OL Rob Sims (official thread)

[Buckskin86]

Updated: April 1, 2010
Source: Sims hopes to speed up trade
By John Clayton
ESPN.com

Seattle Seahawks guard Rob Sims plans to sign his one-year, $1.101 million restricted free-agent tender Thursday, hoping to speed up his chances for a trade, according to a source.

The Seahawks recently informed Sims he was being shopped and they were hoping to get three teams involved. The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions have expressed interest in Sims and, according to a source, the Philadelphia Eagles might also be interested.

Sims, a fourth-round draft choice, has 34 starts in his four seasons in Seattle. The former Ohio State guard has the flexibility to play the left or the right side of the line, which makes him attractive to teams.

Source: Seattle Seahawks' Rob Sims to sign free-agent tender, hopes to speed trade process - ESPN

 

[Buckskin86]

Rob Sims could be a Bear or a Lion this week
Posted by Mike Florio on April 4, 2010

The Donovan McNabb trade isn't the only thing happening right now in the NFL, even if we'll devote a couple dozen stories to it over the next day or so.

Seattle guard Rob Sims, who recently signed his RFA tender, is still expected to be traded by the Seahawks. Per a league source, it could happen this week.

Specifically, Sims' new team could be the Lions or the Bears.

In Chicago, the man who drafted Sims -- Tim Ruskell -- has joined the front office. In Detroit, they need all the help they can get.

Rob Sims could be a Bear or a Lion this week | ProFootballTalk.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Report: Seahawks trade Sims to Lions

The much-anticipated trade of Rob Sims by the Seahawks has finally happened, with Adam Schefter of ESPN reporting the veteran guard has been swapped to the Detroit Lions.

The Seahawks will receive a fifth-round pick in the upcoming draft, according to Schefter. Detroit owns the second pick in the fifth round, the 133rd selection overall, so presumably that is the choice coming to the Seahawks.

Thus the housecleaning continues for the Seahawks, with Sims joining wide receiver Nate Burleson, quarterback Seneca Wallace, defensive ends Cory Redding and Darryl Tapp, safety Deon Grant and linebacker Lance Laury as veteran players who have been released, traded or lost in free agency.

Sims, 26, was the Seahawks' starting left guard last year, but the new Pete Carroll regime decided he didn't fit the zone-blocking scheme of offensive line coach Alex Gibbs and asked him to stay away from the facility the last few weeks while they worked out a trade.

Sims was a restricted free agent with a fourth-round tender offer, but he signed that $1.1 million offer sheet with the Seahawks last week in order to expedite a deal elsewhere.

A fourth-round draft pick out of Ohio State, Sims started 34 games for Seattle over the past four seasons. He tore a pectoral muscle in the first week of 2008 and missed the remainder of that year, but came back and was one of the team's more consistent performers on a line that struggled overall last season.

Makeover continues: Seahawks trade Sims to Lions

April 05. 2010
Lions get Rob Sims from Seahawks; he's likely starter at left guard
John Niyo / The Detroit News

Allen Park -- The Lions have acquired left guard Rob Sims from the Seattle Seahawks, Sims' agent, Joel Segal, confirmed.

Terms of the deal were not immediately available and Lions spokesman Bill Keenist said the team had no comment. But the Lions' policy is not to comment on roster moves until they're official. Sims is expected to arrive in Detroit on Tuesday or Wednesday to take a physical to complete the deal.

Any team could have signed Sims to an offer sheet and given up only a fourth-round pick as compensation prior to last week. But the fifth-year pro out of Ohio State signed his free-agent qualifying offer with the Seahawks last week to facilitate a trade, and the Lions and Chicago Bears were the two teams reportedly showing the most interest.

Sims, 6-foot-3, 312-pound mauler who started 14 games for Seattle last season, was no longer a fit for the Seahawks as they switch to a zone-blocking scheme under a new coaching staff. But he'll be the likely starter at left guard for the Lions this season.

From The Detroit News: Lions get Rob Sims from Seahawks; he's likely starter at left guard | detnews.com | The Detroit News

 

[Buckskin86]

Posted by John Niyo (The Detroit News) on Tue, Apr 6, 2010
Latte-less in Detroit: New guard Sims happy to be back in a "football town"

New Lions guard Rob Sims, acquired from Seattle in a trade Monday, is excited about what he calls a "new opportunity" here in Detroit. The Cleveland-area native -- Sims' late father, Mickey, played for the Browns in the late-1970s -- is happy to be closer to home, a short drive away from his mother and sister.

