Justin Simmons has shown patience since his March Broncos release, however the perennial All-Pro safety stays unsigned two weeks into training camp. His closest post-Denver connection has emerged, nevertheless.
The Saints are planning to fulfill with Simmons today, in accordance with NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill. Recent Orleans has multiple clear ties to Simmons, with Joe Woods having coached the previous third-round pick in Denver. Saints secondary coach Marcus Robertson was also on staff during a part of Simmons’ Broncos stay.
Woods’ Denver DC years (2017-18) overlapped with Simmons’ move into the team’s starting lineup. The Broncos parked the Boston College product behind Super Bowl starters T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart in 2016, when Woods was the team’s DBs coach, but jettisoned Ward ahead of the ’17 campaign. Simmons moved into the Broncos’ starting lineup alongside Stewart that season and remained there until Sean Payton’s first season with the club.
While Simmons has generated comprehensible interest, it is evident his market has not ventured to a satisfactory place. The 30-year-old defender — the NFL’s interceptions leader (30) since his 2016 rookie 12 months — has seen the opposite big names on the security market find homes in recent weeks. The Titans have added Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, while fellow cuts Eddie Jackson (Ravens) and Marcus Maye (Dolphins) also landed within the AFC.
Simmons has desired to land with a contender, having never played in a playoff game. The Saints have missed the past three NFC playoff brackets, but they do have a veteran-laden defense — one that features 2022 offseason addition Tyrann Mathieu at safety — and play within the lowly regarded NFC South. At this point, Simmons’ options could also be limited. Although the eight-year veteran could proceed to attend for an injury to affect his market, time is running out for him to catch on ahead of the season.
