Kevin Dyson tears achillis tendon

Kevin Dyson

http://www.heraldonline.com/sports/story/2590139p-2403599c.html
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It's early, but six-year pro Dyson looking polished
By Darin Gantt The Herald
(Published June 4‚ 2003)

CHARLOTTE -- June is the time for wide receivers to look good, and Kevin Dyson hasn't disappointed the Carolina Panthers.
Running around in shorts in non-contact practices always benefits the fleet, and raises expectations.

But while many receivers look as good as they ever will during the summer, Dyson said the Panthers haven't seen the best of him.

"I'm feeling good," the Pant-hers free agent pickup said. "I won't say it's like night and day, but it is like night and late afternoon as far as from now to the minicamp (in early May).

"I'm not what I'd like to call Kevin Dyson yet, but I know what I'm capable of doing and I'm getting there."

Dyson already looks like the fastest receiver on the Panthers' roster, but he admitted he's not even at full speed yet.

After tearing a hamstring tendon last November and having surgery to reattach it, Dyson has taken a patient approach to his recovery. He calls the work he's doing now "functional running," pointing out that he plans to work on his speed between now and the start of training camp. He's still practiced every day during coaching sessions, but puts his performance at "85 to 90 percent."

The sixth-year pro, who signed a one-year contract with the Panthers in March, said he relished the opportunity presented here. Though the Panthers returned incumbent starting wideouts Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith, Dyson was brought here to provide competition for both.

"It's a fresh place, and it's a major opportunity for me," Dyson said of coming here after spending his first five seasons with Tennessee. "I'm totally pumped right now and I feel like I've got something to prove. And I want to go out there and prove it. As I continue to go out there and get healthier, I can go out and try to do that."

The Panthers signed Dyson this offseason knowing full well he wouldn't be at full speed until training camp. But the 27-year-old wide receiver presented such a significant upside, they decided he was worth the low risk involved. His deal pays him the league minimum of $530,000 in base salary, and includes incentives tied to his performance.

Prior to joining the Panthers, Dyson was best known as the wide receiver chosen before Randy Moss in the 1998 draft, and many of the reasons for that are still evident.

As Moss slid down team's boards because of character issues, Dyson was seen as the consensus second-best player at his position because of his combination of size and speed.

At 6-foot-1, 208 pounds, he has the build of a possession receiver, but ran 40-yard dashes in the 4.3-second range prior to the draft. Those times will have him running neck-and-neck with the 5-9, 179-pound Smith for the title of fastest Panthers receiver.

"I think with the combination of size and speed, I might have an advantage over some guys," Dyson said. "There might be guys that are bigger size than me or more speed than me, but as far as the combination is concerned, I'm definitely up there.

"I think that's probably my biggest attribute now. I think once July and August comes around for me and I'm 100 percent (healthy), the sky's the limit for me."

For a number of reasons, Dyson has yet to justify being taken before Moss.

While Moss has become the focus of the Minnesota offense and a Pro Bowl regular, Dyson has been plagued by inconsistency and injuries. He posted a career-high 54 receptions in 1999 and 2001, the only two years he played all 16 games. His tenure with Tennessee effectively ended Nov. 24, 2002, when he tore the hamstring tendon in his right leg in a game at Baltimore. He had surgery, Dec. 5, and was held out of most the work during the Panthers first minicamp. He also missed most of the 2000 season after a knee injury two games into the season.

While the comparisons to Moss bothered him earlier in his career, he said he's focusing on becoming a different type of player now.

"He's the guy who has a 'Randy Ratio,'" Dyson said of Moss. "There's no Dyson Ratio where they throw it to me 40 or 50 times a game. Every situation is different.

"Every receiver would love that, but it's not like that for everybody. For guys like myself and Muhsin and Ricky (Proehl) and Steve, it's a situation you've got to make the most of every opportunity you get."

NOTES: The Panthers lost a brief bidding war for the services of former Dallas offensive lineman Solomon Page, who accepted a one-year deal from San Diego.

Page's agent, Angelo Wright, acknowledged the Panthers were close to the Chargers' offer, which was just over $1 million per year. But one of the deciding factors for Page -- he'd have likely started either place -- was San Diego assistant coach Hudson Houck, his former position coach in Dallas.

The Panthers were intrigued by Page's versatility, since he had started 51 games at both guard and tackle in his four years with the Cowboys.

Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said the team's pursuit of Page didn't necessarily mean they were looking to add a lineman, just that he appeared to be a good fit and was close to their price range.

Smith had to be taken from the field on a cart morning, after colliding with linebacker Mark Fields in practice. The two banged knees, and Smith hobbled off the field before trainers attended to him.

Hurney said Smith would be checked again this morning, but the injury didn't appear to be too serious.

 

http://www.gastongazette.com/Portal/ASP/sports/panthers/PanthersDisplay.asp?ID=329
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Panthers WR Dyson still trying to escape Moss’ shadows
By Steve Reed
Gazette Sports Reporter

CHARLOTTE — Certainly there’s an incredible amount of pressure on all first round NFL draft picks.

