RENTON — At one point during the Seattle Seahawks’ victory in Philadelphia, second-year cornerback Tharold Simon looked around and almost had to pinch himself.
Two years removed from playing at LSU, and after missing all of his rookie season with foot injuries, Simon had what he described as a “Man, I’m really in the NFL” moment when it occurred to him that he was on the field with three of the best defensive backs in the NFL in the form of Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor.
“Not too many people have that — you’ve got the best cornerback, you’ve got the two best safeties in the league; it’s crazy to have those guys mentoring you, just telling you what to do,” Simon said.
Simon’s playing time has increased these past two games because of an injury to Jeremy Lane, but while this isn’t the first time Simon has seen the field this season, it is the best he has played. With Simon playing so well, aside from five penalties in the past two games, and with Byron Maxwell thriving in the nickel-corner role with Lane out, it’s likely that the Seahawks at least use that look some, if not all, of the time going forward.
And with Maxwell heading toward free agency, Simon could be the starter at right cornerback going forward for the Seahawks if they can’t afford to re-sign Maxwell, who should be one of the top cornerbacks on the market after the season ends.
While Seahawks coach Pete Carroll notes that they were impressed by Simon during offseason workouts, his recent growth is still a big development for not just the rest of this season, but the future as well.
“Growth,” Thomas said when asked what he has seen from Simon this year. “He’s having fun, his game is coming to life. He’s making big plays for us, he’s starting to understand what he’s got to do over there. That’s all it is, once you understand the scheme, you can play, because he’s a great player, great instincts.”
Then Thomas made a really bold declaration, saying, “He has a chance to be our best corner as far as god-given ability. Where Sherm separates himself is unbelievable, because he’s crazy up here (points to head). He’s a quarterback playing corner.”
It’s incredibly premature to suggest that Simon will ever be as good as Sherman, who is a two-time first-team All-Pro, and will earn that honor again this season if voters are paying any attention. But that Thomas is even bringing up the idea, and that Carroll called Simon, “a wonderful draft pick for us,” this early in his career is another example of how Carroll has built the Seahawks into a championship-caliber team.
While the Seahawks, like every team, have had some rookies come in and contribute, or even take on starting roles from day 1, some of the most important players on Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning roster were mid- to late-round picks who developed over time.
Sherman didn’t immediately start for the Seahawks; he began his rookie season as a third-stringer who helped on special teams. Chancellor, meanwhile, played almost exclusively on special teams as a rookie while backing up Lawyer Milloy, and now those two are core members of the NFL’s best defense.
Starting receiver Jermaine Kearse took a similar path, as did tight end Luke Willson, who has taken over a starting role in Zach Miller’s absence; Maxwell went from backup to starter late last season and played well enough to make Brandon Browner expendable.
Any team can find a star in the first round, but the difference between a good and a great season can be developing a fifth-round pick into a star, then doing it over and over again.
Going back to his time at USC, Carroll realized that if you give a young player a small role early on, then let him develop, that player can be a big contributor late in a season. That’s what we’re seeing now in players like Simon and defensive tackle Jordan Hill, who missed most of last year because of injuries, and what the Seahawks hope will transpire with rookie receivers Paul Richardson and Kevin Norwood, who have both taken on bigger roles as the season has gone on.
“It’s a great example of it,” Carroll said of Simon. “That’s exactly the example of it. He’s just like a redshirt freshman, and he’s benefited from it. Right now, this is a great example, we’re talking about him like he’s a regular starter for us in our nickel, he can play on both sides, he could play on early downs as well. We have no hesitation of playing him. He’s accomplished that exact formula for us, and Jordan’s doing the same thing. It’s a formula that’s worked out for us in the past, and we’re seeing some examples of it now.”
That formula explains why Hill didn’t appear to be doing much of anything early in the season, but now seems to come up with a big play or two in every game, including two sacks in the past three games.
“During the beginning of the year (I felt like a rookie) a little bit, but as I kept going, I’ve just gotten more comfortable,” said Hill, who appeared in just four games last season. “The game’s starting to get a little slower for me. At the beginning of the year, the game was fast.”
Simon is growing too, in part because of the experience on the field, and in part because of his relationship with Sherman, who he calls a big brother. Sherman isn’t just a mentor who can not only help Simon identify what the width of a receiver’s alignment might indicate on a play; he’s also someone who can also help calm Simon down after a penalty or a heated encounter with an opponent, something Simon knows he needs to work on. And while Sherman tries to help every young cornerback, he seems to have taken on a bigger mentorship role with Simon.
“I think I saw a little bit of myself in him, and I also saw a little bit of Brandon Browner in some of his ways,” Sherman said. “He has the potential to be a great corner in this league, and I want him to be able to reach that potential, and anything I can do to help him, I’m trying to do.”
Herald Columnist John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com
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