Armond Armstead still has "clotting and other medical issues"

There were high hopes for defensive tackle Armond Armstead when the former CFL All Star signed with the Patriots last offseason. Viewed by many as a second round level prospect during his time at USC, the prevailing thought was that the Patriots might have added a talented playmaker to their defensive line rotation for virtually peanuts. Even Bill Belichick contributed to the hype with comments that Armstead would have been third in the team's rotation, behind only Vince Wilfork and Tommy Kelly.

However, talented players don't go undrafted for no reason, and in Armstead's case the reason was a heart attack suffered in 2011, costing him his senior year at USC. While he did return to play and play well in the CFL following the incident, health issues have kept him off the field since signing with the Patriots.

The pending lawsuit surrounding Armstead's heart attack lends a few clues to the big DT's recent absence from team OTAs. Armstead's lawyers, Roger Dreyer and Robert Bale, allege in the lawsuit that the heart attack was a complication due to usage of the painkiller Toradol, and in April Bale told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Yvette Palazuelos that his client had yet to be cleared by team doctors to return to the field, while also noting that his client still suffers from clotting and other medical issues.

None of this is good news for those hoping to get some defensive contributions from Armstead this year. The defensive tackle hasn't been spotted by reporters at the Patriots facility since May 30th, the first day of media access at team OTA's, and at that point was with the group of players undergoing rehab. If Armstead now isn't even deemed ready to participate in rehab workouts, it's probably fair to surmise that the health issues he's facing are fairly serious.

The Twitter account of Armstead's father, Guss, may lend a few clues as well. Guss tweeted that he was in Boston on June 4, merely days after the last Armstead sighting in Foxborough, and tweeted out the following on June 8.


Through it all, Armstead has by all accounts kept his head down and kept working as hard as he can to return to the field. He was recently praised for his attitude and work ethic by Head Coach Bill Belichick.

“Armond’s really worked hard. He’s had a lot of adversity personally that he’s had to deal with. Unusual compared to most other players. He’s had a great attitude, worked hard. He’s really done everything we’ve asked him to do.”

“I think that he’s a young kid who has done a great job of trying to come into the Patriots and work hard,” added veteran defensive lineman Rob Ninkovich. “Obviously there have been issues that are out of his control. I don’t want to speak on his behalf of anything that’s ever happened to him, but as far as his personality goes, he’s a teammate that you want to have around. He’s working hard and trying to get better. You really can’t ask for anything more.”

However, a great attitude won't get Armstead medically cleared by itself, and at this point it could be wishful thinking to hope for a sudden turnaround allowing him to play anytime soon. It's another reason for Patriots fans to be excited about first round pick Dominique Easley making his first on-the-field appearance at OTA's last week, as the Pats may be counting on him for production far earlier than most had anticipated.

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