Lofa Lost for the Year

Not that it is a huge shock, since we've already heard this news, but after Mora gave us all a breath of hope, that hope has been dashed: Lofa Tatupu has been placed on the injured reserve. David Hawthorne is your new starting middle linebacker, who has performed admirably in Lofa's absence, but clearly lacks the elite tools that Lofa has. An extra 10 games of play might provide Hawthorne with some serious trade value though, which we may need heading into what could be a crucial draft with no third round pick. Lofa's surgery does not seem too concerning, other than being out for the year. In 2006, Patrick Kerney had the same procedure and came back to nearly win NFC Defensive POY. Last year, Rob Sims had the surgery and has played very well thus far. Hat tip to Danny O'Neil for that information, and thanks to Hurbynhawk for the heads-up! In better news, Rob Sims, Matt Hasselbeck and Patrick Kerney were all full participants in practice today.