PA Season Ticket Holder
05-11-2003, 01:48 PM
He didn't get the first-round recognition or prestige that went to Carson Palmer, Byron Leftwich, Kyle Boller and Rex Grossman. He won't get the first-round money they'll pocket, either.
Chris Simms probably will always feel a sense of disappointment and disrespect because he wasn't part of the chosen quarterbacking elite in the 2003 NFL Draft.
Yet in three or four years, when analysts look back on all 13 quarterbacks selected, there is a good chance they will deem Simms the most successful.
Physical and mental skills will do their part to cause separation, in one form or another, within the pack. After that, it comes down to opportunity, environment, coaching and supporting cast.
I see Simms in a position to have a perfect blend of all those ingredients. I see the lefty from Texas evolving into the top-notch NFL player he was widely projected to become when he seemed destined for the first round. And it is in large part because he did slip far enough for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to grab him at the bottom of the third round -- one spot before he would have become a second-day pick -- that I am so encouraged about Simms' chances of thriving.
Palmer and Boller might have the earliest opportunity to play, and that isn't necessarily a good thing. Quarterbacks pressed into action too soon tend to suffer from their inexperience. Besides drawing the wrath of coaches, media and fans, their mistakes also can lead to a good deal of physical pain delivered by pass rushers they simply don't know enough to avoid.
Leftwich also could very well be pressed into action sooner rather than later, depending on the outcome of contract negotiations between his new team, Jacksonville, and incumbent starter Mark Brunell. The consequences could be especially devastating for a rookie with limited mobility facing a fairly large learning curve going from mid-major-level competition at Marshall to the NFL.
http://www.buccaneers.com/newsroom/newspage.asp?newsid=3037
Chris Simms probably will always feel a sense of disappointment and disrespect because he wasn't part of the chosen quarterbacking elite in the 2003 NFL Draft.
Yet in three or four years, when analysts look back on all 13 quarterbacks selected, there is a good chance they will deem Simms the most successful.
Physical and mental skills will do their part to cause separation, in one form or another, within the pack. After that, it comes down to opportunity, environment, coaching and supporting cast.
I see Simms in a position to have a perfect blend of all those ingredients. I see the lefty from Texas evolving into the top-notch NFL player he was widely projected to become when he seemed destined for the first round. And it is in large part because he did slip far enough for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to grab him at the bottom of the third round -- one spot before he would have become a second-day pick -- that I am so encouraged about Simms' chances of thriving.
Palmer and Boller might have the earliest opportunity to play, and that isn't necessarily a good thing. Quarterbacks pressed into action too soon tend to suffer from their inexperience. Besides drawing the wrath of coaches, media and fans, their mistakes also can lead to a good deal of physical pain delivered by pass rushers they simply don't know enough to avoid.
Leftwich also could very well be pressed into action sooner rather than later, depending on the outcome of contract negotiations between his new team, Jacksonville, and incumbent starter Mark Brunell. The consequences could be especially devastating for a rookie with limited mobility facing a fairly large learning curve going from mid-major-level competition at Marshall to the NFL.
http://www.buccaneers.com/newsroom/newspage.asp?newsid=3037