The question is: which players coming off the injury report are good prospects for the upcoming season? And, even more importantly, which ones are on the short list to avoid along with Jessica Simpson and New England Patriots’ ethics meetings? Without their health, football players cannot produce, no matter how talented they are, how great the supporting staff around them, or how perfect the situation. Checking the doctor’s report on this year’s batch of players with both questionable health and some fantasy relevance is the first step in evaluating their prospects for the season.

On The Stretcher

Delhomme is expected to practice once per day during training camp.

Player: Jake Delhomme
Team: Carolina Panthers
Regular Season Games Played in 2007: 3

So what exactly is Tommy John surgery? According to Wikipedia it is “a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body”. Ouch. Jake has moved past the Nerf games and is throwing a real football in team drills now. He is expected to be ready for the start of the season but similar operations have forced the retirement of other players in the past. Buyer beware….

Player: Philip Rivers
Team: San Diego Chargers
Regular Season Games Played in 2007: 16

Offseason ACL surgery is bad. Rivers says he will be ready to go when the season starts but anyone buying that also thinks Larry Johnson has five more solid years in him and Terrell Owens will never be a team distraction ever again. It has already been determined that Rivers will wear a knee brace this year and he is not yet working out with his team. Carson Palmer wasn’t the same his first year back from a similar operation, leaving us no reason to expect great things from Rivers during the first half of the season.

The Walking Wounded

Player: Jay Cutler
Team: Denver Broncos
Regular Season Games Played in 2007: 16

In what many may have considered a minor and off-topic news item, Cutler announced he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Why do we care? Because we are concerned about the health and lives of all our players, right? Of course not! We would donate a kidney to our star player in exchange for a 5 TD, 400- yard game but he could drop dead when the season is over (except for keeper leagues) and we would mercilessly start scouting his backup. The Broncos’ quarterback lost about 40 pounds last season from training camp to Week 17. If this issue is fixed, it may help improve his stamina and add to his late-season numbers.

Player: Matt Schaub
Team: Houston Texans
Regular Season Games Played in 2007: 11

He had surgery on his dislocated shoulder, but is on track for a quick and complete recovery. Luckily, we are talking about his non-throwing shoulder, so this is pretty minor, although it cost him a handful of games last season and opened the door for Sage Rosenfels to strut his stuff. Unless something unexpected pops up, Schaub is on track to be some fantasy team’s risky number one or solid second quarterback this year.

Player: Jason Campbell
Team: Washington Redskins
Regular Season Games Played in 2007: 13

A torn patella tendon cost the young QB a bunch of games at the end of last season, but shouldn’t affect him during off-season work. More interesting is a pulled hamstring he suffered at a recent team activity. If this were a seasoned veteran, no one would care. However, Campbell is learning yet another offensive system and any time spent rehabbing rather than on the field is troubling. If the team is being honest with the media (which is never guaranteed), Campbell should be 100% healthy soon.

Discharged From The Hospital

Player: Tom Brady
Team: New England Patriots
Regular Season Games Played in 2007: 16

Even though he has been listed on the Patriots’ injury report since August of 1972 with various scrapes and strains, he has been extremely durable over a stellar career. A mild high ankle sprain may have hindered his Super Bowl performance, but it is a non-issue for the upcoming season. He will be one of the first quarterbacks off the board come draft day.

Player: Marc Bulger
Team: St. Louis Rams
Regular Season Games Played in 2007: 12

After suffering through a concussion, rib injury, rumored knee problems, and the disintegration of the team around him, Bulger is good to go for 2008. The healthy return of both Orlando Pace and Steven Jackson will make his life easier and prevent opposing defensive players from repeatedly flying through the Rams’ offensive line to rip the quarterback’s head off. This will hopefully slow the steady flow of ambulances in and out of the Edward Jones Dome.

A healthy Leinart is penciled in as the starting Quarterback.

Player: Matt Leinart
Team: Arizona Cardinals
Regular Season Games Played in 2007: 5

A broken collarbone ended his 2007 season and resurrected the ancient Kurt Warner. After they pushed Warner out of the wheelchair and took away his bingo card, he proved that anyone could look good throwing to the Arizona wideouts. If Leinart’s play is half as impressive as his party-animal social life seems to be, he may finally justify all the faith his team has shown in him.

Player: Alex Smith
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Regular Season Games Played in 2007: 7

He is participating fully in all team activities after a December shoulder surgery. While his health shouldn’t be an issue, an underwhelming career thus far and some serious competition from Shaun Hill will be. Are we looking at yet another #1 overall draft pick bust?