I’m not sure what’s gotten into the water of NFL GM’s this week, but it’s seemed to prompt them into releasing defensive backs. Jordan Poyer and Avonte Maddox were released yesterday, and the Broncos released Justin Simmons on Thursday morning. Should the Philadelphia Eagles be his next landing spot?
Justin Simmons released by the Broncos
Justin Simmons is an eight-year veteran who has spent his entire career in Denver. Notably for Eagles fans, this means he did spend 3 seasons playing under Vic Fangio (2019-2021). We’ll get to that later.
A third-round pick in 2016, Simmons blossomed into one of the premier safeties in the NFL, earning a pair of Pro Bowl nods (2020 & 2023) along the way. While last season was a little less impressive than most of his prior years, Simmons was still a ballhawk who made some big-time plays for Denver, breaking up 8 passes and picking off 3. He had 6 in 2022 and 5 in each of the last two years before that.
Cutting Simmons freed up around $14.5M in cap space for the Broncos, which is actually around what his average annual value has been throughout his most-recent four-year contract. Should the Eagles be willing to spend $10M+ on an aging safety? Potentially.
Should the Eagles be interested in signing Justin Simmons?
As aforementioned, Vic Fangio was once his Head Coach, and is now the defensive coordinator in Philadelphia. The familiarity would be paramount when considering how complex Fangio’s scheme is often regarded and the Eagles need some stability on the back end.
Sydney Brown is going to miss the opening portion of the 2024 season as he rehabs his ACL tear, and that leaves just Reed Blankenship as the lone entrenched starter in the defensive backfield. The Eagles have around $40M in cap space and the age of Justin Simmons should push the idea of a short-term deal into the realms of reality. This is perfect for the Eagles, who can allow Brown to fully heal while bringing in a veteran who is familiar with Fangio’s scheme while retaining a short leash and not compromising the growth of younger players.
The other good news here is that because so many big names are hitting the open market, the value is likely to come down. Whether it’s Jordan Poyer, Justin Simmons, or someone else entirely, the Eagles suddenly have a few veteran names who can bring strong leadership and stronger play to the table at a position where they really lack depth. Being able to grab those names even a little cheaper than expected should always be considered a big win.
Howie Roseman is bound to have his binoculars fixed on Justin Simmons as free agency looms, but how many other safeties would have drawn his gaze? We won’t have long to find out, with the new league year now just a few days away.
AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File
