I'm just going to come out and say it: Simeon Rice is better than Anthony Weaver. No offense to Weavs, but Rice--released yesterday by Tampa Bay--is just one season removed from a 14 sack campaign. The 33-year-old has posted sack totals of 15.5, 15, 12, 14, and 2 in the last five seasons.

Yes, he had a bad--even by our d-line--season last year, posting only 2 sacks and 18 tackles in 8 games. Rice was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury last November, but, prior to that, had missed only two total games in his other 10 NFL seasons. Which is to say, if the shoulder is healed, there is no reason to think that he will play an abbreviated schedule this season.

Of course, that's a big "if." Apparently, Rice failed a physical yesterday, which may have been part of the reason he was let go.

But, assuming that "if," can you imagine what an upgrade Simeon would be? We've talked most of the post-draft offseason about how Amobi should remove a little of the pressure from Super Mario. Well, put Amobi and Simeon Rice on the left side (and assume that Anthony Maddox plays like he did over the last few weeks of last year), and Mario will face one blocker almost all the time. One. Instead of 2+.

Now, I will grant you that Simeon was due to receive $7.5MM this season (which also probably figured into his release), so this isn't going to be a Keenan McCardell no one else wants me hometown sweetheart deal. However, even with all of our dead money and the money we just paid McCardell, we should still have around $6.5MM to play with. And I am reasonably sure that a healthy Rice would sign for the something in the $3.5-4MM range.

SO... yes, I am just rambling. And, yes, this is most likely a bigger pipe-dream than my crush on Sam Adams was. And, true, there is very little to indicate that Smithiak will even pursue something like this. STILL (or "THAT SAID" if you prefer), I claim that I am right about this.

(By the way, and before you ask, I am at the airport and, yes, I have been drinking. Stop looking at me like that. I hate it when you judge me.)

Labels: Beer, Sam Adams, Self-Referential Stuff, Simeon Rice, Super Mario, Training camp 2007

Posted by matt on Friday, July 27, 2007 at 1:40 PM | Permalink