First off, let’s hope for a speedy recovery. Surely, we would much rather hear about Sergio Kindle signing his contract and coming in to camp to prepare for his first season with the Ravens. However, there is some doubt as to whether the team will get anything out of Kindle this year after his accident late last week.

Kindle fractured his skull after falling down two flights of stairs while visiting a friend’s house. Apparently he was wandering around in the dark and was unsure of where he was in the house when the accident occurred. As the hours went by on Monday, he went from not being able to come to Baltimore for three weeks, which ruled out training camp completely, to possibly missing the whole season. If all goes well, and it’s hard to say with head injuries in a game as violent as NFL football, Kindle might be ready to play by midseason at best, or maybe down the stretch. Coach John Harbaugh has been quoted as saying the Ravens will prepare and move forward without Kindle in their plans.

For the Ravens, that means that someone already among the linebacking corps has a chance to step in a get themselves a job. That could be Antwan Barnes, Jameel McClain or Brendan Ayanbadejo, if he can get back from his injury. It would be great if any one of them can step up and show the consistency that the defense needs, particularly in rushing the quarterback. It is unfortunate for Kindle that he will miss camp; while Brett Favre can test and attempt to prove the theory that training camp may not be necessary for veterans, it is generally accepted that training camp is very necessary for rookies to get the repetitions they need to learn a new system and adapt to the pro game. Missing training camp will put him behind in that process-but his health remains the primary concern at the moment.

In looking around at comments about the story, it can’t help but be mentioned that people are beginning to question the circumstances involved in Kindle’s accident. Considering that his past contains two incidents that involved alcohol, many are questioning if alcohol was involved in this latest incident. While there has been no statement of such at the moment, it’s easy to see why people would make the connection. If that is the case, then Kindle needs to get a handle on it, or things could spiral out of control.  A problem with alcohol could set back or possibly ruin what looks to be a promising career in the NFL. Perhaps this is just an accident with a case of bad luck and bad timing thrown in. Whatever it is, let’s hope that Kindle gets on the mend soon and is able to join the team when he is ready.