Former first-round pick Ernie Sims will either look for a new team or different career.

On Thursday, just two days before Saturday's preseason opener against the Texans, the Cardinals announced that they had released the veteran linebacker. Sims was the ninth overall player taken in the 2006 draft by the Lions, after a productive collegiate career at Florida State.

But after he was traded to the Eagles in 2010, Sims never lived up to his draft status. After the Eagles, he bounced around to Indianapolis and Dallas before landing in Arizona this past June. However, he's been buried on the depth chart all preseason and didn't have a chance to crack the 53-man roster.

The Cardinals did the right thing by releasing Sims, as it keeps him healthy while he looks for another team. In addition, the Cardinals benefit because it prevents having to keep him on the payroll in case of a major injury sustained in the preseason.

Sims did not have a good 2013 season, signaling that this could be the near-end of his NFL career. If so, Sims can look back and realize he's played eight seasons of football at the highest level, more than most people that play this game can say.

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