Mike Chappell of the Indianapolis Star reported this morning that the Colts have signed free agent linebacker Ernie Sims. Sims was the ninth overall pick for the Detroit Lions in 2006 and successfully made the switch to the Tampa-2 defense just as that team was hitting rock bottom. When the Lions were at their worst, Sims was one of the captains for a defense that was actually fairly decent. The problem for Sims and his d-mates was that they never got off the field, and he began to show some wear and tear. He played with the Eagles last season.
Physically, Sims is fairly typical for a Colts linebacker, standing six feet tall, weighing 230 pounds, showing good speed and hitting hard. Indy lost free agent LB Clint Session to the Jaguars last week, and the starting unit is set to be Pat Angerer, Gary Brackett and Kavell Conner. It will be interesting to see how Sims fits in and whether he bumps any of the other holdovers (Philip Wheeler?) from the roster.