justinThe New England Patriots are aiming to enhance every aspect of their game, and they have a chance to build a formidable secondary by potentially pursuing a Pro Bowl player.
On Thursday, the Broncos released safety Justin Simmons, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Denver’s decision results in a savings of $14.5 million against their salary cap.
Simmons, a product of Boston College, has garnered four Second-Team All-Pro selections and earned two Pro Bowl nods over his eight-year tenure with the Broncos. He emerged as a leader in interceptions during the 2022 season and boasts the highest interception count of any player in the NFL since entering the league in 2016, with a total of 30 interceptions.
At 30 years old, Simmons joins a competitive safety market featuring notable names such as Jordan Poyer, Jamal Adams, Kevin Byard, and Eddie Jackson. According to insights from The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider, Denver opted not to trade Simmons as teams may prefer exploring the free-agent market rather than parting with valuable assets.
Despite utilizing the transition tag on Kyle Dugger, the New England Patriots should still be able to pursue talent like Simmons.
Simmons may not demand a significant amount of money for the Patriots, especially considering the trend among general managers to seek lower deals for positions like running back, linebacker, and safety, as noted by The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
The prospect of assembling a secondary featuring Simmons alongside Jonathan Jones, Christian Gonzalez, and Dugger could be highly appealing to Patriots’ coach Mayo and the front office, prompting them to make a concerted effort to pursue him.
Additionally, New England might explore trading for L’Jarius Sneed from the Kansas City Chiefs to further bolster their defensive unit and create a shutdown defense.
Free agency presents an opportunity to acquire top-tier talent, and Simmons is a player whom the Patriots should consider investing their substantial cap space in.
