After how they finished in 2024, the Baltimore Ravens will be gunning for a Super Bowl trophy and they need an instant playmaker like Justin Simmons.
The defense, now without Mike Macdonald, will have to prevail and hold the standard with Zachary Orr as their new defensive play-caller. Macdonald, the head coach for the Seattle Seahawks, was not the only change on the defensive side.
A few starters left for division rivals, including linebacker Patrick Queen to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their young and veteran players will have to pick up the pieces, as their strength at safety could turn into a weakness if injuries plague the team. Baltimore must address their depth and sign a veteran so the Ravens are insured at the position in their secondary.
Simmons can be that plug-and-play type of player, as his high football awareness would mesh well with their defense full of stars.
Justin Simmons Best Free Agent Option For Ravens
The shakeups for the Ravens defense this offseason have mostly been through the 2024 NFL Draft and some losses in free agency. Baltimore could use a ballhawk, as Justin Simmons has had 30 career interceptions in Denver for the Broncos across the eight years.
The former 2016 third-round pick from Boston College ended up panning out as their starter, till this offseason when he was cut from the team. Simmons is coming off a down year statistically but had three interceptions and eight pass deflections in 15 games played in 2023.
The two-time Pro Bowler and four-time second-team All-Pro certainly has the resume to still be on an NFL roster in 2024. 2022 was his best season, as Simmons finished the year with six interceptions, a career-high.
Veteran Safety Ideal to Shore Up Elite Secondary
Baltimore’s defense was elite when their safeties were in a rotation, allowing superstar Kyle Hamilton to roam around in the box or as a nickel defender. With Geno Stone leaving for the division rival Cincinnati Bengals in free agency, they only have unproven rookies like UDFAs Beau Brade and Jordan Toles or 7th-rounder Sanoussi Kane.
Behind veteran free safety Marcus Williams, who dealt with injuries last year, and Hamilton at strong safety includes former UDFA Ar’Darius Washington, who has slot cornerback versatility. The Ravens should add someone at least for training camp, as injuries can easily ravage their depth for their secondary like last season.
A player at Justin Simmons’ level could easily fill that role as an above-average backup and spot starter, as the eight-year pro has some good football left in the tank. He would easily provide leadership in the locker room for this defense and be able to tap into his talent with good players around him.
Baltimore Looking for Pieces as a Super Bowl Contender
Among names on the market like Eddie Jackson, Quandre Diggs, and Micah Hyde, Justin Simmons is the best option while being cost-efficient. The 30-year-old has the highest previous contract, but will likely fetch about $1 million guaranteed like the Jamal Adams signing.
Adams signed with the Tennessee Titans on a frugal deal for one year, as the 28-year-old was the previous coveted target at safety for the Ravens. According to Spotrac, other than the names mentioned, options in free agency are slim, as Baltimore will likely add someone if they want experienced depth and a potential rotational starter.
The former Denver Broncos defensive back could have interest from other playoff-contending teams, like the Philadelphia Eagles or Kansas City Chiefs. The incoming training camp will spike interest in Justin Simmons and other free agents across the league.
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