May 12, 2005
BY BRAD BIGGS Staff Reporter
The Bears' search for an outside linebacker moved to the next level Wednesday, with the team hosting Anthony Simmons at Halas Hall.
The former first-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks underwent a physical and had a get-acquainted session with coaches and management. Simmons is the first known linebacker the Bears have brought in, signaling he is likely their top choice to play alongside Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs.
Whether the Bears will be able to lure him in with a contract for the veteran minimum remains to be seen. Hunter Hillenmeyer is tops on the depth chart at strong-side linebacker, but when the rookie minicamp ended recently, coach Lovie Smith said the team might not be done with free-agent shopping.
The Seahawks released Simmons in March rather than pay him a $500,000 roster bonus, part of the five-year, $23.75 million contract he signed in 2003. That deal included a $7.5 million signing bonus, but Simmons' level of play was never commensurate with his pay. He has missed 21 games in the last three seasons, including nine in 2004 after wrist surgery. Rather than be teased by his athletic ability, the Seahawks cut bait and will carry a salary-cap hit of $4.5 million for him this season.
Simmons, the Seahawks' first-round pick in 1998, also had ar- throscopic shoulder surgery last season that cost him two games, and he missed nine games in 2002 with a sprained ankle. A neck problem cost him two games in 2003.
Still, he's viewed as the most athletic option on the market and can run, the thing Smith covets most in his linebackers. He'll turn 29 in June and has spent some time at middle linebacker. In 2000, he had 147 tackles playing on the outside, the third-highest total in Seahawks history.
The Bears are looking for a two-down linebacker, someone who can play about 40 snaps a game with the base defense and will come out in nickel situations. Simmons visited the New Orleans Saints before the draft and drew interest from the New England Patriots before they signed former teammate Chad Brown. The Green Bay Packers also have expressed interest in Simmons.
Former Illinois star Kevin Hardy might be an option, too, but the Bears haven't inquired about him since he was cut loose by the Cincinnati Bengals. Hardy, who will turn 32 in July, has stayed healthy during his 10-year career and still is considered mobile.
''It would be nice if they called,'' said Ethan Lock, Hardy's agent, ''but they haven't to this point.''
Another interesting option became available when the Baltimore Ravens released four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Peter Boulware. The Ravens' all-time sack leader didn't play last season after undergoing knee surgery. He also had toe surgery in December, but he pronounced himself fully healthy last week. If Boulware is in shape, his price tag will be well above the veteran minimum.
Former Bears linebacker Warrick Holdman, who played for the Cleveland Browns last season, signed with the Washington Redskins.
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