Corey Simon ...etc...etc...

[DontTakeAkili]

This is just a gut feeling, but I think that Saban will talk (and pay) Simon into playing for Miami. I think Simon will like the idea of not constantly getting double-teamed because of the strength of their front four.

Other than Ronnie Brown and Chris Chambers, I can't think of an offensive player that Miami is worried about re-signing. Saban will spend on D and build through the draft on offense.

But, damn, I hope I am wrong. Long term salary cap problems or not, I would love to have a player of Simon's quality in the middle of our line. I'm not sure what would happen to Robinson and Thorton, and I don't think I care...

[schweinhart]

I honeslty think the Bengals make an offer they think he is worth, and don't go overboard. Yet I also think this will be the best offer from a team with over 6 wins. We'll see how it plays out, but the Bengals are in a good positon thanks to the fact Simon is a free agent so late.

Free agent so late in the season certainly makes all of this more intriguing.

Teams not willing to reshuffle their rosters this close to the start of the season won't be as inclined to make the kind of bid they would have early in free agency because of all the time to realign the roster in the off-season.

The Bengals should have a real shot at getting Simon.

But Redsfan is on the money about Simon...It's all about money, don't matter what team it is to him.

[HoosierCat]

The other 3 to watch out for are San Fran, Miami, and NY Giants (especially the Giants). They have cap room and a need at DT. Now, none of those teams are in a Super Bowl mode, but if Simon is all about getting paid these are the teams that can afford it.

I thought the Giants would jump on Simon too, but word up here is they're short on money after their FA buying spree (Burress, etc.). Agree that SF, Miami and NYG are not attractive options w/o a boatload of money.

[BengalszoneBilly]

But Redsfan is on the money about Simon...It's all about money, don't matter what team it is to him.

Still not what I'd call an advantage for Cincy. Mike Browns rep isn't one of a big spender. He seems to be more of a "Nickle & Dimer" to me. Hell, I bet Mike Brown doesn't even tip the standard 15% on a dinner tab when he eats at a resturant. Hey Shula's Steakhouse! You got any insight on this?

The Redskins owner Dan Snyder would be considered one, not that it's done him alot of good though. You'd think he'd have dropped a few $$$ on a real QB for Washington by now!

[BengalszoneBilly]

I'm not sure what would happen to Robinson and Thorton, and I don't think I care...

Robinsons a keeper. Thorton can play 2nd string or hit the road. I really don't care which.

[kingwilly]

after the recent defensive splurge in KC, how can they afford Simon?

If Simon goes to Indy and stays healthy, Indy just gave themselves a shot to go all the way.

If he comes here, still unlikley to me, we just vaulted ourselves into the upper crust.

[HoosierCat]

Well...it was nice while it lasted...from profootballtalk.com...

SIMON SAYS "YES" TO COLTS?

A league source has tipped us off to a rumor making the rounds regarding the destination of former Eagles defensive tackle Corey Simon.

Per the source, there's talk that the Colts have reached an agreement with Simon on a deal carrying a $13 million signing bonus.

As another league source explained, the bonus money (if the rumors are true) most likely includes a sizable 2006 option bonus, given the team's current cap situation.

The move would make sense, since the Colts' current depth chart at the D-tackle position features only two veterans -- 2002 second-round pick Larry Tripplett and 2003 free-agent pickup Montae Reagor, who hasn't played at all in the preseason due to a groin injury.  The rest are first-year player Jason Stewart, 2005 third-round pick Vincent Burns, 2005 undrafted free agent Darrell Reid, journeyman Josh Mallard, and 2005 undrafted free agent Blake Lobel.

Several teams have expressed interest in Simon, and several others were believed to be interested in acquiring him.  Since he's represented by Roosevelt Barnes and Eugene Parker, we can't help but wonder what one of their other clients, Steelers receiver Hines Ward, thinks about the speed with which Simon got paid (if, again, the rumors are true).  Ward is still waiting for Parker and/or Barnes to wrap up negotiations on a long-term deal that supposedly was imminent when Ward ended a holdout more than two weeks ago.