One other thing feels right, too, said Sims, a fifth-year pro out who also won a BCS championship at Ohio State. Sims offered a light-hearted answer when asked about his Rust Belt homecoming after spending the last four years in Seattle.

"This is a football town," he said Tuesday in Allen Park. "Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Detroit. I mean, that's football. Football and cars. This is more of what I'm accustomed to. Out there (in Seattle) the stars are Bill Gates and Paul Allen and the people that run Boeing. This here is what being in the NFL is supposed to be about, (standing) up here at the mic talking to reporters and stuff. In Seattle, it's not like that. It's drinking coffee, sittin' down and chit-chatting. This is a change, but it's a change that I've been looking forward to."

As for what the future holds, Sims, who signed his one-year qualifying offer in Seattle to facilitate a trade, appears set to play this season without any long-term deal. He no longer fit the Seahawks' plans, but he hopes he will for the Lions.

"Right now, we're not talking about anything," Sims said. "Hopefully, I can prove to them that I deserve one. I would like to be here long-term. I hope this isn't just one year and out. But I've got to earn that. I've got to come in here and show them that I belong and show them I can be here for a long time."

From The Detroit News: DETNEWS | Weblogs | Lions Blog

 

[Buckskin86]

PAULA PASCHE: Rob Sims fits right in with the Lions
Published: Wednesday, April 07, 2010

ALLEN PARK ? Rob Sims seems to be a good fit for the Detroit Lions. And it works both ways.

First of all, he fills a huge need at left guard.

Also, Sims couldn?t be happier about being traded to the Lions. After four seasons in Seattle, they are bringing him back to the Midwest, where football means something. And, even better, Sims? mother and sister live just about three hours away in Macedonia, Ohio.

It?s clear to see Sims is a family guy. It?s part of what has driven him to succeed in the NFL.

His father, Mickey Sims, played defensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns (1977-79). He died of a heart attack at age 51, about a month after Rob Sims was drafted in the fourth round by Seattle in 2006.

Still he plays a big part in his son?s life.

?When he left the league he was somewhat bitter about the mistakes he had made, being out of shape was one of them. He thought he was done before his time. He worked hard after he was out of the league to provide a nice life for me and my mom and my sister,?? Sims said on Tuesday.

?It was definitely something, he wanted me to be better than him.

?That?s where I put all my effort and my work to being better than him, and mistakes that he said he made, I try not to,?? he added.

His dad saw him play at Ohio State, but never in the NFL.

?I was glad he saw me drafted and I still think he watches me play. It was bittersweet, but that?s what fuels me. I think it?s made me a better player. It?s made me stronger and I?m going to keep making him proud,?? Sims said.

PAULA PASCHE: Rob Sims fits right in with the Lions - The Morning Sun Sports: Serving Clare, Gratiot and Isabella counties

 

[Buckskin86]

Last Updated: April 09. 2010
John Niyo
Guard Robs Sims joins Lions and gets closer to home

Allen Park -- Rob Sims, the Lions' newest acquisition at left guard, says he's happy to be back in a "football town" like Detroit. And he's excited to be close to home, too, having grown up in Macedonia, Ohio, just outside Cleveland.

"Door-to-door, it's like 3 hours and 1 minute," said Sims, whose mother, Brenda, and sister, Robin, still live there. "And a big thing for me, when I found out I was leaving Seattle, was to be close to my mom (Brenda) and my sister (Robin). My dad passed four years ago, and it's hard being away from them -- a 5 1/2 -hour flight or whatever it has been."

Sims' father, Mickey, was an NFL player, too. But his career as a 350-pound defensive tackle with the Browns lasted just three years.

"When he left the league, he was somewhat bitter about the mistakes that he had made, and being out of shape (was) one of them," Sims said. "He thought he left before his time. He worked hard after that to provide a nice life for me and my mom and my sister. But he just wanted me to be better than him. So that's where I put all my effort, all my work. ...

"More than the money is the legacy thing for me. My father got in this league and he made some mistakes. And I've been trying to repair those mistakes and I've been trying to not make some of my own."

Sims, a 2006 fourth-round pick out of Ohio State, says he's thankful his father was around to see him get drafted. But Mickey Sims died of a heart attack a couple months later while his son was taking part in a team minicamp in Seattle, so he never got to see him play.

"But I think he still watches me play," Sims said, smiling. "It was bittersweet, but that's what fuels me. I think it has made me a better player and made me stronger. And I just want to keep making him proud."

