I had knee surgery from jiu jitsu and heavy weight lifting...and yes my knee feels VERY fragile....whether I step in a hole in the ground or make a sudden jerky movement....it's not the same...EVER....yes even my 5y old accidentally pushing off it hurts.......bottom line...I'm VERY concerned about the most important component to the team,.....the QB position.
Do you still roll? I've been rolling with an instructor from RMNU BJJ in Tampa (actually, his class is about an hour south of Tampa) on an off for about a year. I freakin' LOVE BJJ, but you're right about the joint stuff. Then again, I think BJJ can be better for joints (you're more conscious about stretching because you're on the ground and you just feel your level of stretch in the guard, for example) and while surprises happen, unless there's an accident or your sparring partner is trying to hurt you or you're in a competition, then it's just harder to get caught by surprise. Not impossible, just...harder. On a football field, there are a bunch of guys running around...big guys and guys are trying to remain on their feet, so they brace themselves which often will put a limb into a bracing posture only to have some large mass like another player come crashing into that limb at a very unfortunate angle, doing damage to the joint and/or bones. Also, it'd be really rare for someone in BJJ to come at another person with a 30 yard flying head start before engaging them. That much energy, even with pads can add to the trauma...greatly.
Anyway, yeah, certain joints once the initial integrity is violated aren't every really "as good as new". Vertebra are probably at the top of the list followed by hips, then knees.
I think Bradford's gonna be okay. That said, he may have a few hits that take him out of the game like this this season. Question will be: Will teams intentionally go low on Sam's left knee? I know I'll be looking to see...