Somewhat buried in an Associated Press fluff piece on the Seahawks’ running back corps is a nugget that newly acquired returner/tailback Leon Washington will have to play this season with a stabilizing rod in his surgically repaired leg.
Washington suffered a compound leg fracture, breaking both his tibia and fibula, seven games into last season. The 27-year-old claims to have resumed running over a month ago, and intends to rejoin practices at the start of training camp.
On the Saturday of draft weekend, the Jets traded Washington and a seventh-round pick to Seattle for a fifth-round pick. New York used the draft choice to select Kentucky fullback John Conner, a.k.a. “The Terminator.”
It’s unclear how playing with the rod will affect Washington’s performance, but it doesn’t sound good. Jets G.M. Mike Tannenbaum admitted after the trade that his team’s medical staff wasn’t sure Washington would be ready for Week One.
The meager compensation also indicates that the Jets were unconvinced Washington would regain all of his explosiveness.
While the draft-day risk taken by the Seahawks was worthwhile for such a dynamic talent, it would seemingly be a surprise if Washington were his old self to start the season.
