Bobbie Sanders

[Peyton>brady]

Is it possible that Bob Sanders injuries happened due to asking too much of him? Weak linebackers?

He was a machine when healthy, are we gonna regret this?

[Luck for President]

I don't think him getting hurt is anyone's fault the guy just plays hard and brings it on every hit. When you play that violent injuries are bound to happen.

[John Waylon]

... Huh?

You've been reading Jim's posts too much.

Sanders is always injured because he hits too hard for a guy of his size and frame, IMO.

But as a result of what our LB's do?

Unless they're tackling him, no.

[Peyton>brady]

... Huh?

You've been reading Jim's posts too much.

Sanders is always injured because he hits too hard for a guy of his size and frame, IMO.

But as a result of what our LB's do?

Unless they're tackling him, no.

You're right. Somehow i got that from him and guess i thought it made sense.

He did carry alot of water for the backfield, mostly first level. I wish him the best

[Zebra3]

Bob plays with too little regard for his own health. While he is un-injured that makes him an exceptional player, but it has made him injury prone.

[Peyton's Place]

NAH, Bob just hit so dang hard his body just couldn't take it sometimes. He had injury problems at Iowa when in college. This is why the Colts dropped like 2-3 times in that draft and still got him. He was injury prone and we took a risk. It was no doubt a risk/reward type deal with him. This is why his contract was mostly incentive related. I hated to see him go but knew something had to be done. He's a pro-bowler when healthy but after seeing him get hurt so many times the Colts had to let him go. I hope him signing with San Diego won't come back to bite us in the you know what. He was definitely one of my favorite Colt players of all times. He gave our defense that blue collar mentality when he played. I think he was the sole reason we did so well our Super Bowl year. But paying him money for basically 4 games a year was just not worth it. My brother and I have a saying when it comes to Colts personnel......"In Polian we Trust" You got to just believe Bill knew what he was doing when he decided not to resign him. Bullitt is a capable replacement and I think will do well. I wish Bob the best of luck, but if he ever comes into the situation of playing against my Colts, I hope Peyton takes advantage of his over aggressiveness!! Love ya Bob, and we'll miss you in INDY!!

[Warhawk]

Bob Sanders is the living embodiment of http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MadeOfPlasticine

[manningstheman]

There is two ways to look at this question. No his health problems were not because the LBs are a weakness on our team. But it didnt help thats for sure. The dude was the onlyone that could stop the run when he was in there. Shoot Bullit was messed up half the time himself. The safeties shouldnt need to be carrying this much of the work to stop the run. Sanders just is fragile. He had a broken arm or leg when we drafted him for crying out loud. but hopefully with the additions of these DT and Simms at LB we wont have to ask so much out of our safties.

[Peyton>brady]

There is two ways to look at this question. No his health problems were not because the LBs are a weakness on our team. But it didnt help thats for sure. The dude was the onlyone that could stop the run when he was in there. Shoot Bullit was messed up half the time himself. The safeties shouldnt need to be carrying this much of the work to stop the run. Sanders just is fragile. He had a broken arm or leg when we drafted him for crying out loud. but hopefully with the additions of these DT and Simms at LB we wont have to ask so much out of our safties.

I thought it was a very good ? We have never had a solid lb crew and Bob did make a whole lot of tackles.

I don't think it will hurt us and i was calling for his head last yr. but now i'm not sure. Guess only time will tell

[a06cc]

Well I'd have to say it's a bad break on his injuries. We'll be able to tell what it was once his season starts in San Diego. The years he has played here, yes we were weak at linebackers. Linebackers are the second level of defense in stopping the run as they are gap controllers.

[maynard327]

First off, I loved watching Sanders fly all over the field and make plays! He was awesome to watch! But I do have to say, I've always been curious if he was taking performance enhancing drugs. The dude was a freak of nature from an atheletic standpoint, and that often raises an eyebrow or two. I'm not an expert by any means, but I'm under the impression that people who take PEDs are more prone to injuries under certain circumstances, such as impact sports. Their muscles can create vastly more force than the bones, ligaments, tendons, etc. are designed to handle, subsequently resulting in injury. I hope that's not the case with Sanders, but I have always wondered. The NFL just made PED testing part of it's policy and I think every player is supposed to be tested before the season starts, so we'll see what happens there. I've got a hunch that about a third of the league is gonna get busted. If Sanders gets busted, then we'll have a better idea of why he was always injured.

As far as the effect of the weak linebacking core on our safeties health, I see your point. Our safeties have been carrying a large portion of the tackling load over the last several years. It would be awesome to draft a Ray Lewis type linebacker in the upcoming years of the draft and see a change in that trend.

[GoColts00]

I agree with others that it was the way he played, BUT.... IF he had been hitting a WR that hard in the backfield rather than HAVING to come up into the box(b/c the front 7 weren't doing their job) I honestly believe he wouldn't have been injured as much.

[ruksak]

First off, I loved watching Sanders fly all over the field and make plays! He was awesome to watch! But I do have to say, I've always been curious if he was taking performance enhancing drugs. The dude was a freak of nature from an atheletic standpoint, and that often raises an eyebrow or two. I'm not an expert by any means, but I'm under the impression that people who take PEDs are more prone to injuries under certain circumstances, such as impact sports. Their muscles can create vastly more force than the bones, ligaments, tendons, etc. are designed to handle, subsequently resulting in injury. I hope that's not the case with Sanders, but I have always wondered. The NFL just made PED testing part of it's policy and I think every player is supposed to be tested before the season starts, so we'll see what happens there. I've got a hunch that about a third of the league is gonna get busted. If Sanders gets busted, then we'll have a better idea of why he was always injured.

As far as the effect of the weak linebacking core on our safeties health, I see your point. Our safeties have been carrying a large portion of the tackling load over the last several years. It would be awesome to draft a Ray Lewis type linebacker in the upcoming years of the draft and see a change in that trend.

Any guys I've known IRL that are short and beefed out like that, I mean every one of them, they were always juiced. Not saying thats the case with Bob, but.....well the indicators are there.

[SilentHill]

Bob Sanders plays with reckless abandon. That is the reason he is hurt all the time, has NOTHING to do with anyone but himself.

[ColtsHoosiersBB]

The turnstile D-Line he played behind most of his career didn't help much.

The RB's came through the line like being shot from a cannon.

[rockywoj]

Recall how he was hurt last year ... he recklessly and needlessly leaped into a pile where the player was effectively already stopped. He landed awkwardly and messed up his arm. Weak LBs had nothing to do with it.

The year before, if memory serves, he was also undone by a bicep injury. Again, nothing to do with weak LBs.

Sanders plays all out, with reckless abandon. His small stature certainly does not help his cause, given his physicality, but I think most of his injuries were either just freak injuries or due to his lack of control / recklessness.

Has anybody heard how he's making out in the Chargers camp? I liked the guy a lot and wish him well, but somehow, as a Colts fan, I don't really want him to succeed there. I like the idea of his best having been with the Colts.

[OLD FAN MAN]

sanders the game changer will put sd in the playoffs i hope our db can stay healthy playing behind our tiny linebackers who get pushed all over the field

[SilentHill]

sanders the game changer will put sd in the playoffs i hope our db can stay healthy playing behind our tiny linebackers who get pushed all over the field

your kidding right?

[cmgww]

First off, I loved watching Sanders fly all over the field and make plays! He was awesome to watch! But I do have to say, I've always been curious if he was taking performance enhancing drugs. The dude was a freak of nature from an atheletic standpoint, and that often raises an eyebrow or two. I'm not an expert by any means, but I'm under the impression that people who take PEDs are more prone to injuries under certain circumstances, such as impact sports. Their muscles can create vastly more force than the bones, ligaments, tendons, etc. are designed to handle, subsequently resulting in injury. I hope that's not the case with Sanders, but I have always wondered. The NFL just made PED testing part of it's policy and I think every player is supposed to be tested before the season starts, so we'll see what happens there. I've got a hunch that about a third of the league is gonna get busted. If Sanders gets busted, then we'll have a better idea of why he was always injured.

