Most Intriguing Seahawks: No. 13, CB Tharold Simon

Each day until the start of training camp, “Brock and Salk” is talking with an NFL analyst and counting down the 25 most intriguing players on the Seahawks’ roster. “Two-a-days” continued with ESPN’s Matt Hasselbeck as the guest and Tharold Simon as the 13th-most intriguing Seahawk. The segment on Simon is embedded above. My thoughts are below.

• Position: CB
• Height/Weight: 6-3, 202
• Experience: Fourth season
• Acquired: Fifth-round pick, 2013

Overview: “He has tons of ability, and we’re kind of waiting for him to take it over and just show that he’s able to do it consistently.” That quote from Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard is a pretty good summation of Simon’s career to date and where he stands entering his fourth season. Simon’s size and physicality are exactly what the Seahawks look for in their cornerbacks. They just haven’t been able to see it in action for any extended stretch due in large part to Simon’s inability to stay healthy. He missed the entirety of his rookie season (feet), six games in 2014 (knee, shoulder) then all but one game last year (toe). And when Simon has managed to stay on the field, the results have been mixed. He made five regular-season starts and one interception in 2014 but struggled in coverage when pressed into action in the playoffs, first in the divisional round against Carolina and then in the Super Bowl against New England. Can Simon finally stay healthy and show the Seahawks what they’ve been waiting to see? It’s now or never.

The intrigue: The intrigue with Simon, aside from his physical tools, is the situation he’s in as enters the final year of his rookie deal. The carrot of free agency tends to be a pretty effective motivator for players who have underachieved, and Simon has seen several other Seahawks defensive backs cash in. Byron Maxwell, for instance, struggled with injuries his first two seasons and only started 17 games for Seattle but still got a free-agent contract averaging $10.5 million per year. The Seahawks can’t count on Simon to stay healthy, but they can at least know that he’s got plenty of incentive to have a strong season. So far so good, according to the review coach Pete Carroll gave of Simon in May: “This is a really good look at him. This is the best we’ve seen him. He’s the most experienced, seems to be the most settled, he understands what we’re asking of him, and he’s going to have a great competitive opportunity because he’s put together a great offseason.”

2016 outlook: It depends first and foremost on Simon’s availability, which at this point can’t be taken for granted. If he stays healthy, Simon has a chance to earn significant playing time. It likely won’t be as a starter since Jeremy Lane is the favorite to play opposite Richard Sherman in Seattle’s base defense. But Simon could be the third cornerback Seattle uses in nickel situations, taking over on the right side with Lane sliding into the slot. DeShawn Shead is among the other cornerbacks on Seattle’s roster who will compete for that job.

Most Intriguing Seahawks: 25, DL Quinton Jefferson; 24, WR Kasen Williams; 23, WR Paul Richardson; 22, G Mark Glowinski; 21, TE Nick Vannett; 20, CB Jeremy Lane; 19, DT Jordan Hill; 18, RB Alex Collins; 17, S Tyvis Powell; 16, G Germain Ifedi; 15, QB Russell Wilson; 14, FS Earl Thomas.