The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made it a major priority this offseason to overhaul the secondary.
They also re-signed Bryce Hall, who missed all of last season due to an injury suffered in Week 1, and added Kindle Vildor, an experienced depth piece who played in all 17 games for the Detroit Lions last season.
With the upgrades to the depth in the cornerback room, the team is using their newfound flexibility to slide Tykee Smith over to safety, just one year removed from an impressive rookie season as the team’s starting slot corner.
But according to ESPN, the Buccaneers still need to add one more player to the secondary before it is complete.
ESPN lists Buccaneers as “Best Fit” for safety Justin Simmons
Simmons is a name that needs no introduction. He is four-time All Pro at safety, including three straight selections from 2021-2023.
"Simmons fits really well as an interchangeable safety opposite Antoine Winfield Jr. in Todd Bowles' defense. The Bucs played the most zone coverage in the league last season (71.7% of the time), and Simmons can spin to the post or walk down in Cover 3," wrote ESPN's Matt Bowen.
"He's an excellent communicator with field awareness. Simmons has picked off 32 passes over his nine-year career, including two last season."
Simmons has notched multiple interceptions in every season since being drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2016, and even snagged a minimum of five interceptions in three consecutive seasons from 2020-2022, making him one of the league's most notorious ball hawks over the last decade.
Todd Bowles was crystal clear in his desire to add more ball hawks to his defense after the unit recorded a measly total of just seven in 2024.
The team has done just that to this point—as the two cornerbacks they drafted, Morrison and Parrish, demonstrated an ability to force takeaways throughout their college careers.
Morrison notched an impressive 9 interceptions in his two healthy collegiate seasons, while Parrish had five interceptions over the last two seasons.
But while those guys have produced at the college level, Simmons has already proven his ball hawking ability at the pro level, and could step in immediately to serve as the playmaker the defensive unit sorely needs. He also would add much needed insurance at the safety position.
If Tykee Smith isn’t quite ready for the abrupt transition to safety full-time, Simmons is an ideal short-term plug-in at safety while Smith stays at nickel, where he shined as a rookie last season. Similarly, if the rookie Parrish isn’t ready to take on the starting nickel role in his first year, Smith can remain there and Simmons can hold down the safety spot in relief.
But while signing a big name like Simmons sounds great on paper, the move is highly unlikely to come to fruition. The front office is very excited about their young defensive backs, and adding Simmons would not only force them to take away playing time from the younger guys, but it would cost a robust contract as well.
Still, the move is fun to ponder while Simmons is inexplicably still available on the market, and it’s hard not to get fired up about the idea of pairing Winfield Jr. with another All-Pro in the safety room.
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