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Bleacher Report’s Derrick Klassen identified safety for the Philadelphia Eagles one of the biggest remaining roster holes in the entire NFL. But Klassen also suggested a potential solution — All-Pro Justin Simmons.
On June 13, Klassen named the 30-year-old one of three safeties the Eagles could pursue to upgrade the back end of their defense.
“Vic Fangio’s defense puts a lot of stress on the safeties. All of the two-high shells and coverage disguises put an emphasis on smart, versatile safety play,” Klassen wrote. “The ability to move around seamlessly in coverage and come downhill to play the run are equally important in this defense. That’s not going to be a fit for every safety on the market.
“The good news is the Eagles have a ton of flexibility in how they want to approach the position, if they choose to do so. There are plenty of safeties on the market, both in free agency and via potential trade. High-profile vets, low-investment dice rolls, talented players unlikely to be paid by their current teams; there are options everywhere.”
Simmons is one of the better free agent safeties available. He has made second-team All-Pro four times in his career, including each of the past three seasons. He has also earned a Pro Bowl nomination twice.
In 2022, Simmons registered a league-high 6 interceptions. Last season, he posted 70 combined tackles, including 2 tackles for loss in 15 games. Simmons also had 8 pass defenses and 3 interceptions for the Denver Broncos.
Why the Eagles Could Use Another Safety
The Eagles upgraded their secondary with Toledo cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. They then doubled down on the secondary with Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean at No. 40 overall.
But Klassen argued that it’s not clear yet what position DeJean will play.
“[DeJean] is such a talented and versatile player that they might spend half of the offseason trying him out everywhere to see what fits best,” wrote Klassen.
If DeJean plays cornerback, that will leave C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship as the likely starting safeties for the Eagles.
“Blankenship acquitted himself fairly well when forced into action last season but more along the lines of a spot starter or high-level backup type, not as a bona fide starter,” Klassen added. “Good player to start in Week 14 when you need him; not so great to start Week 1.”
The Pro Football Focus player grades don’t necessarily agree. Blankenship recorded a 73.4 PFF player grade last season while playing 942 defensive snaps.
Only cornerback James Bradberry played more defensive snaps than Blankenship for the Eagles last season. Among the defenders who lined up for more than 500 snaps, Blankenship had the third-best PFF player grade.
But if the Eagles agree with Klassen and prefer Blankenship in more of a depth role, then Philadelphia will have to add another safety if DeJean plays cornerback.
What Justin Simmons Could Bring to Philadelphia
Simmons would be an obvious choice for the Eagles to target because of his previous experience in Vic Fangio’s defense.
The new Eagles defensive coordinator was the Broncos head coach from 2019-21. During that time, Simmons began to flourish, making second-team All-Pro twice and his first Pro Bowl.
Signing Simmons would give Philadelphia a pair of safeties who each had 6 interceptions just two years ago. Blankenship could then support in the No. 3 role.
Klassen noted that the Eagles have to be careful how they construct any contract for a safety on the free agent market. Philadelphia has $24.6 million in cap space for 2024, but only $10.2 million for 2025 according to Spotrac.
The cap will likely increase for next season, which will help. Klassen also proposed the Eagles front-loading any contract offer to Simmons or another safety.
In addition to Simmons, Klassen named Quandre Diggs and Budda Baker as other safety candidates for the Eagles to pursue this summer.
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