Update: Simms Possibilities
By Dan Zinski
The News-Press of Fort Myers, Florida is reporting that the Vikings were among 20 teams that sent scouts to look at out-going Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Chris Simms play in preseason action against the New England Patriots. 3 of the teams were Canadian, but Simms made it clear that he’s not interested in playing in Canada. The quarterback, who stands 4th on the Bucs’ depth-chart, was 2-4 with 24 yards in a 27-10 win over the Pats. Simms has clearly resigned himself to soon being a former Buccaneer, as this comment attests:
"I think if I’m here two weeks from now, they’re going to release me. Other than that, if I get traded before then, then I get traded. But if it comes down to the last cut, and I’m still here, they’re going to release me. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that."
How interested are the Vikings in Simms? They’ve acted like they’re happy with Tarvaris Jackson at #1 and Gus Frerotte at #2, but who knows what kind of internal discussions are going on, especially in the wake of T-Jack’s knee injury. There could be nervousness in some corners of the brain-trust. Worry that Jackson is fragile, that Frerotte might have to play a lot this year and isn’t the kind of QB you want playing a lot. Either way, the Vikes are at least looking at Simms. I’d still say it’s a long-shot that they bring him in, but who knows? Jackson’s knee could be worse than we’ve been led to believe. And the team’s confidence in Frerotte could be lower than they’ve been letting on.
Update: One of those infamous PFT league sources (janitor? bathroom attendant?) is downplaying the presence of all those scouts at the Buccaneers game. “Every preseason game has scores of scouts at it,” said the source. “Because that was the only game played last night it probably had a few more than usual. Simms had nothing to do with it. I would say there are at least 15 scouts at each preseason game.” I suppose it’s possible that teams could just be doing their due diligence, scoping out players who might hit the waiver wire later this month. Maybe the Vikes were looking at left tackles? Who knows?