"I?m going to take that one day at a time."

-- Rob Sims, Lions left guard, on being part of a Buckeyes-Wolverines tandem playing alongside left tackle Jeff Backus, left.

From The Detroit News: Guard Robs Sims joins Lions and gets closer to home | detnews.com | The Detroit News

 

[Buckskin86]

Last Updated: May 07. 2010
Lions hope Sims stabilizes offensive line
Tim Twentyman / The Detroit News

Allen Park --Some of the Lions' offseason moves weren't as flashy or as high profile as say the head coach knocking on a player's door the first minute of free agency or an assistant coach flying cross-country to persuade a player to sign over dinner.

The Lions acquired guard Rob Sims (6-3, 312) from Seattle, along with the Seahawks' 2010 seventh round pick, in exchange for defensive end Robert Henderson and the Lions' fifth-round pick in the draft.

In Sims, the Lions are hoping they found a missing piece of their offensive line puzzle, the part that solidifies the unit heading into the season.

Veteran left tackle Jeff Backus is certainly looking forward to some stability to his immediate right. The Lions rotated between Daniel Loper and Manny Ramirez at left guard last season, neither playing good enough to earn the job full time. Backus is hoping an experienced and proven left guard will allow the offensive line to reach its full potential.

"Hopefully, we can settle down what's been going on at left guard for the next few years and we can form a bond and he can solidify that front," Backus said. "He's going into his fourth or fifth year. He has starting experience. I think we're just getting to know each other and getting a feel for each other on the field, but he's an intelligent guy. He played big-time college football, too."

Sims, 26, played at Ohio State before being drafted by Seattle. He started 14 games for the Seahawks last season. He was inactive for two games with an ankle injury. He played and started in only one game during the 2008 season after being placed on injured reserve with a pectoral injury Sept. 10. He started in all 16 games played in 2007, including both postseason matchups.

From The Detroit News: Lions hope Sims stabilizes offensive line | detnews.com | The Detroit News

 

[Buckskin86]

Rob Sims on WDFN: Detroit Lions 'a team on the move'
By Philip Zaroo | MLive.com
May 07, 2010

Winning a total of two games in the last two years isn't going to strike fear in the hearts of Detroit Lions opponents.

But offensive guard Rob Sims ? who joined the Lions as a free agent after spending four years in Seattle ? says he sees a different team than the one that blew a 17-0 lead in a 32-20 loss to the Seahawks last season.

"This is a whole other feeling, when I got (here)," Sims tells Matt Sheppard on WDFN-AM 1130. "Just the way the draft has been, the stuff they've done in the offseason and, like I said, I'm honored to be here because I think this is a team on the move.

"I think it's baby steps. Y'know, people look at two (wins) last year ? and none the year before ? like it's the end of the world. But you'd be surprised how close you are to taking off ? it's just that close.

"I mean, I went from a playoff team in Seattle (in 2008) to winning five games. That's just how it goes in the NFL. That's the way it works."


Hear Sims talk about why he's excited to block for second-year quarterback Matthew Stafford

Rob Sims on WDFN: Detroit Lions 'a team on the move' | - MLive.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Last Updated: May 22. 2010
Lions: Notebook
Newcomer Rob Sims expected to solidify Lions guard spot
Tim Twentyman / The Detroit News

Rob Sims, 26, knows he's coming into a situation where there's pressure for him to be the answer to the Lions' issues at left guard. (Getty Images)

Allen Park -- The Lions coaching staff continues to rotate players through the offensive line during organized team activities.

The rotation at left guard seems more fluid than any position, with Roy Schuening and Rob Sims switching reps with the first team the last two OTAs.

But when it's all said and done, expect Sims to start.

"It's just something that is going to take a little bit of time," Sims said of his adjustment to a new scheme after being traded to Detroit from Seattle.

"They are giving me a chance to step back in these OTAs and learn and watch."

The Lions have started 14 left guards the last nine seasons and had real issues last year. The old saying, "You're only as good as your weakest link," definitely applied. That's why the Lions gave up a fifth-round pick to acquire Sims.

"He moves really well," coach Jim Schwartz said. "He's a fourth-year player that had one year when he was injured, but otherwise has been a consistent starter. It's going to be a little bit of an adjustment period, but he's got a lot of experience.

"He's still young, he moves really well. He's been a nice addition."

Sims, 26, knows he's coming into a situation where there's pressure for him to be the answer to the Lions' issues at left guard. But it's no more pressure than he already has dealt with.

