Who knows what Chris Simms' game looks like these days -- he missed most of the 2006 season after having his spleen removed, and then lost his job last year to Jeff Garcia -- but as long as he can walk, he's a prime candidate for the Bears' quarterback job.
Last week, I mentioned that the Cowboys had shown interest in Simms -- and, according to friends, he reciprocated -- but Chicago and Detroit are also in the mix. Which means that Simms, Tampa Bay's former starter, would be buried on the depth chart behind Garcia, and Brian Griese and Luke McCown and rookie Josh Johnson would also be vying for roster spots.
Pretty sure head coach Jon Gruden wasn't keeping five quarterbacks on the roster, which is why Simms won't be in Tampa Bay come September.
One reasonable alternative would be to trade Simms for a conditional draft pick based on his playing time. Tampa Bay could initially receive a seventh-round draft pick that could increase to a fifth- or fourth-rounder based on Simms' performance this season. Both teams win in that scenario.It is odd that the Bucs didn't move Simms earlier, but if they can work something out before training camp, then it won't matter. The Bears are the obvious choice because, well, they currently don't have a quarterback on the roster.
The worst thing is to proudly send a message to Simms that he will only be moved when Tampa Bay says so. Simms could have been traded on draft day, but the longer Tampa Bay holds on to him, his odds of learning another playbook and contributing to another team this season decreases. There is no need to be perceived as a team trying to hurt Simms' career by holding on to him.
Why they chose not to address that gaping hole is anybody's guess; Simms is an upgrade over Rex Grossman or Kyle Orton, but I'm not sure he's anything more than a short-term solution. But that's still better than their current situation, although such a move shouldn't preclude the team from actually looking for a franchise quarterback next offseason.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-15-2008 @ 5:12PM
al coholic said...
Simms is better than any of the others except Garcia. His dad took a few years to mature into a good quarterback. Maybe Phil can do the same. He's got a lot of the old man's toughness in him. A lot of Giant fans would love to have him as backup for Eli. It has the potential to be a great story.
By the way, good post.
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7-15-2008 @ 6:17PM
brian said...
bucs should trade simms & a 5th rd. pic for favre i'd guarantee a championship game with cowboys
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7-15-2008 @ 11:59PM
George B Vieto said...
Chris Simms would do very well in Dallas or Chicago because in Dallas he would have great teammates to throw the ball to and if he goes to Chicago he might be better than Rex Grossman or Kyle Orton as quarterback. His Tampa Bay days are history.
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7-16-2008 @ 2:32AM
Ed said...
To George. Chris Simms wouldn't do well in Dallas because he won't start in Dallas. There's a guy named Tony Romo thats sort of the starter there. Chicago is a complete mess with no QB and no receivers. Joe Montana couldn't even jumpstart that offense. Sorry to be sarcastic, but your comment is just plain silly. And dude, whats up with the whole George B Vieto shit. Is it really necessary to put your middle initial there?
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7-19-2008 @ 10:28AM
Fred said...
I think the Bucs should take whatever they can get for Simms, after all he really hasn't played in almost three years. Who knows what he can or can't do?
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7-20-2008 @ 7:30PM
Jim said...
Simms is too good to be a Lion.
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8-02-2008 @ 9:40AM
Nick said...
Simms is not going anywhere. They first wanted to see where he was at and from the look of things Gruden has changed his tune and Simms has followed. Now Simms is saying he'll do what ever it takes to win games for Tampa. WHAT!! you don't want to be traded any longer? Gruden says " I like Chris a lot and I'm going to give him a chance to prove himself". Doesn't sound like Chris is going anywhere. They would have let him go a long long long time ago. Don't be surprised if he wins his starting job back. Simms is by far the best QB on Tampa Bay roster when healthy, not Garcia, Griese or McCown. and Gruden knows that.
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