Post by lazarus on May 11, 2003 18:47:53 GMT -5
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
From the day he became their No. 1 draft pick last year, nose tackle Ryan Sims has been little more than an enigma to the Chiefs.
Between contract squabbles, weight issues, a season-ending elbow injury and his initial refusal to report for off-season work, it's been almost impossible for the Chiefs to gauge whether they made the proper choice.
The matter is not one of Sims' talent but of his will and commitment. Specifically, the Chiefs wonder whether Sims will ever work hard enough for his skills to make a difference.
"If I wasn't committed," Sims said in response, "I wouldn't have stayed here three or four months rehabbing my elbow. I'm very committed to being here, to winning."
It's a pressing issue for the Chiefs. For all of the talk about end Vonnie Holliday and linebacker Shawn Barber, Sims might be the key player as the Chiefs hope to make major improvement on defense.
"He has to be a big-time guy," coach thingy Vermeil said. "There's no question in my mind he can be. He's been slowed down by contract problems, injury problems, out-of-shape problems. Now he's in shape and he has no injury or contract problems. All he's having is a problem in defining what it's going to take for him to be what he has the ability to be. We're all working on that."
Vermeil is leading the charge. He ranted early last month, unhappy that Sims hadn't yet joined the Chiefs' off-season workouts. Vermeil even took the extraordinary step of calling Sims' father Ronnie in South Carolina to discuss the situation and plead his case.
Vermeil has eased off publicly since. Sims reported for workouts, though he hasn't been a consistent participant.
The absence of stinging criticism doesn't mean Vermeil's concerns are over.
"He's got to continue to mature and understand what he does for a living and then listen to the people who help make a difference in what he does for a living," Vermeil said. "That's me, but it's not only me. It's everybody: teammates, weight coaches, everybody.
"A lot of guys have never been exposed to a program like this, where you're held accountable every day. We want to know where you are every day, especially when we have a lot of money invested in you."
The Chiefs exert influence over players who aren't consistent participants in the off-season program, but they cannot make the workouts mandatory because of NFL rules. So some players skip at least a few of the workouts.
There doesn't appear to any ill will building in the locker room because of Sims' absences.
"When he came in, he did work," linebacker Scott Fujita said. "He came back in pretty good shape, so he was obviously doing the right things when he was home. You're not obligated to be here and if you've got somewhere else to be, you've got to take care of business."
But his teammates are aware of Sims' importance.
"Anytime you get a guy who's 315 or 320 pounds and moves like he does, he commands a lot of attention," defensive end Eric Hicks said. "He'll free things up for Vonnie, he'll free things up for myself and John Browning. We're excited about the possibilities.
"Ryan's still a young guy. He's only 23. He'll find his own way through the world. He's had a lot of responsibility thrust on him early in his career and I think he's finally learning now how to handle it. We're expecting big things out of him."
Sims maintained none of the issues since the draft should be mistaken as a lack of commitment. Last year's protracted contract negotiations were just a matter of standing up for what he believed. The dislocated elbow early last season was just rotten luck.
The Chiefs can accept that. The refusal to work with teammates during the off-season was more puzzling.
"I just wanted a change of scenery for awhile," Sims said. "I had been here all through rehab and once I got done, I wanted to go home. I spent two weeks at home and came back out."
He is aware the Chiefs are watching. Their plans for improving the defense are much more realistic with a productive Sims in the middle of their line.
"It's time to prove myself," Sims said. "I've got some things to show a lot of people, my teammates, coaches and myself. I didn't get to do that last year.
"They're expecting me to put pressure on the quarterback, No. 1. Pressure on the QB starts from the inside and goes out. That's where you get the sacks. I'm going to help us stop the run. They did a good job of getting some new guys in to help us strengthen our defense. Maybe I'm the last piece of the puzzle."
That's what the Chiefs hope too. But, for now, wishful thinking is all it is.
"We drafted the right guy from a character standpoint and a talent standpoint," Vermeil said. "We know what we've got there. We've just got to help him be what he has the ability to be. Some guys take a little more work, initially. Once they find out, then it's all over. Once becomes all self-induced motivation, your problems are over."