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UJN: Hefty upside to Simon


Westbrook36

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And there are some of you who wonder why we didn't give 5 million a year for this fat twinkie. HE IS SO FAT A NUMBER OF HIS JERSEY CAME OFF UNDER THE STRESS OF BEING STRETCHED!!! :laugh: :laugh:

http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/091605/jag_19783604.shtml

Colts hope for end to defensive troubles with signing of Eagles castoff.

By BART HUBBUCH, The Times-Union

Even Corey Simon admits the cameras didn't lie Sunday night.

When ESPN lingered on the Indianapolis Colts' newest defensive tackle, viewers must have been shocked to see how much weight Simon had put on during his lengthy contract dispute with Philadelphia this offseason.

Simon is listed at 293 pounds, but he appeared at least 50 pounds heavier than that in his Colts debut against Baltimore. The former Florida State standout was so big that -- no joke -- one of his jersey numbers fell off during the game from being stretched too thin.

"I'm not where I want to be,'' Simon said this week. "But I'm playing my way into football shape, and I'll be fine.''

If or when that happens, the Colts expect Simon's impact on their defense to be as big as his body looked in their 24-7 victory over the Ravens in the season opener.

The Jaguars will gauge that for themselves on Sunday when they face Simon and the Colts in an AFC South showdown at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Judging from the opener, Simon's presence inside will do wonders for a defense that has been the Colts' undoing in recent years.

"He makes their defense a whole lot better,'' Jaguars running back Fred Taylor said. "Just him being there is going to free up their other guys to do a lot of damage.''

That was evident against Baltimore, even though Simon's lack of proper conditioning limited him to 30 plays. The Colts' defense, which ranked 29th in the league last year, harried the Ravens' quarterbacks and ended up just 13 seconds from a shutout.

Simon was credited with just one quarterback pressure and no tackles, but the Colts had three sacks and limited Pro Bowl running back Jamal Lewis to just 48 yards on 16 carries.

That's precisely what the Colts had in mind when they outbid several other teams for Simon's services after the Eagles unexpectedly lifted the franchise tag on Simon, a 2003 Pro Bowl selection, just before the season opener.

"Corey's going to be good for us,'' Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy said. "He played in this type of [attacking defensive] system at Florida State and really excelled, and we hope he'll do the same here.''

The Colts need Simon to excel right away, because they signed him two weeks ago to a heavily back-loaded deal worth a reported $30 million that -- because of the Colts' precarious salary-cap situation -- could result in this being his only season in Indianapolis.

Simon signed with the Colts in part because they feature a high-powered offense led by Peyton Manning, which Simon hopes will produce the Super Bowl trophy he narrowly missed out on with Philadelphia last season.

But that's not to say Simon was eager to leave the Eagles. Although he balked at the franchise tag, Simon said he planned to sign Philadelphia's tender and play for the Eagles this season before they let him walk.

"Leaving Philadelphia was bittersweet for me,'' he said. "You spend five years with guys, and you form a close bond.''

Getting used to Indianapolis after a career spent in Eagles-crazy Philadelphia also has been an adjustment.

"Indianapolis is a large city, but it doesn't have a large-city feel to it,'' Simon said. "Philadelphia is a blue-collar [football] town, and this is more basketball country.''

But Simon likes his new teammates, and they appear overjoyed to see him. With Simon as a disruptive force in the middle, defensive ends Dwight Freeney and arry Tripplett won't see nearly as many double-team blocks as they once did.

Once Simon stops stretching out his uniform, the Colts say the possibilities for their once-troubled defense are endless.

"Hopefully, the seamstress will do a better job this week with those jerseys,'' Simon said with a laugh.

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The Colts need Simon to excel right away, because they signed him two weeks ago to a heavily back-loaded deal worth a reported $30 million that -- because of the Colts' precarious salary-cap situation -- could result in this being his only season in Indianapolis.

:laugh: I was wondering bout that

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