IRVINE, California — The New Orleans Saints courted safety Justin Simmons, a free agent, reaching out to him in the late spring, inviting him to visit their temporary residence in Southern California, and even
taking him out to dinner. Ultimately, it was insufficient: An NFL Network story states that Simmons would sign a $8 million, one-year contract with the Atlanta Falcons, a rival team. Among the top
prospects still available in the free agent pool was Simmons. He now plays for the Falcons, who have added a number of elite defenders to their roster this week. Atlanta also acquired Pro Bowl pass rusher
Matthew Judon through trade. Over the past ten years, Simmons, 30, has emerged as one of the NFL’s finest safeties. He played with the Denver Broncos for eight seasons.
Since the 2019 season began, J.C. Jackson, the former cornerback for the Patriots and Chargers, is the only NFL player with the same number of 23 interceptions as Simmons. Tyrann Mathieu, a safety
with the Saints, is next on the list with 20 interceptions during the same time period. He would have strengthened the Saints secondary, which is now unreliable. Along with Mathieu, the Saints have a
strong core of cornerbacks that are led by accomplished players like Alontae Taylor, Paulson Adebo, and Marshon Lattimore. However, during the first two weeks of training camp, a rotating cast has been trying out to be Mathieu’s sidekick.
