Tynes To Undergo Exploratory Surgery Tomorrow

[jranieli]

http://www.nj.com/giants/index.ssf/2008/08...ynes_faces.html

 

Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes, who suffered a left knee injury while making a routine kick during training camp and has been sidelined for almost two weeks, will undergo exploratory surgery tomorrow morning that will determine how much time he's expected to miss, according to three people with direct knowledge of Tynes' injury and scheduled procedure.

 

All three people, who requested anonymity because injury information is supposed to come from coach Tom Coughlin, said it's possibile the surgery will reveal an injury could land Tynes on the team's injured reserve list.

 

Coughlin declined to give specifics on Tynes today after practice, most likely because he's waiting for the information from the surgery to give him a firm timetable for Tynes' recovery.

 

"I don't know what to tell you there," Coughlin said when asked if Tynes was improving. "He says he is but they haven't given him the green light. ... It's close to when we need to know at least what the expectation is."

 

Tynes, 30, who kicked the Giants to the Super Bowl with a 47-yard field goal in overtime of the NFC Championship Game victory against the Packers, has been sidelined since tweaking his knee Aug. 9 after slipping on the wet grass at University at Albany and making a self-described "unathletic move."

 

The nature and extent of his injury remain unclear, though one of the people with knowledge of Tynes' ailment said it's believed Tynes might have to undergo the same surgery wide receiver David Tyree had in April. Tyree, another Giants postseason hero for his miraculous catch in the Super Bowl, is still out of practice and said his original timetable was four to six months.

 

If Tynes gets a similar -- or even slightly better -- prognosis, his chances of avoiding injured reserve probably aren't very good. After all, with the tight restrictions of a 53-man roster, it's unlikely the Giants would hold a spot for an injured kicker. They might then work out an injury settlement for Tynes to trim most of the five-year, $7-million extension he signed in February from the salary cap.

 

If so, the Giants' best option to replace Tynes is Josh Huston, whom they signed last week when the realized Tynes wouldn't be ready to kick against the Browns on Monday. The 26-year-old Huston lost out to Tynes in a training-camp competition last year, though he did impress at times.

 

Huston made three of his four attempts last preseason, including a 50-yarder against the Ravens. His miss was a 42-yard attempt against the Jets. Against the Browns on Monday, the former Ohio State kicker had an extra point barely make it over the cross bar after it was tipped by a Cleveland defender. He later missed a 42-yard field goal attempt wide left.

 

There is one intriguing free-agent option: Jay Feely, who was recently cut by the Dolphins. Feely made 58 of 69 field-goal attempts for the Giants during the 2005 and '06 seasons. It seems unlikely the Giants would sign Feely, who was allowed to sign with Miami partly for the same reason the Dolphins and new team president Bill Parcells eventually cut him: personality conflicts.

 

And then there's former Colt and Cowboy Mike Vanderjagt, who played in the CFL this summer, as well as one-time Cowboy Billy Cundiff, who worked out for the Giants in Albany when they opted to re-sign Huston.

 

The Giants could also wait until final roster cutdowns in nine days and grab a veteran who's let go (Olindo Mare, Martin Gramatica, Dave Rayner or Aaron Elling, perhaps).

 

Then again, the Giants are hoping they won't have to call any of those players. They'll know for sure tomorrow morning when they get the results of Tynes' exploratory surgery.

[Storm]

Every time Tynes steps on the field it's an unathletic move.

 

And Feely missed 9 field goals in 2 seasons here. wtf.

[Virginia Giant]

Every time Tynes steps on the field it's an unathletic move.

 

And Feely missed 9 field goals in 2 seasons here. wtf.

They're the same kicker dude. Neither of them are guys that inspire confidence.

[NeMesiS]

Damn, I wonder why they are waiting until now to have the surgery.

[Nas]

They're the same kicker dude. Neither of them are guys that inspire confidence.

 

Being a soccer player and someone who actually traveled to Albany a few years ago to try my luck, it's very hard to kick. Just of the motion.. the ball has to be placed perfectly.. you better not slip.. etc. Sometimes I wonder if I should go back to the field to see if maybe I can kick again.

 

For those of you who don't know, I had a knee surgery (finally) in 2004. When I tried kicking again, my kick was neither accurate nor long enough... before I'd kick 59 and 60 yarders and never did it cross my mind to try out

[Allstarjim]

Are you sure you don't mean you once drove a golf ball 59 or 60 yards?