The Indianapolis Colts made a shocking move Saturday ahead of the roster deadline by releasing veteran defensive end John Simon. I’ve been informed by the Colts that they will be releasing John Simon (@johnesimon51). Someone is about to get one heck of a player!! — Michael Perrett (@PerrettM) September 1, 2018 Barring any other crazy releases, this will likely go down as this biggest shock of the Colts’ roster cuts. Simon was proving to be one of the best defensive ends on the roster despite many believing he would struggle to transition from outside linebacker in the new 4-3 defense. The 27-year-old proved throughout the preseason he was at the forefront of the defensive end competition opposite Jabaal Sheard. Head coach Frank Reich even confirmed that last week. “John continues to be right in the forefront of that battle. I mean, he has been productive, a tough player and the kind of player that we like,” Reich said on Aug. 22. “He’s a Colt, he really is. He’s got all the characteristics of a Colt. I am very happy with his play and his production.” It will be interesting to see if any more shocking cuts are made, but there is a good chance this one takes the cake.<doc-sep>One of the biggest cuts of the Chris Ballard era took place just prior to the 2018 roster deadline. The Colts released outside linebacker/defensive end John Simon. The #Colts have informed DE John Simon that he’s been released, per @PerrettM. They shopped him for a few days. — Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 1, 2018 Just talked to source re: John Simon who is, in fact, being released by the Colts. Simon is stunned, as am I. I actually predicted back in June he'd get cut, but then he played like a madman in preseason and I recanted. I'm shocked. — Stephen Holder (@HolderStephen) September 1, 2018 Before the final cuts were submitted, Chris Ballard made an attempt to trade Simon, but no team made an offer for the six-year veteran, according to Holder. Simon originally signed with the Colts as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, a position he played in his first four seasons before joining the Colts. This year, the Colts are transitioning to a new defense under coordinator Matt Eberflus. There were questions about his fit as a 4-3 defensive end and concerns that he may not have a natural position in the new scheme. It appears that the coaching staff and front office have ultimately reached that conclusion. If so, this isn’t the first time a decision like this has been made. Earlier this year, Chris Ballard traded defensive lineman Henry Anderson to the New York Jets, let starting corner back Rashaan Melvin leave via free agency and released Johnathan Hankins — another one of his primary free agent additions a year ago. For those keeping score at home, Colts defensive players the team has cut this offseason due to the scheme change: Jon Hankins, Henry Anderson, John Simon. All can play. — Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) September 1, 2018 At only 27-years-old, Simon recorded 43 tackles (25 solo), three sacks and one interception in nine games in 2017. His season was cut short due to a neck injury, which caused him to miss the final seven games. He recently suffered another minor neck injury, so one could possibly speculate that this played a role in the decision as well. The three biggest reasons this move comes as such a shock is that: 1) Simon was arguably the most consistently effective pass rushing defensive end all preseason, 2) there is a lack of proven veteran leadership on the Colts defense generally, 3) Simon is the epitome of the type of player that Chris Ballard has constantly described as ideal for the Colts locker room and fits into the “tough” mantra head coach Frank Reich has espoused since he arrived in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis coaching staff acknowledged that Simon was impressive throughout training camp. Colts head coach Frank Reich went as far as saying that it was hard to get rid of a player as valuable as Simon. “He’s having a great camp,” Reich said before the Colts preseason opener against Seattle. “He’s a smart, savvy, tough vet. It’s hard to put a price on that.” The most valid explanation for Simon’s release is that Chris Ballard may not feel comfortable parting with Tarrell Basham after only one year, he may plan to start Kemoko Turay or at least have him enter the games primarily in passing situations, and the emergence of Ryan Delaire made Simon expendable. One could argue that Delaire is a more natural long-term fit as a 4-3 defensive end and there are only so many spots on the roster. The least valid explanation for Simon’s release is that Margus Hunt remains on the roster and will presumably be used at defensive end. If John Simon is a poor scheme fit at the position, Hunt clearly is as well. Hunt has more special teams value as a kick blocking specialist but it’s hard to make a valid argument to keep Hunt over Simon because he might block a kick at some point in the season. Simon shouldn’t be on the market too long because of the fact he’s proven to be a productive player, when healthy, throughout his tenure — tallying at least three sacks the last three seasons. After all, Simon is a veteran, and veterans sacrifice me for we a majority of the time. That’s the type of player he is and will continue to be. “All I’ve ever known in my career is just come in and work hard and do whatever I can to help,” Simon said during the early parts of training camp. “I’ve been able to be productive so far and help out the team and that’s my main goal.” Ballard signed Simon to a three-year, $13.5 million deal one year ago. In 2018, he was due to make $3 million in salary and $4 million in 2019.<doc-sep>
The Indianapolis Colts made a shocking move Saturday by releasing veteran defensive end John Simon as they worked to trim their roster down to 53 players. Simon’s release came as a shock to just about everyone. It was noted that he wasn’t a true fit for the new 4-3 defense, but he had shown enough during the preseason to warrant a roster spot at the very least. Despite the strong preseason of proving just about everyone wrong, the Colts didn’t feel Simon could last a full season as a productive defensive end, per Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star. The reason for the decision centered on Simon’s longterm potential at defensive end. The Colts felt he wouldn’t fit over the course of a 16-game season, and didn’t feel Simon could slide back into an inside linebacker position. So, after the team unsuccessfully shopped Simon on the trade market the past few days, according to sources, the Colts decided to release him Saturday. It is no secret that Simon’s best position is at outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, but he still showed the ability to impact the backfield with his hand in the dirt. The Colts have stuck true to their word of wanting to continue the youth movement on the defensive side of the ball, but Simon’s release is still a head-scratcher. All offseason and preseason, the Colts were enamored by Simon’s leadership, effort and hustle on the field. Head coach Frank Reich even said toward the end of August that Simon was leading the defensive end competition. “John continues to be right in the forefront of that battle. I mean, he has been productive, a tough player and the kind of player that we like,” Reich said on Aug. 22. “He’s a Colt, he really is. He’s got all the characteristics of a Colt. I am very happy with his play and his production.” With Simon now gone and looking for a new home, the Colts will rely heavily on the developments of Tarell Basham, Ryan Delaire and rookie Kemoko Turay. The Colts made the bold move of releasing Simon, and only time will if it was the right decision for the production of the defensive line.