"When I was in Seattle, I replaced Steve Hutchinson," Sims said. "So I've already been in a pretty dark shadow.

"This transition will be easier. I know what progressions I have to take throughout the year to be where I need to be. It helps that I have a 10-yet vet to my left (Jeff Backus) and a 10-year vet to my right (Dominique Raiola).

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/2010...ed-to-solidify-Lions-guard-spot#ixzz0of18lRVz

Posted: May 22, 2010
Lions' Rob Sims is O-line's middle man
BY CARLOS MONARREZ
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Lions left guard Rob Sims is caught, figuratively and literally, between left tackle Jeff Backus and center Dominic Raiola. And Sims wouldn't have it any other way.

Sims, acquired from Seattle in an April trade, is getting used to his new team and teammates. Sims laughs when he thinks about playing in between such differing personalities as the calm and quiet Backus and the loud and fiery Raiola.

"Like two extremes," Sims said. "It's kind of crazy. But I'll fit right in the middle somewhere. But it'll be good. Both those guys have been here for 10 years and they've done a great job. It's cool to come in and play next to two vets like that and learn from them."

The fifth-year pro's willingness to work with and learn from his veteran teammates bodes well for the offensive line, which must be especially cohesive to succeed.

"I'm flexible," Sims said. "I can come right in. It is my job to complement them. It's not the other way around. They've put their work in and they've done it, and I've got to find my niche as far as what I do. It'll be fine.
"Both of those guys, they work smart; they work together. Dom's smart as far (as) when he makes his calls and stuff like that. I'm starting to learn where he's going to be, where his feet are going to be. So it'll be fine."

Lions' Rob Sims is O-line's middle man | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

 

[Buckskin86]

Rob Sims could finally provide the Lions with much-needed stability at LG
Published: Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 6:03 AM
Tom Kowalski

ALLEN PARK - More than any other position on the field, the offensive line must have continuity and chemistry. If those five guys don't move in concert, as one unit, the whole thing falls apart. Knowing the man next to you is important because you need to know how he's going to respond, how he'll read and react to a last-second adjustment by the defense.

To symbolize the Detroit Lions' futility in this area, Rob Sims represents the 15th different guard who will start between left tackle Jeff Backus and center Dominic Raiola in the last 10 years. Backus and Raiola will never admit this but they've spent far too much time trying to cover for issues at left guard when they already had their hands full with their own assignments.

Rob Sims could finally provide the Lions with much-needed stability at LG | MLive.com

 

[Buckskin86]

Offseason Move No. 4 - Lions Trade for G Rob Sims
By Chrissie Wywrot
Posted Jul 14, 2010

The offseason move voted as No. 4 by the fans is the trade for guard Rob Sims.

The Lions acquired Sims from Seattle, making their move for him after he signed his restricted free agent tender with the Seahawks.

In the deal, the Lions received Sims and a seventh-round draft choice in exchange for defensive end Robert Henderson and a fifth-round draft choice.

?My main objective is to first get in here and prove to other guys in my offensive line room and other guys in the offense that I belong here,? said Sims after he was traded.

?Of course I?m competing for a job, but that kind of takes care of itself when you do what you do. I?m excited about the opportunity and can?t wait to get started.?

Sims was brought to Detroit to compete at left guard, where he would be positioned between Lions? veterans Jeff Backus and Dominic Raiola.

His strengths lie in pass protection, which is perfect for the Lions, who have an arsenal of weapons at both receiver and tight end.

?(With) pass protection, I feel like I can be one of the best out there,? said Sims. ?When I?m on, I?m on.?

Offseason Move No. 4 - Lions Trade for G Rob Sims

 

[Buckskin86]

Lions make quiet but important move with Sims
Originally published August 5, 2010

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) - With so many new faces at Detroit Lions training camp, Rob Sims has been mostly lost in the shuffle.

The veteran guard's performance, though, will be a key factor if the Lions take the offensive leap forward that many fans expect.

Last season, the Lions struggled badly at the guard position, especially after Stephen Peterman suffered a season-ending foot injury in November. That threw the right-guard spot into the same disarray that the left-guard position had been in all season.

Now, though, Peterman is back and Detroit acquired Sims in a draft-day trade with Seattle. The Lions gave up Robert Henderson and a fifth-round pick to get Sims and a seventh-rounder.

"Rob's doing a good job out there," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said after Thursday's practice. "We've only been out here for less than a week, so I don't want to get carried away here and put him on the All-Decade team, but he looks good."

