The Las Vegas Raiders should by no means be considered done in terms of adding talent before the 2025 season starts, with safety Justin Simmons at the top of this hypothetical list despite his very public overtures for the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Raiders would be wise to target their former division rival, especially considering they have one of his more respected coaches on the staff. This X-factor could make them a prime landing spot.
CBS Sports listed the Raiders as a top spot for Simmons on the open market. While the need for a safety could lead Simmons to slide right into a starting role, he might be won over by the fact the coach who helped turn him into a star player is already installed in Las Vegas.
Pass game coordinator Joe Woods was Simmons' first-ever defensive coordinator once upon a time in his tenure with the Broncos. That familiarity will be key, especially if Simmons wants to leverage his past success to target teams that will guarantee him a starting role.
Raiders mentioned as landing spot for free agent S Justin Simmons
Simmons tried to link up with Matt Judon (who also remains unsigned) with the Atlanta Falcons, but Kirk Cousins' regression kept him out of the postseason. Simmons' declining PFF grades show that despite all of his positive traits, he is not the same star player he was during his peak with Denver.
However, the Raiders' safety duo isn't exactly Jack Tatum and George Atkinson. Jeremy Chinn coming over from after successful stints in Carolina and Washington should make for an improvement over what they had last year, but the Raiders chose not to further address the position in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Simmons would immediately be the best safety on the team, even with his recent decline in production. The Raiders need to keep adding stars if they want any chance of succeeding in what has become a very crowded AFC West, and signing Simmons certainly qualifies as a big move.
Pete Carroll's defenses have varied in quality in the pros, but he always has a thing for safeties who can hit hard and cover ground. Even if he's not prime Earl Thomas, Simmons would be such a huge upgrade that the defense could perform better than it has in years.
