When it comes to weaknesses in the team's lineup, Packers many of the positions that are frequently mentioned depend on personal opinions rather than concrete facts. However, one position stands out: Safety. This is because the Packers are facing the offseason with their top 3 safeties all becoming free agents. Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens and Rudy Ford all have contracts that have expired. The only remaining safeties with Packers contracts are Benny Sapp and Zayne Anderson, who together only played a total of 17 snaps last year.
. However, the Packers are in luck because as teams have been reducing their rosters in recent days, more and more safeties have been becoming available, which means Green Bay is in a good position to add one, or maybe even more, at a reasonable price.
The latest addition comes from the Broncos, as they surprisingly released safety Justin Simmons after a Pro Bowl season during which he madethree interceptions and defended eight passes in 15 games. He joins the Seahawks’ Quandre Diggs, the Eagles’ Kevin Byard and Buffalo’s Jordan Poyer as top safeties who have been let go due to salary-cap reasons this week.
According to Bleacher Report’s “Wake Up With Ray G” podcast, Simmons would be a “great fit” in Green Bay.
Justin Simmons Could Be an ‘Anchor’ for a Young Defense
Simmons is 31 years old, which might make him older than what the Packers prefer. This is evidently a strategy focused on youth in Green Bay. However, GM Brian Gutekunst has hinted that the team would not be against adding players who can help them win now after a strong finish last season, which included a trip to the NFL’s quarterfinals, where the Packers were narrowly defeated by the 49ers.
Safety is an area of need, and Simmons is an experienced veteran who could provide leadership. This doesn’t mean that the team won’t consider re-signing some of its current safeties. But Simmons would be an improvement.
“We know they’re going to get better and better on offense but getting a player like Simmons to anchor the defense and, importantly, give them a guy that can help them win in the NFC. … If he did want to go to the NFC, a team on the rise like the Packers could be a great destination,” co-host Jordan Richards said.
The Packers have limited cap space, but signing Simmons wouldn’t be too expensive. He was in the final year of a four-year, $61 million deal, and Spotrac estimates his market value at a two-year, $22 million deal. Savage is projected by Pro Football Focus for a two-year, $10 million contract, so the Packers could afford both.
Packers Are a Team on the Rise
Simmons will have other options, though. Two of the top safeties and potential targets for the Packers—Antoine Winfield of Tampa Bay and Kyle Dugger of the Patriots—were franchise-tagged, and Simmons will be among the top choices for any team in need of a safety.
But the Packers don’t need to do much to convince Simmons to join them, if they are interested. Simmons should be interested in playing for a team with as much potential as Green Bay.
“When you look at what Jordan Love did and how that offense progressed throughout the season, I still think they want to lean on the defense and have a strong secondary. Now, they might want to go elsewhere in the secondary. Simmons would be a great fit to be the anchor for a young defense that is continuing to improve year after year,” Richards said.
