He Ain't From Cleveland

Simeon Rice, come on down. You're the only contestant on the let's-not-fuck-up-the-defense-so-badly-that-we-have-to-score-40-every-week-just-to-win Bates program. Personally, I like Simeon Rice. The guy was a force in Tampa Bay and probably has enough left for one more Pro-Bowl caliber year. I suspect that the Bucs cut him more for financial reasons than physical ones. The Bucs are rebuilding despite what Chucky or Jeff Garcia might have to say, and Rice seems to be a numbers casualty.

Rice's signing has the potential to be straight-up gargantuan for Denver. Assuming he's healthy, Rice more than makes up for the loss of Gerard Warren. If he can get into the line-up on a regular basis by the second or third game, the Broncos defense should get to the quarterback and thrive. I fully expect DJ Williams to pick up his game and become the dominant force necessary for Bates' schemes to work. Rice has the potential for 10 sacks even on a defense like Denver's. If the defense becomes marginally consistent, Rice might get 20 this year.

But it's hard not to imagine what might have been. Rice, Warren, Adams, and Ekuban would have made an imposing front-four. Backed by our speedy linebackers and shut-down secondary, we might have given Baltimore a run for their money. But this is football; it's a an ever-changing sport and the Broncose did what they had to in light of the injuries. And thankfully, Cleveland wasn't involved.