TEMPE, Ariz. -- Six seconds isn't a long time but when it comes to answering a question, it can seem like an eternity -- especially when there's mostly silence.
After Tuesday's minicamp practice, I asked Arizona head coach Bruce Arians how linebacker Ernie Sims, who the Cards signed on Tuesday, was doing in his new role.
"Uhh ..." Arians began. Then silence. The seconds went by.
"OK," he said. "OK."
It was far from a ringing endorsement for Sims, who was expected to compete with Larry Foote to be Daryl Washington's replacement. And it may not bode well for Sims' future.
He was a stud in college at Florida State and the No. 9 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft. He's known as a hard-hitter, but his career has slowed down during the past few years. He was a replacement for Sean Lee in Dallas the past two seasons.
When a coach can't decide what kind of answer he's going to give in six long seconds, something's not right. From what I saw, Sims wasn't getting reps with the first team. He has a prime opportunity ahead of him to earn playing time, especially with the lack of depth at inside linebacker. Unless the pause gets longer, Sims should be on the roster for training camp and then it'll be up to him to make sure Arians can come up with an answer quicker.