[scott91575]

If the Colts thing is true, that is a surprise. Definately a team that figures "we need to win now, and here is our chance." If they do this they are the 49ers of the future. I suppose a SB win would be worth it.

The contract with Simon has the title "Welcome to Salary Cap Hell"

[HoosierCat]

The contract with Simon has the title "Welcome to Salary Cap Hell"

Nah. Again, assuming the NFL's gossip column is right...my bet is that it's essentially a 1 year deal worth $5-6 million. Say $3 million salary (guaranteed), a million in signing bonus, and a $1.5 million roster bonus payable Sept. 11 or something like that. Little more than a $5 million cap hit this year, for one year, and then less than a million in dead money in '06 when he's cut before his unguaranteed $10 million (or whatever) roster bonus has to be paid March 1. Colts get his services for 1 year while they try to work up their younger DTs, Simon gets his franchise tender $$$ without threat of the tag again and will be a FA next year.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

If the Colts thing is true, that is a surprise. Definately a team that figures "we need to win now, and here is our chance." If they do this they are the 49ers of the future. I suppose a SB win would be worth it.

The contract with Simon has the title "Welcome to Salary Cap Hell"

Yeah too bad the Bengals' don't have the "win now" mentality the Colts have, it's not as if you'd only get Simon for one year. But ultimately he's not worth that much $, his #'s have declined every year since his rookie season, so it's hard to be too disappointed.

He and Freeney should make for a nice duo upfront though, if that report/rumor is true.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

The contract with Simon has the title "Welcome to Salary Cap Hell"

Nah. Again, assuming the NFL's gossip column is right...my bet is that it's essentially a 1 year deal worth $5-6 million. Say $3 million salary (guaranteed), a million in signing bonus, and a $1.5 million roster bonus payable Sept. 11 or something like that. Little more than a $5 million cap hit this year, for one year, and then less than a million in dead money in '06 when he's cut before his unguaranteed $10 million (or whatever) roster bonus has to be paid March 1. Colts get his services for 1 year while they try to work up their younger DTs, Simon gets his franchise tender $$$ without threat of the tag again and will be a FA next year.

Why would Simon want to risk becoming a FA again? I'm not sure about that.

[derekshank]

Well, I kind of hope the report is right. I have never been a big fan of signing Simon. He may be better than Thornton... but the Eagles had it right. He' sjust not worth the amount of money he's asking. The Eagles are willing to go with guys that are less proven, but have a reasonable price.

I think our real issues are depth at safety. Robinson and Thornton may not make the best DT duo on the league, but they will be serviceable. I think we have a few more S signings to do. At this point, one injury back there can cripple us for the season. (pun intended)

[HoosierCat]

Why would Simon want to risk becoming a FA again? I'm not sure about that.

Why would he not? Had he been released in March he would have easily been the top FA DT on the market. The Ravens were reportedly ready to give up 2nd and 3rd round picks to the Eagles for him, but didn't want to pay him six bills a year average on top of that. At 28, one more year likely won't hurt much, especially if the Colts make the playoffs (which, given the AFCS, seems the closest thing to a lock in the league). And who knows, maybe the Colts decide to redo the deal in '06 to keep him.

Again, this is all based on pft.com stuff, which is right about as much as it's wrong. But I thought one of these "funny money" 1-year deals was a likely outcome.

[cincy90]

I don't see us getting Simon. Marvin builds the team through the draft. We have never signed top free agents as long as he's been here. We've missed out on several similar free agent situations when all the fans get excited. Doesn't the speech Marvin gave when he was talking about Pollack (the "if they try to squeeze out every dollar, they aren't right for the team" speech) apply perfectly to this situation? All I hear about is Simon will sign with the highest bidder, and he wants to be the highest paid d-lineman in the nfl. This doesn't seem to mesh well to the selfless team philosophy that Marvin abides by.

Nonetheless, I hope we sign Simon for a reasonable price. But I wouldn't want to sacrifice the future signings and resignings to pick him up a little over a week before the season starts.

[HoosierCat]

Lenny sez it’s true…

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/stor..._len&id=2148463

There remain a few incidental elements to be addressed, but ESPN.com confirmed Wednesday night through sources close to the negotiations that the Indianapolis Colts have reached agreement with defensive tackle Corey Simon on virtually all the major financial components of a contract, and that an agreement could be officially struck as early as Thursday morning.

