*** DOLPHINS NEWS ***
Apr 29, 1997: -- Fiala Has Surgery --
** John Fiala Has Surgery
Rookie linebacker John Fiala had arthoscopic knee surgery on
Monday to remove torn cartilege from his right knee. Fiala, a 6th
round draft pick of the Dolphins, had problems with the knee last fall
and apparently re-aggravated the knee during mini-camp over the
weekend.
Fiala will return to Washington to recuperate and is expected
to be ready for the Dolphins' training camp in July.
** Zach Thomas Improves his Play
According to a report in this morning's Miami Herald, the
standout veteran at the first day of the Dolphins Quarterback school
on Monday was linebacker Zach Thomas.
After leading the team in tackles last year as a rookie,
Thomas has returned to the team in better shape and with a much better
understanding of the Dolphins' defensive scheme. This understanding
has made it easier for him to drop into the right coverage or flow to
the proper hole.
A better Zach Thomas, along with an improved secondary, can
only lead to a better Dolphin defense.
My Comments:
We all knew that Fiala might have to have surgery on the knee,
but I thought the team had said last week that he wasn't going to have
the surgery. Well, I guess they're mistaken.
Fiala was going to miss the next mini-camp anyway for school,
so as long as he's back for training camp in July, he won't have lost
anything.
As far as Zach Thomas being better - that's a truly incredible
thing to think about. With over 180 tackles last year, 2 sacks, 3
interceptions and 2 forced fumbles, it's hard to imagine an
improvement.
And for the other teams in the NFL - be afraid - be very
afraid!
Related Info:
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Curt Fennell,
curt@phins.com, DOLFAN in New England
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