Update: Cowboys sign Ernie Simms

[Midswat]

October, 24, 2012

By Todd Archer

IRVING, Texas – Veteran linebacker Ernie Sims will visit with the Cowboys on Wednesday with the anticipation of signing with Sean Lee to miss the rest of the season with a severe case of turf toe.

Sims, 27, played in 13 games last year for Indianapolis with four starts and was credited with 32 tackles. In 2010 he started 15 games for Philadelphia and had 55 tackles and two sacks. He spent his first four seasons with Detroit.

Lee will have season-ending surgery on his right big toe after suffering the injury in the third quarter of Sunday’s win at Carolina. Lee had a second MRI on Tuesday which revealed the ligament damage.

Lee leads the Cowboys in tackles with 77 in the first six games, according to the coaches’ film. He has two tackles for loss, eight quarterback pressures, one interception, two pass deflections and a forced fumble.

Dan Connor will replace Lee in the starting lineup, and Bruce Carter will take over as the defensive signal caller.

The Cowboys feel the need for a more experienced linebacker with Orie Lemon as the only true backup inside linebacker on the 53-man roster. Outside linebacker Alex Albright has worked in practice and preseason games at inside linebacker.

 

[Midswat]

Kind of wish we'd just let Orie Lemon and Alex Albright get the time.

Lets face it, this season is over. Lets give our young guys some time on the field to see if they have futures in the NFL or the position remains one of need going into the offseason.

 

[Midswat]

The news that the Cowboys will be without inside linebacker Sean Lee for the rest of the season has spurred the team to move quickly to find another body at the position.

Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com reports that veteran linebacker Ernie Sims will visit with the team on Wednesday with the expectation that he will sign with the team. Sims was the ninth overall pick of the 2006 draft for the Lions, but his stays in Detroit, Philadelphia and Indianapolis have not produced play that measures up to that lofty draft status. The fact that Sims went unsigned throughout the offseason and the first seven weeks of the regular speaks volumes about how little his efforts have impressed NFL decision makers.

Sims started four games for a bad Colts defense in 2011, but will take on a reserve role in Dallas. Dan Connor and Bruce Carter will now start at inside linebacker and the team only has undrafted rookie Orie Lemon currently on the roster behind them. Sims’ arrival won’t do much to ease the pain of losing Lee, but it will leave the Cowboys a bit better equipped the rest of the way.

Lee is set to have surgery on his toe next week, ending another promising season earlier than expected because of injury. The loss will put a lot of pressure on the Cowboys defense to maintain their performance through this point in the season since Lee was a linchpin of their work against both the pass and run this season.

 

[Midswat]

I think the thing that bothers me about this signing is, we probably only made it because he's a "name" guy. Former first round pick and all.

He's been a nothing since he's been in the league.

You're going to tell me there wasn't a younger guy with more upside either on our own roster/practice squad, or another practice squad?

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

It does make you wonder why no one else wanted him. Not like we're the first team to get some linebacker injuries.

Still, doesn't sound like the worst idea. I bet he doesn't play a lot anyway. We can use Connor on run downs and just use a safety like Mccray in the nickel.

 

[Midswat]

‏@nickeatman
Cowboys make official roster moves - Sean Lee, Chris Jones go to IR, done for the year ... Team signs veterans Charlie Peprah and Ernie Sims

 

[dbair1967]

I think the thing that bothers me about this signing is, we probably only made it because he's a "name" guy. Former first round pick and all.

He's been a nothing since he's been in the league.

You're going to tell me there wasn't a younger guy with more upside either on our own roster/practice squad, or another practice squad?

I wouldnt say he's been a nothing, he was a quality starter in Detroit for awhile.

He's a young veteran backup with starting exp. Not really sure why you are complaining.

 

[superpunk]

I wouldn't assume this guy is going to come in and start or even play significantly for us. We just needed to sign another LB and we did. Might be able to work him into some nickel D's to cover TEs and backs when we don't want Connor out there.

 

[peplaw06]

I wouldn't assume this guy is going to come in and start or even play significantly for us. We just needed to sign another LB and we did. Might be able to work him into some nickel D's to cover TEs and backs when we don't want Connor out there.

Yep. He's a backup to our backups.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Kind of wish we'd just let Orie Lemon and Alex Albright get the time.

Lets face it, this season is over. Lets give our young guys some time on the field to see if they have futures in the NFL or the position remains one of need going into the offseason.

Albright is not very good. More like the white man's Anthony Spencer after the market crash of '29.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Why on Earth if they weren't willing to let Orie Lemon see more time because of injury to one of the guys ahead of him, did we wait this long to sign Sims?

We should have signed Sims and had him on STeams all year while he absorbed the playbook and kept Lemon on the PS. Now Sims has to get up to speed and that will take time.

 

[superpunk]

Thanks for suggesting that two months ago Captain Hindsight.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

Thanks for suggesting that two months ago Captain Hindsight.

I'm not suggesting it, just wondering why we didn't explore that opportunity earlier if the faith in Orie Lemon has been slim to none.

 

[ZeroClub]

Kind of wish we'd just let Orie Lemon and Alex Albright get the time.

Lets face it, this season is over. Lets give our young guys some time on the field to see if they have futures in the NFL or the position remains one of need going into the offseason.

Yeah that makes some sense to me too.