The Philadelphia Eagles have been more aggressive in free agency, adding well-known players to address important needs. However, general manager Howie Roseman still has more to do.
Few position groups saw a bigger decline during a late-season collapse in the 2023 season than the secondary. After hiring Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator, the Eagles might look to one of his former players to improve possibly the biggest weakness still on the roster.
The 33rd Team connects the Eagles to four-time Second-Team All-Pro Justin Simmons, as the later part of free agency carries on.
“The Eagles might benefit from a crowded safety market,” Dan Pizzuta states for The 33rd Team. “There was a lot of talent available, and apart from 25-year-old Xavier McKinney, not many large contracts were offered for this position. Philadelphia still has over $27 million in effective cap space, according to Over The Cap. That should allow the team to give a competitive offer to a soon-to-be 31-year-old. Justin Simmons played more as a single-high safety in 2023 than in his previous three seasons and still has the ability to play in the slot and in the box.
“Bringing in Simmons could create more flexibility for C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who signed a three-year deal this offseason and has experience at safety and the slot. He mainly played in the slot early in his career, then played more safety in Philadelphia and Detroit.”
What Justin Simmons would Add Eagles
Signing Simmons might be somewhat repetitive for the Eagles, after reuniting with Gardner-Johnson, but, the need for safety is significant enough to justify adding a player of Simmons’ caliber.
Last season, Simmons recorded 70 total tackles with one sack, three interceptions, eight pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.
Meanwhile, according to Pro Football Focus, opposing quarterbacks had a low 85.9 passer rating when targeting him last season.
Simmons played some of his best football under Fangio, earning two of his All-Pro honors while Fangio was the Broncos head coach.
“I credit a lot of my success to Vic and his staff, because of how they implemented their defense and made me understand the game in a whole new way,” Simmons told the Philadelphia Inquirer, about Fangio's hiring in Philadelphia. “It was a completely new defense, it was a whole new way of learning. So Philadelphia has a great one.”
What is Justin Simmons’ Market Value?
The safety market seems to be experiencing a downturn similar to what running backs went through last offseason.
According to Spotrac, Simmons could get a two-year contract worth $11.1 million per year, making him the sixth-highest paid free safety in the NFL.
An affordable contract for Simmons would be quite manageable for the Eagles, as Roseman has navigated free agency well with Philadelphia still having over $30.8 million in cap space. The Eagles still have the NFL’s fourth-highest spending flexibility, even after notable additions such as Saquon Barkley, Bryce Huff, Gardner-Johnson, Devin White, and others.
Bringing in Simmons to strengthen the defensive backfield would greatly help in completing one of the remaining tasks on Roseman’s offseason agenda.