Sims is 26, but is already entering his fifth season in the league, having played the first four with the Seahawks.

"The nice thing about Rob is that he's an established veteran, but still young," Schwartz said. "That's a good combination to have."

Sims has been happy with the first week of training camp, saying that his focus has been on getting used to playing with his new linemates.

"Obviously, you have to learn the plays, but the toughest part is just the small details of blocking alongside these guys," he said. "You have to get used to where they put their feet, so you don't trip over them, and whether you should take a step ahead of the line or behind the line."

Victoria Advocate | Lions make quiet but important move with Sims

 

[Buckskin86]

Posted: Aug. 19, 2010
Dad's football roots inspire Lions' Rob Sims
BY JO-ANN BARNAS
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Lions left guard Rob Sims (JULIAN H. GONZALEZ/Detroit Free Press)

As close as they were, there was so much he didn?t know.

The first realization came on the day of his father?s funeral, when NFL Hall of Famer Harry Carson stood in front of more than 1,000 mourners and spoke so passionately about the passing of his former South Carolina State teammate.

?I was blown away,? Lions guard Rob Sims said. ?I never knew that my dad and Harry Carson had played on the same line at one time.?

Last month before training camp, Sims went on a journey to learn more about the football career of his father, Robert (Mickey) Sims.

As it turned out, the trip was a lesson for the son.

Mickey Sims was a former defensive tackle for the Cleveland Browns (1977-79) who died of a heart attack at age 51 in 2006, a few weeks after Rob was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks.

Last April, Rob Sims was acquired by the Lions in a trade to shore up left guard ? a position that has been in flux for a decade. Although the opportunity gave Sims the chance to be within driving distance of his mother and sister in the Cleveland area, he needed help embracing his fresh start with the Lions.

?So I took a trip,? Sims said. ?You forget what drives you.

?One thing my father always told me was, ?God?s got a plan for you.? I wanted to know what I was made of. It put me right back where I needed to be.?

Dad's football roots inspire Lions' Rob Sims | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

 

[Buckskin86]

Rob Sims is closer to hometown as part of Detroit Lions
By Nate Ulrich
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: Aug 25, 2010

Rob Sims will wear Detroit Lions silver and blue Saturday evening, even though his blood contains traces of orange and brown.

When the Lions host the Browns this weekend in the third preseason game of the year for both teams, Sims, an offensive lineman from Macedonia, will encounter his hometown team. More important, he will face his dad's old team.

The late Mickey Sims played defensive tackle for the Browns from 1977-79. About a month after Rob Sims came out of Ohio State University and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round (128th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft, Mickey Sims died of a massive heart attack.

He was 51, and he never saw his son play in the NFL.

''He meant everything,'' said Rob Sims, a 2002 Nordonia High School graduate. ''He never pushed. He let the game come to me. He let me develop. He was always in my corner. He was always at my games. He was a great man, period. Without the football, without all that, he was just a great man.

''He always wanted me to be passionate about the game, and this is my fifth year in the NFL. I still talk to him. I still ask for his advice. I just hope he's watching over me.''

When Sims played for the Buckeyes, he was still relatively close to his father, mother, Brenda, and younger sister, Robyn. In Seattle, that wasn't the case. His move to the Pacific Northwest combined with his father's unexpected death created tough times for his family.

''It was a wild four years, but I think football helped us get through it,'' Sims said. ''A lot of prayer, and it's paid off.''

Ohio.com - Rob Sims is closer to hometown as part of Detroit Lions

 

[Buckskin86]

Last Updated: October 08. 2010
Lions guard Rob Sims signs four-year extension
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

Allen Park -- The Lions have confirmed that offensive guard Rob Sims has signed a four-year extension.

Sims, who earns a base salary of $1.2 million this season, is now under contract with the Lions through 2014. Terms of the contract were not immediately available.

"We don't do a lot of renegotiating during the season, but in this case it just made sense," said Lions president Tom Lewand. "Rob is a young guy who has really solidified our offensive line."The Lions had searched for years to plug the left guard spot on the offensive line before they acquired Sims.

"We liked Rob for a lot of reasons when we traded for him and he has validated all the things we saw," Lewand said. "He's been a great fit in the locker room and a great fit schematically on the field."Sims, 26, came to the Lions in April from Seattle in exchange a fifth-round pick in the 2010 draft and defensive end Robert Henderson. He played four seasons for the Seahawks, starting 34 of 45 games.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/2010...-Sims-signs-four-year-extension#ixzz11nlihHuZ