Howie Roseman has built a reputation around acquiring undervalued assets for a relatively low price. Two-time Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons would fit that bill. Simmons has been linked relentlessly to the Eagles throughout 2024. The Eagles have done a lot to improve their secondary from 2023, but many of the players they acquired aren’t exactly proven. Simmons, who turns 32 this year, is a proven commodity coming off his second Pro Bowl appearance in 2023. He’s been an excellent player for the entirety of his career who brings a little bit of everything. While he may not be a long-term solution at the position, he would serve as an upgrade over Reed Blankenship. Moreover, it’s worth investigating the free agent to see if there’s a chance he could be wearing green in 2024.
Justin Simmons Career History and Accolades
Justin Simmons, for a while, has been considered amongst the best safeties in the NFL. He was drafted in 2016 by the Denver Broncos as a third-round pick. He took over the starting safety role in 2017 and hasn’t looked back since. With 30 interceptions throughout his career, Simmons ranks 7th on the list for most interceptions by active players. He’s a consistent ball-hawk who is also a sure tackler. These are two things the Eagles struggled with last season. The Eagles had the seventh-least interceptions in 2023 and were on the wrong end of plenty of highlights due to bad tackling. Simmons would help alleviate both issues.
Another aspect here is Simmons’ familiarity with New Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Fangio was hired as the Broncos head coach in 2019 and helped elevate Simmons’ game. He came up with 14 interceptions in Fangio’s three-year stint and made his first Pro Bowl in 2020. Simmons also has plenty of great things to say about Fangio, as evident when Fangio joined the Eagles. Simmons’ familiarity with Fangio’s scheme would help ease the transition of this Eagles’ defense.
How He May Fit in
The Eagles would need to feel the price is right. This could be skewed by how many potential bidders there are on Simmons. However, it will come down to how badly the team wants him. The Eagles did a lot to address the secondary in 2024. Those moves included a plethora of corners but also potential safeties in C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Cooper DeJean, and James Bradberry. The Eagles will be content to let their additions play themselves out. But there’s still a chance Simmons might be the best move they can make to push their team over the top. With the Eagles’ defense struggling a bit so far in training camp, discussions around Simmons and other moves are surely being held.
The flexibility in their secondary would allow them to make this move and move players around. Much like an offensive line, the Eagles seem to be approaching a mindset of just getting the best five guys out on the field. It’s hard to say that Simmons wouldn’t be one of them if they could get him on board.
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