Lofa Tatupu's Injury Is Really Really Really Ridiculously Bad

Or maybe it isn't. But at best, he's done for the season. As I mentioned yesterday, certain pec tears (or ruptures as they're sometimes called) are inoperable. Let's hope this isn't one of them, as we do have Tatupu under contract for 2013.

Tatupu suffered the injury Thursday in the weight room and went to specialist Dr. James Andrews on Monday.

"We got a second opinion," Smith said. "The second opinion confirmed the first opinion. He had a procedure done today and he will be out of the season."

Interesting. So the Andrews consult was a second opinion, and Andrews said the same thing the first doctor said. So, at least on some level, the Falcons didn't expect Tatupu back when they went out and signed Mike Peterson. There's speculation that they aren't done, that they may add another MLB at some point. But right now it's only speculation. Camp starts Thursday and we're one Akeem Dent toe injury away from Mo Pete starting at the Mike. Scary.

Folks, the Akeem Dent era has arrived. Like it or not, he's our starter. For now. I'm optimistic, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I'm nervous because he's an unknown. We know the talent is there, and we know he kicked butt and took names as a special team in 2011. He notched 19 special teams tackles in 2012. 16 of them were stops (84 percent stop rate). But we don't know if he can step up to the plate and deliver. Crappy baseball analogy aside, much is expected of Dent. Either he'll deliver or he won't. It's that simple.

Discuss!