In the coming months, the Washington Redskins will look to trim down their 90-man roster ahead of the impending regular season. Every year, we see a number of unheralded players find their way onto the final roster. Who could be this year’s unheralded surprise? In this segment, we’ll take a look at CB Tharold Simon.
Last offseason, the Redskins acquired a long-term boost to the cornerback position in the form of Josh Norman. However, they saw little improvement in the overall performance of the secondary. While the position of safety was far more suspect, the depth at cornerback proved to be lacking. The team also saw moderate regression from Bashaud Breeland, and although not severe enough to cause alarm, the team has prepared for his possible departure as well, coming into a contract year.
The Redskins drafted Fabian Moreau in the third round of the NFL Draft, acquiring a cornerback in that round for the second year in a row. Moreau has starter potential, when healthy, and on top of his addition, the team also signed Joshua Holsey in the seventh to possibly compete for the nickel cornerback spot.
Norman and Breeland appear to have the sides locked down for now. Moreau and Quinton Dunbar will likely back up Norman and Breeland at the edges. Kendall Fuller, Dashaun Phillips, and Holsey will compete for the nickel slot. However, behind these players, there are more who will battle for a chance to show their worth. Players who see this as their chance to make an impression.
One of those players is Tharold Simon. We haven’t heard much about Simon. But by the end of the offseason, we could hear about him as one of the 53 players on the final roster.
A 2013 fifth round pick for the Seattle Seahawks, Tharold Simon certainly has championship experience. In his four year career, he’s 1-1 in the Super Bowl. Aside from that stat, however, he’s achieved little success.
Simon hailed out of LSU, a school with an impressive cornerback lineage in the NFL, featuring players like Patrick Peterson, Morris Claiborne, and 2017 first-rounder Tre’Davious White. Unfortunately for Simon, he hasn’t sustained the same success of the aforementioned players.
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While our previous subject, Zach Vigil, saw the most action in his first season, Simon spent his rookie campaign on injured reserve. He played for the Legion of Boom in spot duty in 2014, starting five games and making appearances in twice as many. He logged an impressive three deflections and one interception in that time, and he played in the Super Bowl later that year.
Despite his experience, however, Simon couldn’t stick on the vaunted Seahawks defense. The team released him early in the 2016 season. He was subsequently acquired by their division rival, the Arizona Cardinals. He played in nine games for the Cardinals during the 2016 season, but was ultimately released at the end of a disappointing campaign.
The Redskins signed Simon on January 16 of this year. While there’s no guarantee that Simon will make the roster, this unheralded player has the physical traits and potential to make an impact. On a team looking for defensive help wherever they can get it, Simon could be an unexpected source.
Simon is similar to Montae Nicholson, one of the Redskins’ fourth-round picks this year. He’s a traits prospect in every sense of the word.
At 6-foot-3, Simon has outstanding height and length for a cornerback. He ran a 4.51 at the NFL Combine. This tells us that he has exceptional speed to couple with his long range. Most corners with above average height have a relative lack of smoothness and mobility, but as NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote back in 2013, Simon is a more well-rounded specimen than most:
"Simon is sure to draw a lot of interest based on his length and play-making ability, along with the fact that his hips are much more fluid than most other tall corners. Some of Simon’s length is mitigated by the fact that he doesn’t press very well, and he’ll need to clean up his footwork and technique at the next level."
Contrary to most traits prospects, Simon showed in college that he can use his impressive physical gifts to amass steady production. His lack of fluidity, although relatively mild, was enough to relegate him to the 5th round. Since then, his career has gone awry due to injuries and inconsistent play. The Redskins could very well be Simon’s last chance in the NFL.
It’s a crowded cornerback room that Simon is attempting to join. He’ll have to separate himself by presenting his height as an advantage, not a liability.
The acquisition of Simon has flown under the radar this offseason, but the fifth-year corner has a realistic chance to make a lasting impression on the Redskins’ staff. His height is rare, and although he didn’t last in the Legion of Boom, his experience in that system is valuable in itself.
Rare physical gifts are almost required to succeed at the NFL level. And Simon undoubtedly possesses such gifts. His career hasn’t gone as planned thus far. But perhaps he can gain a foothold in a Redskins’ cornerback room filled with largely unproven players.
Nevertheless, there will still be competition. Simon will have to separate himself from project player Dunbar. He’ll also have to prove that he can consistently use his physique to contribute. It’s a tough task at hand for the embattled veteran.
Next: Washington Redskins Unheralded Players: ILB Zach Vigil
But at 26 years old, Simon is still young. He should be fully recovered from any nagging injuries come training camp, and he’ll be in a position to show his worth. Right now, he’s one of many unheralded players on the roster. Can he rise to the top? We’ll have our answer in the coming months.