It hasn't yet developed into a case of all-out buyer's remorse but, when it comes to defensive tackle Corey Simon, some doubts are beginning to creep in about the Indianapolis Colts' decision in the summer of 2005 to sign him to a five-year, $30 million contract shortly after the Philadelphia Eagles cut him free.
The thinking at the time was that Simon, who had missed all of training camp, would provide the undersized Colts the kind of wide-bodied run-stuffer the club did not have on its roster. Simon reported overweight and out of shape, however, and, while he played well in spurts, collected just 41 tackles, didn't have a single sack, and clearly wasn't the difference-maker many anticipated he might be in the Indianapolis one-gap scheme. This year, after quietly undergoing arthroscopic left knee surgery in August, the six-year veteran hasn't returned to practice yet, much less played in a game, and he will sit out Sunday's key matchup against Jacksonville.
Simon is said to have dealt, at least somewhat, with the weight issues he brought with him to Indianapolis in 2005, but one has to wonder now if his conditioning is suffering again from inactivity. The Colts gave Simon $13 million in guarantees and, by the end of this season, will have invested about $16 million in him. His base salary for 2006 is $2.5 million, but then it escalates to $3.55 million in 2007 and $5 million each in 2008 and 2009. That's nearly $14 million in those years and, if Simon doesn't get back on the field soon and produce, the Colts might want to reconsider whether he is worth that kind of money. ESPN.com was among those that lauded the addition of Simon in 2005. Now we're beginning to wonder about it and, more important, so are a few people in the Colts' organization.
The thinking at the time was that Simon, who had missed all of training camp, would provide the undersized Colts the kind of wide-bodied run-stuffer the club did not have on its roster. Simon reported overweight and out of shape, however, and, while he played well in spurts, collected just 41 tackles, didn't have a single sack, and clearly wasn't the difference-maker many anticipated he might be in the Indianapolis one-gap scheme. This year, after quietly undergoing arthroscopic left knee surgery in August, the six-year veteran hasn't returned to practice yet, much less played in a game, and he will sit out Sunday's key matchup against Jacksonville.
Simon is said to have dealt, at least somewhat, with the weight issues he brought with him to Indianapolis in 2005, but one has to wonder now if his conditioning is suffering again from inactivity. The Colts gave Simon $13 million in guarantees and, by the end of this season, will have invested about $16 million in him. His base salary for 2006 is $2.5 million, but then it escalates to $3.55 million in 2007 and $5 million each in 2008 and 2009. That's nearly $14 million in those years and, if Simon doesn't get back on the field soon and produce, the Colts might want to reconsider whether he is worth that kind of money. ESPN.com was among those that lauded the addition of Simon in 2005. Now we're beginning to wonder about it and, more important, so are a few people in the Colts' organization.
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