One of the risks players ran in holding workouts on their own was putting their season in jeopardy with an injury.
It’s probably unlikely Tully Banta-Cain will miss the entire season, but the New England Patriots outside linebacker has put his availability for Week 1 in jeopardy. Banta-Cain is expected to be sidelined four to five weeks after undergoing surgery Friday to repair an abdominal strain, according to Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe.
Banta-Young, who has led the team in sacks over the last two years, dealt with the issue last season and was doing well until he aggravated the situation in workouts. This could put the Patriots, who some figured might pursue a pass rusher in the draft, in the market for a pass rusher in free agency. New England often does an excellent job finding role players but this might call for a little more of a splash on the open market.
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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune