Pete Carroll added new talent for his first Las Vegas Raiders team during the 2025 NFL Draft. But not everyone believes the former USC head coach topped off his roster completely.
There's still intriguing free agents left out there. Analyst for The 33rd Team Ian Valentino believes Carroll should make a run at a past $70 million Pro Bowl performer.
Valentino calls on Carroll and Vegas to add old Raiders rival Justin Simmons. The same Simmons who became an All-Pro for the Denver Broncos, but remains without an NFL home ahead of the 2025 season. Simmons even stumbled during his brief time with the Atlanta Falcons. But Valentino writes that shouldn't be an issue for the Raiders.
"There's no question that one of the biggest free-agent bust signings from 2024 was Justin Simmons. It doesn't make a ton of sense at face value, either, because Simmons was arguably the best safety in the NFL in 2024. But his move to Atlanta brought less playmaking and a career-worst tackling rate," Valentino began.
The analyst still included how Simmons earned a "more defined role" in Denver compared to Atlanta.
"Simmons always split time between the box, true free safety, and in the slot until 2024, when Atlanta essentially moved all of his slot snaps to free safety on a unit without a pass rush," Valentino said.
Vegas presents a stronger pass rush for Simmons. Maxx Crosby sets the tone here. Malcolm Koonce is another past valuable contributor. Both men, along with Christian Wilkins and Adam Butler inside, present a stronger situation for Simmons per Valentino's words.
"Las Vegas can avoid repeating that mistake because they have an elite pass rush and a history of producing elite safeties under Pete Carroll," Valentino said. "Simmons might've slowed down, but he won't have to cover as much space with Maxx Crosby headlining a terrific defensive front. And he's easily an upgrade over Lonnie Johnson, Isaiah Pola-Mao, and Chris Smith."
The Raiders did lure in veteran Jeremy Chinn on a two-year, $16.2 million deal. But Carroll must turn around a unit that ranked 25th in points allowed. The Raiders also didn't draft a safety for this past class. There's room for Simmons if the former Trojans coach Carroll and the front office intervene.
