Falcons sign Justin Simmons and solidify defense

The #falcons made a blockbuster preseason signing, bringing in Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons on a one-year deal to form an elite duo with Jessie Bates III. Host Kevin Knight is here to break down the signing, discuss the salary cap implications, and talk about Simmons' fit in Atlanta's new-look defense. #nfl #nflnews

[huntjl]

We now have the best safety duo in the league.

[sukitez]

Kevin the audio is fixed great job bro 🔥

[notlociowa]

Thanks for all the content to you guys put out. Excellent information and takes. Much appreciate the hard work you guys put in!

[OGblackboi]

I never thought I would see my Falcons care this much for the defensive side of the ball I’m

[makewaysports]

Let's Go Falcons! They are really going all in!

[bravesno]

Let's go! We might actually have a watchable defense next year. Go Falcons!

[Glennweside]

Simmons was a all pro last year and a top.100 player

[zonebreezy]

This podcast appears oblivious to the fact that these moves were made due to Hellams and Trice going down with injuries in the preseason game. This team was going to roll out those two as rotational pieces or starters prior to acquiring Judon and Simmons.

[joeschmo]

I've said multiple times now, Terry is heavily influenced by how the Ravens team build. Some of those principles include:

- The team is primarily built from the draft. 25 of the 31 draft picks Terry has made are still on the team.

- Free agent signings come in the form of good players on the tail end of their prime or at positions without a high dollar market at the position

- The commitment to free agents are usually on bang for buck low risk/high reward contracts

- If there is a clear out on a contract, they try to maintain it and do not like to push money down the road in an unmanageable or nonbeneficial way. This is why I totally disagree with Kevin on the names he listed to create space. I think Jessie Bates is the only player to likely have his contract restructured. I think they'd extend Pitts before any of the names listed to create space.


I would suggest studying how the Ravens build their team because it heavily influences clearly what this front office does. The other part of what the Ravens do is they let the players on the roster play it out, they are very much a draft and develop team. Investing in free agency usually comes as a result of injury, a deal that's hard to pass up, but hardly ever for lack of faith in the talent they have. Had Hellams and Trice not been injured, these signings likely wouldn't have happened.

That's why I think the slander that some of these players get like Richie Grant, is over the top. Like the Ravens, this regime believes in role clarity for players and the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Who was the household name that helped the Ravens get 60 sacks last season and be arguably the league's best defense?

Signing Simmons was an opportunity to get talent to address a depth issue, but it's not really a signing because Grant isn't good enough. It's actually an opportunity to make the safety position a strength, and don't be surprised to see more 3 safety looks. Similar for the Judon signing. There's a reason both are on 1 year deals unlikely to be signed beyond this season outside of a very friendly deal.

I say the latter part because I yearn for the day where evaluation of how good a team is for fans comes from a place of understanding systems and schemes and whether a player is good enough based on fit in a role, rather than being a "name brand" player or "household name". Good football teams are not about just assembling "all-stars" and guys fans know the name of. Ravens, Chiefs, Dolphins, the Bills for multiple seasons now, ask yourself how many players on those defenses carry "name brand" value. Or is it that those systems are fine tuned with well defined roles with a few good, sometimes great, players, but mostly guys who just fit a role.

[Antihero-]

Good good... season is looking better and better❤