Bucs just can't pass on Simms

The team has plenty of quarterbacks, but Jon Gruden likes what he sees in the son of former Giants QB Phil Simms.

Simms

TAMPA - All along, the Bucs had stressed they were in no hurry to address the quarterback situation on the first day of the draft.

After all, they have Pro Bowl veteran Brad Johnson, they re-signed Shaun King, they added veteran free agents Jim Miller and Shane Matthews.

Heck, they even have first-year player Greg Zolman on the roster, for crying out loud.

Right ... !

The Bucs made that situation more intriguing Saturday night when they took Texas quarterback Chris Simms, the son of former Giants quarterback Phil Simms, with their third-round pick, the 97th overall.

Simms, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior, was projected as a possible first-rounder, and the Bucs were happy to get him in the third round.

"He's a very solid prospect," coach Jon Gruden said. "We're eager to get started. ... We wanted competition. We wanted depth. And now we have a lot of competition and a lot of depth. Obviously, we have some tough decisions that need to be made. But, when you're making a pick in your draft and a guy is on your board with a lot of redeeming qualities and high marks from the scouts, it's not wise to pass on those guys."

Simms, a native of Franklin Lakes, N.J., grew increasingly distraught as the draft went on and finally gave up watching it and turned the TV to the NBA playoffs.

"We had a pretty good idea that I was going to be between (pick) 15 and 25, actually," Simms said. "So (the day) was a lot worse than you even think. It's been frustrating, extremely. I stopped watching the draft about (8 p.m.). I'm just glad it's finally over with now and I can just go and play football and show all these other people that they really have no idea what they are talking about."

Simms, 22, played four seasons for the Longhorns and was 235-for-396 for 3,207 yards and 26 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in his senior season. For his career, Simms has thrown for 7,097 yards, with 58 touchdowns and 31 interceptions.

The left-hander has been streaky but is said to have a strong arm and mature approach. He has been criticized for having tunnel vision, which might explain why he dropped to the third round.

"To some of the expert gurus here, I'm sure if you listen to those guys (on TV) there was some shock and surprise," Gruden said. "We have something to prove, Chris and I both, that we made the right pick and Chris is the right man for the job."

Simms said Gruden's belief in him has him eager to get on the field.

"Without question, that's the great thing I like about Coach Gruden so much is that he realizes people are out there against you," Simms said. "All odds have been against me for a long time and now I just get to team up with him, a guy just like me, and hopefully we can prove everybody wrong."

In the son of one of the league's most steady quarterbacks, the Bucs appear to have drafted a young man groomed to play in the NFL.

"A guy that's been around football his whole life. I'm a little biased to coaches and coaches' sons and people who have been around the game their entire life. I think there is a certain intangible ingrained in these people from the time they are born. It doesn't guarantee anything, but it's another aspect of the Chris Simms file that makes him an even more intriguing prospect."

The acquisition of Simms means the Bucs could face the difficult situation of having too many quarterbacks on the roster.

"It's awful hard to carry four quarterbacks, although I've seen it done," Gruden said. "We're going to keep the best players, whether it's nine defensive linemen and two quarterbacks or nine quarterbacks and four or five defensive linemen. We're not going to let a good player out of here unless we're just blessed to have so many doggone good players."

- Times staff writer Brian Landman contributed to this report.

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