In fact, two Colts players told ESPN.com on Wednesday night that they were apprised by a member of the coaching staff earlier in the evening that the acquisition of Simon is now imminent.

At least two other franchises, the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks, until Wednesday night had remained in the hunt for Simon, who became a free agent on Sunday night when the Philadelphia Eagles rescinded the "franchise" designation placed on him six months ago. There were also a few teams that had stayed in contact with agent Roosevelt Barnes, but which did not get involved in substantive negotiations.

It was Indianapolis, however, which ratcheted up discussions and which is much further along in negotiations and poised to consummate what will likely be a five-year deal that could make Simon one of the NFL's highest paid defensive tackles.

Beyond conceding that his client was "very close" to making a decision on where he will resume his career, Barnes declined comment on Wednesday night.

Landing the five-year veteran would be a coup for the Colts, who have been criticized in some quarters for the perceived failure to upgrade a defense that statistically ranked No. 29 in the league in 2004. The Colts brass apparently feels that Simon could be the kind of interior force that defensive tackle Warren Sapp was in Tampa Bay when Indianapolis' Tony Dungy was the Bucs' head coach.

Certainly a player of Simon's caliber, a defender who can provide inside penetration and has the rare ability to collapse the pocket from the tackle spot, would only enhance the upfield rush skills of "edge" players such as star right end Dwight Freeney, the league's defending sack champion. Training camp injuries to veteran starter Montae Reagor and to third-round draft choice Vincent Burns have left the Colts thin at defensive tackle. But a trio of Simon, Reagor and Larry Tripplett, if everyone is healthy, would provide the team an excellent tackle rotation.

Simon, 28, has 32 career sacks and 105 quarterback hurries, numbers that illustrate his skills as a pass rusher. But the former Florida State star, who has one of the thickest lower bodies in the league, is also a solid defender against the run. And he figures to benefit from the one-gap style favored by Dungy and coordinator Ron Meeks.

While surprising, the Eagles' decision to rescind the franchise marker on Sunday was is not altogether stunning, given the depth that the Eagles possess at the position, and the frustration of some club officials at not being able to get the former first-round draft choice into training camp. Simon had declined to sign the one-year qualifying offer of $5.134 million for a defensive tackle. The Eagles, because of collective bargaining language governing franchise players, could not negotiate a long-term deal with Simon until he signed the one-year tender.

By rescinding the qualifying offer, the Eagles recouped the $5.134 million in salary cap space that was assigned to Simon. The characteristically cap-healthy Eagles, who usually have one of the best managed caps in the league, did not need the extra money to make any roster moves. Instead, the club simply decided it could survive without Simon, who has started every game in which he appeared for the team.

The Eagles enjoy rare depth at defensive tackle, a position that is historically difficult to fill for any NFL club. In addition to starting veterans Darwin Walker and Hollis Thomas and key backups Sam Rayburn and Paul Grasmanis, the team used its first-round pick in this year's draft to grab former Southern California standout defensive tackle Mike Patterson, who has played well in camp and the preseason.

There had been rumors that Simon would report before the start of the season, and some teammates and even Philadelphia officials had remained in close contact with him, as he worked out at his home in Tallahassee, Fla. Clearly, though, the Eagles were not inclined to wait any longer on the five-year veteran.

Philadelphia nearly traded Simon to the Baltimore Ravens earlier in the spring. In fact, the two teams had agreed on compensation, believed to have been second- and third-round picks in the 2005 draft, but Simon could not reach agreement with the Ravens on a long-term contract and the discussions fell apart.

A Pro Bowl performer in 2003, Simon was the Eagles' first-round choice in the 2000 draft and he has missed only two regular-season games. In addition to his sack totals, he has 270 tackles, six forced fumbles, three recoveries and 15 pass deflections, and has appeared in 78 games.

[Bengal Joe]

The Bengals lose out on a free agent again according to espn.comColts reach agreement with defensive tackle Simon

[Who?]

Yeah.. I was right. Sorry!

