Chris Simms Has Many Suitors

Who knows what Chris Simms' game looks like these days -- he missed most of the 2006 season after having his spleen removed, and then lost his job last year to Jeff Garcia -- but as long as he can walk, he's a prime candidate for the Bears' quarterback job.

Last week, I mentioned that the Cowboys had shown interest in Simms -- and, according to friends, he reciprocated -- but Chicago and Detroit are also in the mix. Which means that Simms, Tampa Bay's former starter, would be buried on the depth chart behind Garcia, and Brian Griese and Luke McCown and rookie Josh Johnson would also be vying for roster spots.

Pretty sure head coach Jon Gruden wasn't keeping five quarterbacks on the roster, which is why Simms won't be in Tampa Bay come September.

One reasonable alternative would be to trade Simms for a conditional draft pick based on his playing time. Tampa Bay could initially receive a seventh-round draft pick that could increase to a fifth- or fourth-rounder based on Simms' performance this season. Both teams win in that scenario.

The worst thing is to proudly send a message to Simms that he will only be moved when Tampa Bay says so. Simms could have been traded on draft day, but the longer Tampa Bay holds on to him, his odds of learning another playbook and contributing to another team this season decreases. There is no need to be perceived as a team trying to hurt Simms' career by holding on to him.

It is odd that the Bucs didn't move Simms earlier, but if they can work something out before training camp, then it won't matter. The Bears are the obvious choice because, well, they currently don't have a quarterback on the roster.

Why they chose not to address that gaping hole is anybody's guess; Simms is an upgrade over Rex Grossman or Kyle Orton, but I'm not sure he's anything more than a short-term solution. But that's still better than their current situation, although such a move shouldn't preclude the team from actually looking for a franchise quarterback next offseason.