As far as the effect of the weak linebacking core on our safeties health, I see your point. Our safeties have been carrying a large portion of the tackling load over the last several years. It would be awesome to draft a Ray Lewis type linebacker in the upcoming years of the draft and see a change in that trend.

I've wondered the same thing...Especially post 2007. TWO biceps tears in two years...Those injuries are usually indicative of PED use. I hate to say it, but if it looks like a duck....

[rockywoj]

An interview with Bob Sanders from Aug. 2/11 sourced from sports radio interviews ( http://sportsradiointerviews.com/2011/08/02/nfl-free-agency-san-diego-chargers-training-camp-salary-cap-indianapolis-colts-norv-turner/ )

Bob Sanders: “Do I think I can still be a consistent good player? Absolutely.”

August 2, 2011 – 11:45 am by Chris Fedor

At one time during his career, Bob Sanders looked like he was destined for stardom. The hard-hitting safety was coming off a year when he was named Defensive Player of the Year and the Colts defense looked completely different with him out of the lineup. Since that time though, Sanders has dealt with a myriad of injuries. While his ability can’t be denied, the Colts realized they could just no longer count on the safety. Sanders has played in just eight combined games over the last two seasons and it led to him getting released by Indianapolis.

The San Diego Chargers decided to take a chance on him this offseason. Sanders was brought in to play next to Eric Weddle, who looks like a rising star in the back-end of the secondary in his own right. It remains to be seen whether or not Sanders can ever regain the form that he showed before injuries derailed him, but if he can stay out of the training room, the former Defensive Player of the Year could be the perfect complement to Weddle and help keep the Chargers defense near the top of the NFL.

Bob Sanders joined XTRA 1360 in San Diego to talk about how tough it is to be watching from the sidelines, why he decided to go to San Diego, how he feels in terms of his health, whether or not he has had to change his game because of the injuries, and if he thinks he can still be the player he once was.

How tough it is to be watching from the sidelines:

“It’s tough. It’s really tough. You want to be out there, it’s hard to be on the field watching all the guys practice and not be able to get out there. It’s definitely tough but I’m looking forward to it.”

Why he picked San Diego:

“I was looking for a team that really wanted me and understood my situation and what I brought to the table. They really did. Norv (Turner) and I had a great conversation and it was a great fit.”

How he feels in terms of his health:

“Really good. I feel great. Can I say 100 percent right now? Not really. This is my eighth year in the league and I don’t think anybody in the eighth year in the league is at 100 percent. I feel good enough to go out, still improve, get better, and help this team.”

Whether or not he has had to change his style of play because of injuries:

“You really have to play smarter. The older you get the more you have to play smarter. You get there faster, put yourself in better positions, you’re not making tackles from 20 or 30 yards away, you’re getting closer in running situations. Things do change but as far as my physical nature? No I won’t change it.”

Whether or not he feels he can still be the player that he was:

“Absolutely. If you go back to look at the film and my game nothing changed. From the time I started to my last injury. I’ve had a lot of injuries. I haven’t been a player who played eight years and my game started to taper off, I started to lose it, give up big plays, and stuff. If you look at the film you know I just had injuries. Do I think I can still be a consistent good player? Absolutely. When I was Defensive Player of the Year I wasn’t even close to reaching my full potential so I feel like I can get a lot better.”

On the difference between Philip Rivers and Peyton Manning:

“They go about their business the same exact way. Think they are both students of the game and they’re really passionate about it. Philip is a locker room guy, not to say Peyton is not, but he’s more of a jokester, he’s playing around, he’s on the field, he’s having a good time, he’s saying jokes on the field, he always running around so it’s really good to see. He lightens up the atmosphere. Being around the quarterback he sets the tone for what this team is going to be. I feel Philip does a great job with handling your business when you’re in there and when it’s time to work you work but also having fun with it.”