[DontPushMe]

Its ok, we are going to "Go to war with what we've got"

Edit, merging threads rocks, next time I want to post a thread, im posting it in 2 parts, and letting you guys combine it.

[Whur CHad At?]

Another missed oppurtunity.

Thorton Sucks.

Robinson.OK.

I am getting sick and tired of being little girls in free agency. Sapp, Sharper, Vincent,Taylor, and now Simon. I hope we finish last in run defense this year. I am sick of people saying we are poor, but in reality we have 6.5 mil under the cap which is muchos to spend on FA's and re-signing people. I forget who it was but someone said if we signed Simon we would have to Cut Simmons, Braham and some other players were listed. That is so wrong. How come the Colts who had a little less money under the cap than we did can afford this guy. Let's see they have a guy who the paid $100 mil w/ a $35 mil sb. And I think Harrison has about a $67 mil contract, Tarik Glenn with about a $40 mil contract and still they are fine. STOP SAYING WE ARE POOR I AM SICK OF IT. WE ARE CHEAP NOT POOR.

But i Hope my boy Chad holds out next year, cuz we prob. won't give him what he wants. Maybe we will offer a $1 mil, maybe, that might be too much money I don't know. Sorry for going off point, i am just too pissed off.

I want to WIN NOW! SO does the city. We are sick of being losers. We can't win with one average and one terrible and one worthless DT. RB's are still averaging a lot of carries moree than 10 yards. We need to stop the run. Simon would of really upgraded that line immensly.

[dave]

I am getting sick and tired of being little girls in free agency. Sapp, Sharper, Vincent,Taylor, and now Simon. I hope we finish last in run defense this year.

Good lord. How about the possibility that he had other reasons besides $ for wanting to sign with Indy?

[BengalszoneBilly]

It was Indianapolis, however, which ratcheted up discussions and which is much further along in negotiations and poised to consummate what will likely be a five-year deal that could make Simon one of the NFL's highest paid defensive tackles.

Well he got pretty much what he was looking for. $$$ There's no way on Gods green earth that Mike Brown would have okayed the cash for that.

[walshfan]

The contract with Simon has the title "Welcome to Salary Cap Hell"

Nah. Again, assuming the NFL's gossip column is right...my bet is that it's essentially a 1 year deal worth $5-6 million. Say $3 million salary (guaranteed), a million in signing bonus, and a $1.5 million roster bonus payable Sept. 11 or something like that. Little more than a $5 million cap hit this year, for one year, and then less than a million in dead money in '06 when he's cut before his unguaranteed $10 million (or whatever) roster bonus has to be paid March 1. Colts get his services for 1 year while they try to work up their younger DTs, Simon gets his franchise tender $$$ without threat of the tag again and will be a FA next year.

Joisey how do you know that his bonus money isnt guaranteed.. Maybe they agreed to it and will make necessary cuts to veterans next season... Letting Reggie Wayne walk would seem like a dropoff in their offense but Im inclined to believe that Peyton Manning's accurate passes will make an average widout that can seperate well look very good..Manning is that good...

[andybren]

It was Indianapolis, however, which ratcheted up discussions and which is much further along in negotiations and poised to consummate what will likely be a five-year deal that could make Simon one of the NFL's highest paid defensive tackles.

Well he got pretty much what he was looking for. $$$ There's no way on Gods green earth that Mike Brown would have okayed the cash for that.

What other reason would you have for leaving the defending conference champion? Philly can't be that bad of a place to live/work in.

Regardless, we're better off without him. Aside from whether or not the money was available, and what sacrifices would have to be made with next year's contracts, we don't need this sort of ego in our lockerroom. Not with the post-PDub chaos still receeding.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Manning is that good...

So what happens to all that "goodness" when he plays the Patriots? It's nowhere to be found, EVER! He's an over-rated Tennessee hick that has taken advantage of the NFL's new rules on coverage against lesser teams. That's it. I'll take Tom Brady anyday over him.

Oh, and to stay on topic, Simon will improve Indy's defense. (No duh, huh?)

[bengalsLB]

hell i'm happy as hell we didn't get simon well stick with what we got at DT this season and draft one in the first round next season... freeney breaks strahans sack record