Fred Smoot Suffers Broken Jaw in Auto Accident
by Christopher Gates on Dec 27, 2006 1:38 PM CST
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PrintTip of the hat to Kevin Seifert at the Star-Tribune.
Childress said details are sketchy, but added that Smoot had surgery to repair his jaw, which was broken in five places and is now wired shut. Smoot is out of the hospital and has exchanged text messages with Childress, but he can not speak because of the surgery.
Vikings players had the weekend off after their 9-7 loss Thursday night to Green Bay. Smoot, starting for Griffin, was responsible for the Vikings' only score in the game by returning a Brett Favre 47 yards for a touchdown.
Obviously, Smoot will not play Sunday against the St. Louis Rams. The Vikings will have thin depth at cornerback because rookie starter Cedric Griffin was placed on injured reserve today; Griffin continues to experience problems with a shoulder stinger. Ronyell Whitaker and Charles Gordon are the next two cornerbacks in line behind Griffin and Smoot.
Given his fall down the depth chart this season, Smoot might have played his final game for the Vikings. He is a candidate to be released during the offseason.
Well, at least my last memory of him as a Viking will involve ol' #21 humiliating Brett Favre. Not that that makes him special among NFL DBs. . .or even Vikings' DBs, for that matter.
But yes, I'm relatively sure that Smoot has played his last game in a Vikings' uniform. When the Vikings signed him, a lot of his bonus was up front money. . .about a $10 million roster bonus, if I recall correctly. . .so the cap hit from cutting him should be minimal.
On the downside, as stated by Seifert above, that means the starting CB across from Antoine Winfield this Sunday is going to be either Ronyell Whitaker (please, no) or Charles Gordon, with the other being in the nickel.
With the Rams actually playing for something this Sunday, and the Vikings playing for nothing. . .given the circumstances, I think the chances of the Vikings even slowing down the Rams' passing attack are minimal at best.
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