| Bill Meltzer. 13th June, 2005 - 3:04 pm
 While the Terrell Owens contract soap opera draws most of the attention, the Philadelphia Eagles are also at a contract stalemate with one of their key defensive players, defensive tackle Corey Simon.
Simon, a would-be restricted free-agent, has thus far rejected the franchise player designation (and accompanying one-year, $5.13 million contract offer) the Eagles gave him in February. And from all appearances, neither the Eagles, nor Simon and his agent, Roosevelt Barnes, have moved at all from their stances in the time since. According to recent reports, the sides have not been in contact in over six weeks.
With no contract agreement, the 28-year-old former Pro Bowler (2003 season) is in Florida, rather than at Eagles’ passing camp. Barnes reportedly has said Simon will not sign the tender and report to training camp unless there’s a forthcoming agreement on a long-term deal.
That seems unlikely at present. Simon and the Eagles have gone back and forth for several years over his worth in a long-term deal and have never come close to an agreement.
The problems started immediately after the Eagles made Simon their 1st round draft pick in 2000. Barnes and Eagles management remained far apart through much of the summer, leading Simon to stage a 14-day training-camp holdout. Ultimately, the sides agreed to a five-year, $11 million contract that ran out after last season. And Simon went on to set an Eagles’ rookie record with 9.5 sacks.
During Simon’s outstanding 2003 season (7.5 sacks, 40 solo tackles), Barnes and the Eagles negotiated in-season to lock Simon up for several years. But the Eagles balked when Barnes and Simon demanded a contract that exceeded any that had been given to date to an NFL defensive tackle.
As a result, Simon held out from training camp last year. With no deal in sight and no real leverage to get one the holdout route, Simon finally returned for the last year of his contract. The lost time had an adverse effect on the player. He arrived in less than prime condition and got off to the slowest start of his career; masked in part by the fact the Eagles kept racking up wins.
Over the second half of the season and the playoffs, however, Simon returned to form. While his final numbers (4.5 sacks, 31 tackles) were down, he played a key role in the Eagles drive to the Super Bowl. Especially with defensive end Jevon Kearse receiving so much attention from the opposition, Simon’s strong play was important in keeping offenses honest.
Andy Reid, as usual, remains tight-lipped, but it doesn’t take clairvoyance to figure out that the Eagles’ head coach would strongly prefer to have Simon around at camp and avoid a potential repeat of his slow start from a year ago.
But, with both negotiating parties once again playing chicken with the other, short-term resolution will be tough. Under NFL rules, Simon has until the beginning of the season to accept the Eagles’ franchise-player tender. With Barnes allegedly trying unsuccessfully in March to get the Eagles to lift the franchise player designation on Simon and allow him to test the free agent market, their best leverage is to once again resist training camp. A full-season holdout would make no sense for the player, and the Eagles don’t seem inclined to deal him elsewhere.
Meanwhile, running back Brian Westbrook, who agreed to take a one-year tender, reported to passing camp lobbying for a long-term deal. He’s the Eagles No. 1 long-term signing priority at the moment. Fellow defensive tackle Hollis Thomas still wants a new deal. Owens, of course, remains a holdout.
Where does that leave Simon? It leaves him a long way from the contract he wants and moves him ever closer to being an ex-Eagle after the 2005 season. |
