. Madden said Hill and Cookie Gilchrist were the hardest blockers he ever saw but our chances of a three-peat in 1960 went down with Ameche achilles tendon and his greatness was never replaced. All during the 60s Unitas didn't have the strong running attack of Ameche and Moore.

KLM and Urban were just backups that depletes our depth and that can bite us in a different way.

[Bigfish]

BF - Remember when Ameche went down with an achilles tendon in 1960. Players didn't come back from that in those days but Ameche could have but he didn't like Weeb who gave him a hard time and his restaurant business was taking off so he said screw football. We never had another great replacement like him again. Lenny Moore was still on the team as the other RB and WR. Jerry Hill took over but couldn't run but was our Leach of the day. Madden said Hill and Cookie Gilchrist were the hardest blockers he ever saw but our chances of a three-peat in 1960 went down with Ameche achilles tendon and his greatness was never replaced. All during the 60s Unitas didn't have the strong running attack of Ameche and Moore.

KLM and Urban were just backups that depletes our depth and that can bite us in a different way.

That was a couple of years before my memories, but thanks for the history lesson. If the others guys step up, chances are those 2 would have seen little action. We'll never know for sure but rookies generally don't get a lot of PT. While KLM isn't officially a rookie, he essentially is one in experience. Maybe Canty dogs it in practice to avoid injuries? I was concerned with the DL before the injuries as I didn't see either of those players as anything other than inexperienced depth, while Williams and Tyson are promising but unproven. Being in the AFCN, our DL will be tested early and often.
And who knows about Cody. When and if he recovers how long before he's ready to play? He's spent so much time injured and resting, he hasn't done anything to improve.

[AirFlacco]

Good point about why Cany dogs it. If Canty continues to be disappointing KLM was next man up and he was having a great camp. He might have made the difference if Canty dogs it or if he gets injured. Wasn't Canty injured in NY when they cut him?

[AirFlacco]

And this. Canty had a disappointing season last year with just 2 sacks and 2 forced fumbles and 30 tackles, and said he was going to try to improve, none of sacks or fumbles were made in the final 12 weeks of the season. The fact that he's dogged it made KLMs progress more important. Ravens had high hopes for him.


[I]["I want to see how I can better improve and take advantage of opportunities because I'm capable of doing a lot more. I've spent a lot of my offseason on film study, and I've picked up a lot of little nuances of the game. It's encouraging to see what's possible for me and the whole defense."/I]




http://articles.baltimoresun.com/201...minor-injuries

[Bhcforlife]

Two major injuries to guys who were going to be key depth players at a position where rotational depth is vital and guys routinely get banged up during the season is not good. I'd be more worried about this than the CB issues, to be honest. They'll probably need to bring a guy in after cuts to add to the rotation.

[JAB1985]

A strength goes back to a moderate concern. I was looking forward to KLM being part of the rotation. Now 2 years removed from football he may be lucky to even make an NFL team when he comes back. Tough break for a promising player. I do think well look to add another guy into the mix. They obviously wanted to shore up the DL and going back to what we had last year, is not what they wanted.