Sidney Rice has hip surgery, Vikings sign Javon Walker
The Minnesota Vikings will be without star receiver Sidney Rice, who had hip surgery yesterday, for at least the first half of the season, according to Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
Rice texted Scoggins that the procedure went "well." In fact, he's already begun his rehabilitation as he rode an exercise bike for 20 minutes Monday night.
"I would think [it will take] probably at least eight weeks before we're talking about doing anything," [coach Brad] Childress said.
So, Childress hasn't ruled out the possibility of Rice landing on season-ending injured reserve (IR).
It was believed that Rice wouldn't need off-season surgery. There is the possibility that the timing of the surgery is related to his unhappiness about earning only $550,000 this season, which is the final year of his contract, and not getting a long-term deal.
In other words, it was Rice -- not the team -- who decided that he have the surgery.
"None of us have X-ray vision," Childress said, per ESPN blogger Kevin Seifert. "You just go by what somebody tells you."
Meanwhile, the team is still without Percy Harvin as he continues to be tested and evaluated for migraines. Last week, Harvin collapsed and was hospitalized after a migraine attack during practice.
A healthy Harvin stands to be the biggest benefactor of Rice's absence. However, that requires Harvin to be healthy. The problem with migraines is they can strike at any time.
Meanwhile, Bernard Berrian is moving up draft boards and the Vikings signed veteran receiver Javon Walker, who had experimental knee surgery in Israel in 2009.
"It was something that eventually I'll talk about and fill you guys in," Walker said. "That way I can get the specifics and the terminology down right before just saying something. I'll definitely let you guys know because it's really, really something unique. It's going to be something that helps a lot of athletes in the near future."
From a fantasy perspective, the winners (as a result of Rice's surgery) are Harvin, Berrian, Visanthe Shiancoe and Walker although it would take being in a really deep league for Walker to find his way on to my roster. In addition, running back Adrian Peterson should benefit as he caught more passes last year (43) than he caught in his first two seasons combined (40).
Aside from the obvious (Rice himself), the biggest loser is Brett Favre, who loses his favorite target for half (or more) of the season.
