Trae Waynes Shoulder Fine, Vikings Dodge Bullet
Joe Johnson
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There is no player that divides the Vikings fan (or even writer-base) than Trae Waynes. I may be as responsible for that as anyone, as the entire reason this site exists is the pre-and-post-draft debate/reaction people had to Trae Waynes. I was a big fan of his, showing my pro-Big Ten bias at the time and really wasn’t buying some of the reasoning behind people’s dislike for him (Mainly that he “couldn’t turn”). So, personally and professionally a lot of my credibility (which I’ve long since lost in many other ways) is/was tied to his success and so I do want him to succeed on that level and also because his success would mean big things for the Vikings secondary, defense as a whole and the team more generally.
This upcoming season was meant to be his make-or-break year after a touchy rookie season and a sophomore season where he started out slow (with a lot of penalties) and while still behind ageless marvel Terrance Newman on the depth chart, made major strides as a player late last season. So, again, this was looking like his make or break year, one that was made even more important when nickel corner Captain Munnerlyn left for browner pastures in Carolina thanks to free agency. So, losing Waynes would’ve been devastating to the thinnest position on the Vikings roster, cornerback. Things didn’t look good when Waynes went down with whatever injured his shoulder early in Thursday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills. Despite playing the next play, he did leave the field and apparently throw up from the pain (which some construed as a possible concussion) and then exist the game for good. He then left the field for x-rays in the locker room and didn’t return, with little information being released after that (outside of the fact that the x-rays were negative) people assumed the worst.
Now we have some information and clarification. Sort of.
“Just a sore shoulder, I guess.” Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said. The x-rays did come back negative so it looks like the Vikings were just being cautious when they had him leave the game as they do understand that they’ll need all hands on deck in 2017 if they’re to not only right the ship that fell apart late last year, but also make a run for a championship. While people have been down on Waynes so far in his career he is still a young player playing for a perfectionist head coach who is known as a CB guru. He’s had a rough transition to NFL rules, mostly, but he’s a very intelligent player who is also about as naturally gifted as one can be at the position. Coming from a great defensive system in college at Michigan State, one has to think that while he may get picked on thanks to who he plays opposite of (the recently re-signed shut-down corner Xavier Rhodes), he is coming into his own in his own way (remember that Rhodes had a rough time acclimating to the NFL as well) and should he play the way (some of us think) he should in 2017 the Vikings defense/secondary could be one of the most feared in the NFL.
So, it’s great news to know that he’s healthy and ready for the season. Let’s knock on wood, collectively, to hope that the Vikings got the injury bug out of their system(s) (in a major way) in 2016 and will stay as healthy as a team can in the NFL this year. Knowing that Waynes/the Vikings dodged a bullet in that regard shows that maybe they have some luck on their side after all. Let’s keep it going.