Saturday, Sep. 05, 2009

Carriker may need surgery

Defensive tackle suffered 'significant' injury to shoulder

ST. LOUIS -- Defensive tackle Adam Carriker has a "significant shoulder injury" that may require surgery, St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said Friday.

If Carriker has surgery, he could miss the entire 2009 season.

Carriker injured his left shoulder in the Rams' preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday. He had an MRI on the shoulder Friday.

"It is a significant shoulder injury," Spagnuolo said. "We're still in the process of determining which way to go, how long it's going to be and navigating through that, so we won't really have a final decision on Adam until tomorrow."

For Carriker, a first-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the injury is another in a long line of setbacks.

Carriker missed the Rams' first three preseason games because of a sprained ankle suffered in the team's intrasquad scrimmage.

Gary Gibson had taken over Carriker's starting spot on the defensive line.

"It hurts," Spagnuolo said of Carriker's injury. "Although there were a couple of plays I thought he looked impressive on, but now it's not so much that as it is the significance of the injury that we're concerned about.

"So when we know a little bit more about the timetable, how long it would rehab, this, that and the other thing, then we'll have to make a decision."

Spagnuolo said Carriker injured the opposite shoulder that required surgery for a torn labrum at the end of the 2007 season.

That recovery from surgery on his left shoulder, and a subsequent high ankle sprain, were factors in Carriker struggling last season.

He played in 15 games (nine starts) last season, tallying 40 tackles and no sacks.

Spagnuolo said safety Craig Dahl (hamstring), running back Samkon Gado (ribs) and defensive end Eric Moore (wrist) are all day-to-day.

Spagnuolo said he hoped that Dahl would be back on the practice field by Wednesday, while Gado's status will come down to pain tolerance because he has an issue with the cartilage around his ribs.

An X-ray on Moore's wrist was negative.

Safety David Roach had an MRI on his heel, but Spagnuolo said he didn't know the results.

Cornerback Justin King has a mild knee sprain. Spagnuolo said he didn't think the injury would cost King any practice time.

The Rams must trim 21 players by 3 p.m. today to get their roster down to the NFL limit of 53.