[wercolts]

Technique, or lack there of is why he gets hurt. Leaving your feet to make a tackle is is not how it's done. It may be exciting to watch when the missile hits but the missile always ends up exploding and in many cases it misses it target. A small object flying through the air is no match for a large object firmly planted in the ground. Although the large object is damaged by the small, it lives to see another day. Leave your feet, get beat.

[OLD FAN MAN]

watch what he does in sd we lost a game changer

[SilentHill]

watch what he does in sd we lost a game changer

What's the over/under on how many games until he is on IR?

If it's 3 or higher I'm taking the under.

[OLD FAN MAN]

watch listen and learn

[21isSuperman]

Bob's greatest weapon was also his weakness. He was awesome at running up and laying a mean hit on the opposing team's RB. Unfortunately, his playing style was so violent that it caused him to have many injuries. Some of it can be attributed to bad luck, but his playing style was also a factor. If you ask me, when healthy, Bob was a better safety than Reed and Polamalu

[OLD FAN MAN]

bob was and is still the best we will see this year a big polian mistake sd in playoffs hope they dont knock us out as they always do we should not have helped them

[everybodysgotone]

I want Sanders' A Game if/when Colts/Bolts happens. He'd have his hands full with a healthy Colts offense. I seriously doubt he'll be healthy at that time of the year though. He was one of my favorite Colts while here & contributing. He handled the departure with class, as well. But.....my only concern is what WE do. We're not gonna avoid him while game planning, I could about guarantee. I wouldn't, if I were writing the script.

[ruksak]

bob was and is still the best we will see this year a big polian mistake sd in playoffs hope they dont knock us out as they always do we should not have helped them

How can you seriously describe that as a mistake? If you ask me, we held onto him 1 year too long as it was.

Even if Bob makes DPotY and plays all 16 games, it still wasn't a mistake.

[21isSuperman]

How can you seriously describe that as a mistake? If you ask me, we held onto him 1 year too long as it was.

Even if Bob makes DPotY and plays all 16 games, it still wasn't a mistake.

I would say giving him that huge contract might have been a mistake. He should have been given a 3 year deal, not a 5 year one, especially when he hasn't proven he can stay healthy for a full season. I would have loved if the Colts kept him, but it's unfortunate that it didn't work out that way.

From Rotoworld:

Bob Sanders' one-year contract with the Chargers is believed to be "for the minimum ... plus incentives."

We've yet to see details because the transaction isn't official yet, but it likely contains per-game bonuses based on Sanders making the game-day roster healthy each week. The San Diego Union-Tribune's Nick Canepa believes Sanders can be the Bolts' next Rodney Harrison as a physical presence in the box. Assuming little money is guaranteed, it's a low-risk signing

I'm sure we offered something like that, a low-guaranteed, high-incentives contract, but I guess he wanted a change of scenery.

[ruksak]

I would say giving him that huge contract might have been a mistake. He should have been given a 3 year deal, not a 5 year one, especially when he hasn't proven he can stay healthy for a full season. I would have loved if the Colts kept him, but it's unfortunate that it didn't work out that way.

From Rotoworld:

I'm sure we offered something like that, a low-guaranteed, high-incentives contract, but I guess he wanted a change of scenery.

I admit, if we could've done something with him on the low-end, that would have been prudent. Considering his freakish talent, a modest contract would've been in order. Not to mention that he has gone to one of our playoff nemeses.

[21isSuperman]

I admit, if we could've done something with him on the low-end, that would have been prudent. Considering his freakish talent, a modest contract would've been in order. Not to mention that he has gone to one of our playoff nemeses.

Yeah, he had too much potential to just be released. I wish we could have traded him so we get something in return, but I guess no one wanted to take on his huge contract. It's unfortunate that he got released, he was the perfect type of safety for our defense; fast, hard hitting, just like John Lynch.

[OLD FAN MAN]

bob sanders was and is the best! sd always gave us trouble anyway

[Chugger]

Has anybody heard how he's making out in the Chargers camp? I liked the guy a lot and wish him well, but somehow, as a Colts fan, I don't really want him to succeed there. I like the idea of his best having been with the Colts.

