Final two preseason games ‘important’ for Seahawks’ Simon

RENTON — Leave it to glib Richard Sherman to describe this third preseason game for what it really is.

“It’s a glorified practice,” he said this week.

For him, anyway. He’s an All-Pro cornerback at the top of his game. For Sherman, the Seahawks’ game Saturday at San Diego is next to nothing — even with it being his first game since playing in the Super Bowl on Feb. 1.

Tharold Simon also is a cornerback, and he’s also playing his first game since the Super Bowl.

But for Simon, this game and next Thursday’s preseason finale at home against Oakland are anything but “glorified practices.” Simon is trying to seize the starting cornerback job Cary Williams has held since Williams signed this offseason as a free agent from Philadelphia.

Now fully healthy, Simon said he thinks the competition’s still on. If so, he has these two games before the Sept. 13 opener at St. Louis to win the job.

“Oh, yeah, these two are very important games,” Simon said. “Getting in there, getting a few snaps — they already told me I wasn’t going to get in there too much — (I’m) just trying to get some of that rust knocked off. It’s just going out there trying to compete for a starting job.”

Simon will back up Williams in San Diego. But Williams, whom Seattle signed for $18 million over four years days after former starter Byron Maxwell signed with the Eagles in March, hasn’t exactly shut down everyone he’s faced in practice or two preseason games.

Despite offseason shoulder surgery and getting burned for four touchdowns in two playoff games — half of those in the Super Bowl — Simon remains confident.

“I knew ‘Max’ wasn’t going to stay here,” Simon said of Seattle’s offseason. “I was like — no matter what, whoever they bring in — I was like, ‘The only way someone is probably going to start over me is if it’s (All-Pro Darrelle) Revis’”

Simon is in his third season since Seattle drafted him in the third round out of LSU. He has the height, length and physical tools Seahawks coach Pete Carroll and defensive coordinator Kris Richard covet in their cover guys. But last season — his first playing after foot injuries wrecked his rookie season of 2013 — Simon was prone to bonehead penalties at awful times.

Such as in last October’s loss at St. Louis. Simon banged into Rams receiver Brian Quick before the ball arrived on a third-and-4. The 16-yard penalty extended St. Louis’ drive. A few plays later, Simon grabbed a Ram’s facemask while teammate K.J. Wright was completing a tackle for a loss that would have forced St. Louis into third-and-25. Simon’s foul gave the Rams a first down at the Seattle 12, and they went on to score their second touchdown to take a 14-3 lead in St. Louis’ eventual 28-26 victory.

In January’s playoffs, Carolina’s Cam Newton targeted Simon for two touchdown passes but Seattle overcame those to win. Simon said Thursday he played that game with a torn labrum in his right shoulder, for which he had the offseason surgery.

He sat out the following week’s NFC championship game. But when nickel back Jeremy Lane broke his arm and shredded his knee ligament early in the Super Bowl, Maxwell went inside to nickel and the ailing Simon took Maxwell’s right cornerback spot. That was because Marcus Burley, the backup nickel who had played there at the start of last season when Lane was injured, was left on the inactive list before the game. That proved to be a disastrous decision for Seattle. Tom Brady and New England targeted Simon immediately upon his entrance in the first quarter.

“The first play, right away, they came after me,” Simon said. “I stopped them. But then after that they kept comin’.

“And,” Simon chuckled, “kept comin’. The saying here is ‘Next man, best man.’ I didn’t show it that night. But, short-term memory. You’ve got to move on and just go play ball now.”

Carroll said Thursday he will focus Saturday first on his offensive line. It has starters playing their second consecutive game at three new positions: Drew Nowak at center, Garry Gilliam at right tackle and 2014 right tackle Justin Britt at left guard. The coach also will be focused on whether Dion Bailey or DeShawn Shead is emerging as the starting strong safety to fill-in as long as Kam Chancellor’s holdout continues. Friday was Day 29.

But Carroll also will be watching the 6-foot-3, 202-pound Simon with keen interest.

“He is competing to play, yeah,” the coach said. “He hasn’t had much of a chance yet. But we know him as a dominant, physical guy out there. We really like him.”