But there’s nothing quite like the pressure of being known as the wide receiver who was drafted ahead of Randy Moss.

Such has been the case for Kevin Dyson, who has never quite been able to shake the comparisons to Moss, a player many consider as good or better than Jerry Rice was in his heyday.

In April of 1998, the Tennessee Titans passed on Moss and selected Dyson with the 16th overall pick. Moss, whose personality and questionable background sent him plummeting down many NFL draft boards, was selected five spots later at No. 21 by the Minnesota Vikings.

The fact that both players were drafted in the first round five years ago is about where the comparisons end.

Moss has developed into a superstar, going to three Pro Bowls in his first three seasons and later signing a $100 million contract extension with the Vikings. Moss’ career numbers mirror his eye-popping contract with 414 receptions for 6,743 yards and 60 touchdowns.

Dyson’s career numbers — 176 receptions for 2,310 yards and 18 touchdowns —aren’t terrible, but they pale in comparison to Moss’.

And that, at least to Titans fans and possibly the coaching staff, was all that really mattered.

After Dyson injured his hamstring late last season, the Titans decided not to re-sign him. He’s now trying to resurrect his career with the Carolina Panthers, having signed a one-year contract worth about $1 million in the offseason.

At first, Dyson said the comparisons to Moss were a source of aggravation for him, but he’s since come to accept them.

“I think my rookie year was kind of hard because of what Randy did,” Dyson said. “He was All-Pro and Rookie of the Year and all that. And here I am just scrapping to catch a couple balls because we’re not throwing the ball. It was hard for me.

“We were in totally different situations. I was in a ball-control offense, and the receivers were kind of, I don’t want to say afterthought, but Eddie George was the guy. In Tennessee, we’d rather give Eddie 30 touches than throw the ball 30 times.”

In Minnesota, Moss got more and more balls thrown his way and even entered last season with a “Randy Ratio,” a game plan designed by head coach Mike Tice in which at least four of every 10 plays would involve a pass to Moss.

Dyson chuckles at the irony.

“I would love to be catching 11 balls a game, getting it thrown to me 20 times a game,” Dyson said. “Every receiver would love that, but it’s not like that for everybody.”

It certainly won’t be in Carolina either, where the Panthers plan on running back Stephen Davis being the focal point of the offense. Last year, no Panther receiver had more than 60 receptions.

“For guys like myself, Muhsin (Muhammad) and Steve and Ricky (Proehl), it’s a situation where you have to make the most of your opportunities,” Dyson said.

Dyson doesn’t know if things would have turned out differently had he been drafted by the Vikings and Moss selected by the Titans.

He prefers not to talk too much about Moss, but rather focus his attention on his new role with the Panthers and recovering from the hamstring injury. He’s been running routes during the team’s summer school, but said he’s still only about 85 percent.

But the coaching staff believes that when at full speed Dyson could be one of the fastest players on the team.

“He has excellent speed and soft hands,” Panthers head coach John Fox said. “Right now he’s just trying to work back to full speed.”

Dyson said he should be there by the start of training camp.

“I’m feeling good. I won’t say it’s like night and day, but it is like night and late afternoon compared to how I felt at the rookie minicamp in May,” Dyson said. “I’m not what I’d like to call Kevin Dyson yet, but I know what I’m capable of doing and I’m getting there.”

At Carolina, he’ll never be another Randy Moss.

But if he plays well, Dyson truly believes he has a chance at the one thing Moss does not — a Super Bowl ring.

 

#1 the guy has to stay healthy - if he does then he can get it done. Our rec corps go from average to damn good with a guy that can get deep from the outside. That puts Smith in the slot where he should be very dangerous and lets Moose roam the middle and get first downs. Dyson could be huge for us - if the guy can stay on the field. He still has a great amount of talent.

 

No way Dyson is faster than Steve Smith.

 

but he might be as quick, he's definately more polished

This story should be in the "love" thread in R&R, it defines it perfectly for me.

 

I even doubt he's quicker. Smith's got that compact frame with a shorter stride. He's probably more agile and gets off the ball quicker.

But Dyson's definitely a more polished receiver. I'll give you that one.

 

From the Foxhole: WR Dyson injured
June 4, 2003

Panthers.com

Panthers wide receiver Kevin Dyson tore his left Achilles tendon Wednesday morning during the team's summer school workout and is scheduled to have surgery Thursday morning. Dr. Pat Connor will perform the surgery on Dyson at Carolinas Medical Center. Dyson is expected to be placed on the physically unable to perform list entering training camp.
Carolina had signed Dyson on March 21 as an unrestricted free agent from the Tennessee Titans. In five NFL seasons, Dyson has played in 58 games with 54 starts and has tallied 176 receptions for 2,310 yards and 18 touchdowns

 

Damn, that sucks. J.J. Stokes anyone???????

 

I'm moving.

 

It's true. Damn. That took all of five seconds. Brain, you jinx everything.