Chowder and Champions
Fansided

New England Patriots: John Simon solid on edge

By Michael DeVito

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 21: John Simon #55 of the New England Patriots looks on before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on December 21, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 21: John Simon #55 of the New England Patriots looks on before the game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on December 21, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

New England Patriots edge player John Simon was a good pickup and a solid contributor in the pass rush.

New England Patriots edge player, John Simon, has become a very solid contributor to their very good defense. Simon will be 30 years old later this year and has played on 4 teams in his NFL career. The past two with New England.

Relatively unheard of before signing with New England, Simon has emerged as a good edge player for the Patriots. Simon racked up 44 tackles last season at the right defensive end position along with 4 sacks.

More from Chowder and Champions

While these statistics are not earth-shattering, Simon has proven to be a very good signing for New England. Coupled with fellow edge player Chase Winovich last season, the duo racked up 9.5 sacks. That’s a good contribution to a very good defensive squad.

I’ve written that I feel that Winovich is an emerging star on the New England defense. When coupled with Simon and newcomer Josh Uche, they could present a very formidable outside pass-rushing complement for the Patriots in 2020. Actually, it’s essential that they do.

Simon bounced around the NFL with 3 other teams before landing with the Patriots in 2018. With Houston, in 2015 Simon had a career-best 5 sacks and 53 tackles. Bill Belichick must have seen something he liked and he signed Simon on September 26, 2018.

Simon was originally drafted by Baltimore (there’s that connection again) in the 4th round of the 2013 draft. I’ve written before about the great Ozzie Newsome, the player personnel genius of the Baltimore Ravens. Evidently, Belichick agrees.

He has brought Simon and Lawrence Guy, both former Ravens over from Baltimore in the past few years. Both have worked out fine.

Maybe the Patriots personnel staff should keep an even closer eye on Ravens cuts at the end of the preseason and leave a spot or two open for their castoffs every year.

So Simon went from the waiver wire, I guess, in 2018, to the Patriots and he proceeded to impress. I can remember seeing him with that familiar number 55 (anyone remember Willie McGinest?), and he had some giddy-up as they say. He could bring it in the pass rush.

I had no idea who he was. But I found out. Simon signed a modest 2-year contract with New England after the 2018 season. It was a good signing. His contract ends after this season.

Simon may never be a 10-sack edge player, but he gives all-out effort on every play, and he brings the pressure.

Simon, Winovich, and Uche in 2020 bring the promise of the following: the veteran, who knows how it’s done. The young veteran, who’s figuring it out quickly, and the rookie, who has the speed and acumen to really make plays.

Julian Edelman has a lot to prove. dark. Next

Sounds good to me. When does camp start?

Home/New England Patriots