Coming off Achilles tendon surgery in a soft cornerback market, Brent Grimes was able to score a one-year, $5.5 million contract from the Miami Dolphins earlier this offseason.
Debate: Optimism in the air
Our analysts discuss teams with good reasons to feel good heading into 2013, including Carson Palmer's Cardinals. **More ...**
The Dolphins believe they have a bargain on their hands after Grimes turned in the most impressive offseason performance on the team, shutting down Mike Wallace and showing a knack for knocking away passes.
"Every day Brent Grimes does something where we're like, 'that guy is a freak athletically.' Blows my mind," tight end Charles Clay told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Monday. "He has the quarterbacks saying, 'I'm not going to throw to that guy.'"
Wallace testified that Grimes is one of the most athletic players he's seen, while head coach Joe Philbin praised the cornerback's instincts and competitiveness.
It's early yet, but Grimes certainly appears to be another example of the advances in Achilles surgery and rehabilitation. As recently as a decade ago, this often was a career-ending injury, especially for speed-reliant players such as cornerbacks, wide receivers and running backs.
An incision that used to be six to eight inches long has been reduced to a couple of centimeters, minimizing the risk and allowing players to begin rehabilitation much sooner.
Pass rushers Terrell Suggs and Da'Quan Bowers both made it back on the field last season after only five months of rehabilitation. The most encouraging example for Grimes is Demaryius Thomas. Another freakishly athletic player, Thomas proved last season that he didn't lose a single step from his 2011 surgery.
Follow Chris Wesseling on Twitter @ChrisWesseling.
