With Martin’s Status in Question, Jets Deal for Browns’ RB Suggs
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The Jets, preparing for the possibility of life without Curtis Martin, acquired running back Lee Suggs from the Cleveland Browns yesterday for defensive back Derrick Strait.
With the 33-year-old Martin, the NFL’s fourth leading career rusher, on the physically-unable-to-perform list because of a lingering knee injury, the Jets were desperate to get another back. Derrick Blaylock and Cedric Houston are 1–2 right now, but neither is the type of player who can shoulder the entire rushing load.
“It’s good for the team,” Blaylock said. “Whatever we can do to help the team, that’s what it’s all about. It’s all about the team here. When he gets here, whatever I can do to help him, I’ll help him.”
Martin’s future is uncertain. He underwent surgery on his right knee in Decemberm and has yet to practice. Reports have said he has a “bone on bone” condition in his knee. But Martin continues to rehab, and said last week he wants to play this season. He has been an ironman his entire career, known as much for his running as his ability to play through pain.
Suggs hasn’t been able to stay on the field for the Browns, who selected him in the fourth round of the 2003 draft.At various times, Suggs has been sidelined by injuries to a shoulder, neck, toe, ankle, and thumb.
The speedy 6-foot, 213-pounder appeared in only seven games as a rookie because of a shoulder injury he sustained at Virginia Tech. In his final game that season, he ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns.
Suggs won a starting job in training camp in 2004, but hurt his neck in the final preseason game and was inactive for the first three games of the regular season. He returned to play in seven games before missing three straight with a toe injury.
He finished that season with 744 yards and two touchdowns.
Suggs hurt his ankle during the preseason last year and missed Cleveland’s first two games. He dressed in Weeks 3 and 4 but injured his thumb and was inactive for six weeks.
Strait was a third-round pick in 2004 but has been a backup in his two NFL seasons. During camp, he moved over to safety in the absence of Erik Coleman, out after an appendectomy.