He's only been practicing 2 or 3 days now, since he had to wait for ratification of the new CBA. But early reports are that he looks in sync out there. I think everyone in SD is just holding their breath about his health. The Chargers haven't had a really big hitter at safety since Rodney Harrison. He would add a new dimension to the defense if he can stay on the field.

I can understand Colts fans not wanting to see him succeed on a rival team. It's a mixed bag for me and ex-Chargers. I like Brees and the success he's had in New Orleans, even though there is that sense of "what if?". Michael Turner is a guy that I root for. I really want to see Shawne Merriman return to form in Buffalo. But when Seau joined the Patriots after "retiring" as a Charger, it felt like a betrayal. I took a little pleasure in seeing LaDainian Tomlinson get stuffed on 4th down in the playoffs against the Steelers. Of course I don't like Cromartie and I hope he breaks his hip. I guess it depends mostly on the team the player joins. In that respect, I can't see too many Colts fans actively rooting for Bob Sanders to take the Chargers to the next level.

[OLD FAN MAN]

He's only been practicing 2 or 3 days now, since he had to wait for ratification of the new CBA. But early reports are that he looks in sync out there. I think everyone in SD is just holding their breath about his health. The Chargers haven't had a really big hitter at safety since Rodney Harrison. He would add a new dimension to the defense if he can stay on the field.

I can understand Colts fans not wanting to see him succeed on a rival team. It's a mixed bag for me and ex-Chargers. I like Brees and the success he's had in New Orleans, even though there is that sense of "what if?". Michael Turner is a guy that I root for. I really want to see Shawne Merriman return to form in Buffalo. But when Seau joined the Patriots after "retiring" as a Charger, it felt like a betrayal. I took a little pleasure in seeing LaDainian Tomlinson get stuffed on 4th down in the playoffs against the Steelers. Of course I don't like Cromartie and I hope he breaks his hip. I guess it depends mostly on the team the player joins. In that respect, I can't see too many Colts fans actively rooting for Bob Sanders to take the Chargers to the next level.

[OLD FAN MAN]

i wont root for him even though i think he was the best.i dread playing against him

[colts89]

sanders the game changer will put sd in the playoffs i hope our db can stay healthy playing behind our tiny linebackers who get pushed all over the field

Breaking news: Bob Sanders is out for the year after dislocating his ribs reading Jim's post

The guy's body is not going to recover after what... 3 year ending injuries in a row. The Eraser was great, but he's done (cough HGH testing cough)

And he was a cap casulity as well so ya Thank you but good riddance

[John Waylon]

Breaking news: Bob Sanders is out for the year after dislocating his ribs reading Jim's post

The guy's body is not going to recover after what... 3 year ending injuries in a row. The Eraser was great, but he's done (cough HGH testing cough)

And he was a cap casulity as well so ya Thank you but good riddance

Don't quote his posts... He wasn't seen around here yesterday.... If we pretend he doesn't exist, maybe he'll go away and we won't have to read anymore of his lunacies and absurdities...

But in case he does show back up (Oh please, Peyton, don't let it happen... Please...) this post will surely be quoted by him and we'll get one of his usual "FAN JUDGE! our players suck and should be off doing petty yard work because they're not talented enough to play football, our front office sucks because we didn't spend all our money in free agency, and this team sucks" posts that he makes in every other thread he participates in. :rolleyes2:

Enjoy the absence...

[BIGugly]

Bob Sanders injuries are the result of his passion about what he does. BUT...brittle tendons and ligaments are potential side effect of 'roids usage...

[Jaric]

... Huh?

You've been reading Jim's posts too much.

Sanders is always injured because he hits too hard for a guy of his size and frame, IMO.

But as a result of what our LB's do?

Unless they're tackling him, no.

This.

I also think he's on steroids, but I have no real proof.

[Gonzo]

I think part of it was how violently he played. But football is a violent sport for every player in the league. I think it was a combination of bad luck and his aggressive style.