Vic Fangio and the Philadelphia Eagles would be a great fit for Justin Simmons, who was released by the Denver Broncos. However, Justin Simmons, who turns 31 this season, will not be available for cheap.
PHILADELPHIA: After veteran safety Justin Simmons was cut on Thursday due to a salary cap maneuver, it is simple to say, “Yeah, go get Justin Simmons.”
He is a great fit for the Philadelphia Eagles, who could use a safety or two. He also played for Vic Fangio throughout the four years Fangio was employed by the Denver Broncos, three of those years as defensive coordinator and one as head coach.
Is Philly able to pull it off? What is more, are the Eagles motivated to see it through?
Simmons, who has eight years of experience and will turn 31 in November, appears to be playing at a high level despite only having intercepted nine passes in the last two seasons.
He was named to the Pro Bowl for the second time in his career and was selected to the second team All-Pro for the fourth time only last year.
When Fangio spent last season in South Florida as the DC for the Miami Dolphins, he did not exactly get a warm reception from the defense. Fangio is currently the DC for the Eagles. However, Simmons enjoyed playing for him when they were together in Denver.
Simmons informed the Denver Post that Fangio “simply loves football,” following his dismissal as head coach of the Broncos in the first week of January 2022. “He watches balls all day long while sitting in his office. Because he puts in so much work, it is easy to go to work for someone like that and support him. Playing for him and developing a strategy with him over the past three years has taught me so much about him.
Until you take into account that doing so would mean departing from their policy of signing young players off of their initial contract as free agents.
How much it would cost to sign him and how many years he would want are additional factors to take into account. The estimated yearly salary is almost $14 million, but if a three-year contract is signed, he will still be 34 years old.
At $18.25 million, Simmons was supposed to have the fourth-highest salary cap charge for the 2024 campaign. Would he take Fangio back on a one-year contract?
Regarding the age philosophy, the Eagles might be open to bending it a little given that they have already lost some veteran leadership on this squad, with Fletcher Cox expected to retire or find another position, and Jason Kelce expected to retire.
Consider this as well: Kevin Byard was regarded as a strong leader, but he faced difficult circumstances entering the locker room midway through the season following the Eagles’ transfer of fifth and sixth round draft picks to the Tennessee Titans during the pr8jevious year’s trade deadline.
Having once gone three seasons in a row without missing a defensive snap, he is also dependable.
