Pompei: Jerome Simpson “Not a Bad Kid,” Could Make “Real Impact”

Dan Pompei had nice things to say about Vikings receiver Jerome Simpson in his Sunday National Football Post column:

"Despite Jerome Simpson’s legal troubles, he is not perceived as a bad kid. Maybe a gullible one, but not a bad one. That’s why the Bengals tried to re-sign him, and why one team thought he would have made $5 million a year if he had not been arrested last fall. Many people who know him spoke up on Simpson’s behalf during the free agent process. It’s worth noting that even though Simpson was sent two and a half pounds of marijuana in the mail, he has not tested positive and is not in the NFL substance program. As a player, Simpson has unusual ability to stretch the field. If he can clean up some of his dropped passes (he had eight last year), he could make a real impact for the Vikings."

The Vikings are only paying Simpson $2 million for one year. That could turn out to be a real bargain if he produces as a deep receiver. And if he puts up big numbers, the Vikings or some other team may then give him the $5 million/year he’s supposedly worth. He’ll only have 13 games to prove his value since he’s suspended for the first three.

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