Getty
Justin Simmons.
For several seasons, Justin Simmons was one of the best defensive backs in the NFL. He was named Second-Team All-Pro four times during his time with the Denver Broncos.
Denver decided to move on last offseason, which led Simmons to the Atlanta Falcons. He was still impactful, having combined for 62 tackles while grabbing two interceptions.
Despite that, Simmons remains a free agent right now. He’s on the wrong side of 30, but showed last year that he’s still an effective player. Ian Valentino of The 33rd Team believes that Simmons is one of the best available free agents.
“There’s no question that one of the biggest free-agent bust signings from 2024 was Justin Simmons,” Valentino wrote. “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.
“So why is Simmons listed here? At 31 years old, Atlanta had Simmons in a more defined role than Denver, and teams could look at his usage as a reason he was slightly exposed. 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.”
The Las Vegas Raiders lost starting safeties Tre’von Moehrig and Marcus Epps in free agency this offseason. They did re-sign Isaiah Pola-Mao and added Jeremy Chinn, but Valentino thinks Simmons still makes sense in Las Vegas.
“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 added. “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.”
Simmons Should Be Cheap Option
On the surface, Simmons would be a low-risk move for the Raiders to make. He only got paid $7.5 million from the Falcons last season, and could be even cheaper this time around.
According to Over the Cap, the Raiders have $42 million in salary cap space right now, which is the second-most in the NFL. At this point, they’re likely trying to save some money for next, but giving a starting-caliber safety a contract around $5 million for one year isn’t a big investment.
If the Raiders are worried about Pola-Mao taking the leap to starter this season, Simmons would make a lot of sense.
Raiders Also Need a CB
Safety isn’t as big of a need for the Raiders as cornerback. The team could use a veteran starter on the outside and in the slot.
The Raiders cut Jack Jones and lost Nate Hobbs in free agency, who were both starters last year. The team hasn’t been overly aggressive in trying to find cornerbacks this offseason.
It’s possible that they like some of the young pieces who are already on the roster, but it’s a big risk not to add more proven veteran talent.
