The offseason approach toward contract extensions was recently altered by Wally Buono when the coach/GM of the Lions stated he would be more cautious than in the past. That viewpoint, however, does not extend to the most productive receiver in the history of the CFL team, meaning Geroy Simon will continue his career with the Lions a little longer. In a manner similar to his understated trademark pose after scoring a touchdown, the 34-year-old slotback slipped into Buono's office Thursday and signed a contract extension, The Province learned Saturday. Simon was heading into his option year and his new deal will only bind him through the 2011 season, though he has often stated he has no desire to play elsewhere. It is believed the contract maintains the position of the 34-year-old veteran as the highest-paid receiver in the CFL, earning in excess of $200,000 annually. The Lions extended the contracts of 15 players after the 2008 season in the hopes of establishing continuity among veterans. But an 8-10 record prompted Buono to reconsider. Simon was a deserving exception, however. Though he often became a decoy during the first half of last season in which he only had one 100-yard receiving game, he finished with a club-leading 1,239 yards. Another highlight in Simon's seventh-straight 1,000-yard receiving season came when he became franchise career leader in combined yards. "Geroy knows where he stands," Buono said just after making his initial extension proposal. Buono and his coaching staff are in Atlanta today, completing a pair of free-agent import camps in the U.S. The club is expected to make the deal official upon Buono's return.
