Is Mike Sims-Walker the real deal, or was he a one-year fantasy wonder?
It was the first day of Organized Team Activities for the Jaguars in the spring, and Sims-Walker was on the sidelines, holding court with Jacksonville reporters.
"On the sidelines" is the key phrase there, because Sims-Walker was not on the field. He had tweaked an ankle and banged up a knee.
You don't want to read too much into one OTA in May. There was no reason for the Jaguars to take any chances nearly 12 weeks before Kickoff Weekend. Sims-Walker, after all, is entrenched as the team's No. 1 wide receiver, and he's had plenty of experience working with quarterback David Garrard. Sims-Walker almost certainly would have been on the field if it were October instead of May.
And yet ...
When it comes to Sims-Walker, there's always the qualifier, "when healthy." As in, when healthy, he was a top-flight fantasy wide receiver in 2009. And, when healthy, "he can be a number-one wide receiver," according to Jacksonville offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter.
The Jaguars seconded that notion when they passed on wide-receiver help in the NFL Draft. Instead, they believe that Sims-Walker can flourish while all defensive eyes are focused on Maurice Jones-Drew and the Jaguars' backfield.
There is evidence of their faith in Sims-Walker, although the sample size is small. In 2009, he caught 63 passes for 869 yards and scored seven touchdowns. Those numbers aren't eye-popping, but they included three 100-yard games, one multi-touchdown effort, and touchdowns in three straight weeks beginning in Week 9.
But just when fantasy owners were beginning to catch on, Sims-Walker's production fell off the table. A sore knee here, an injured calf there. Doubtful on the injury report one week, questionable the next. His breakout season turned into something more like a breakout half-season.
It takes a little luck to land the injury-prone player in an injury-free year. But this is a contract year for Sims-Walker, and fantasy owners know that can be a great motivator to stay on the field.
Bottom line: "When healthy," Sims-Walker is the real deal. Do you feel lucky?
