No panic, but Beanie needs to get on the field

“Flush the bombers, get the subs in launch mode. We are at DEFCON 1.”

War Games. Classic 80’s movie. DEFCON 1: Turn the keys, launch the missiles….it’s the end of the world.

For years now I’ve just flat out stolen the DEFCON ratings system from the movie to measure my state of panic about a sports story, with DEFCON 1 being exactly that; the end of the world. But here from NFC Champ Camp in Flagstaff, after watching last night’s practice, when it comes to Cardinals Running Back Beanie Wells, I am at…

DEFCON 3

On Tuesday morning it was DEFCON 4. Plenty of time, I reasoned. He’s close to being back, I said. There are still three whole preseason games left in the year. What is there to panic about?

He can’t get himself on the field, that’s what.

After he reinjured his ankle at Lumberjack Stadium Tuesday night, I downgraded him to DEFCON 3. When he gets on the field, he doesn’t stay there very long. When he’s been on the field he still looks cautious and gimpy. Training Camp has come and gone and Beanie is probably wondering why he made the trip up the hill.

The Cards knew the risk/reward factor when they took him. Picking him at the bottom of the first round lent itself to a low risk situation. And they’re still a pass-first offense with wide receivers that are seemingly growing on trees. Tim Hightower has looked like one motivated man here in Flagstaff. For all those reasons I’ll leave it at DEFCON 3.

But I need to see him on the practice field and in preseason games and I need to see it soon. I need evidence that Beanie can differentiate between pain-you-can-play-with and an injury. Two weeks from now, if none of those things have happened?

DEFCON 2. One step closer to panic.

Follow @Tyler_Bassett