We oftentimes focus on what a team like the Washington Commanders is looking for in new players.
Whether it be through trades, signings, or the NFL Draft, every step of the way, we're constantly reminding ourselves of what a Commanders player looks like, to help narrow down the pool of candidates.
Similar to teams, players themselves often have criteria they want their team to meet, especially when deciding who to sign with as a free agent. For one multi-time Pro Bowl safety still without a team, Washington clearly meets his top criteria.
"I think Atlanta I would still pick 10 out of 10 times if I was in the spot (I was in) last year," former Denver Broncos Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons said in an interview with The Denver Post via NFL.com. "But in terms of where I'm at now, (I'm) being a little bit more picky where we want to go and where we want to call home next … the next two years, a year, whatever it is … but a contender is No. 1 on the list right now."
At 6'2 202 lbs. Simmons is bigger in size than either of the two projected starting safeties on the Commanders' roster today, Quan Martin and Will Harris.
Simmons' name was brought up often when it came time to consider replacements for safety Jeremy Chinn who surprisingly left Washington this offseason to sign a two-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.
At 6'3 and 220 lbs., no safety on the roster today is that size, but Harris is expected to bring some of the same intensity when supporting the run with better coverage ability than Chinn.
From a depth perspective, second-year players Tyler Owens and Dominique Hampton also present options to go looking for a hybrid type of player, as does former UCLA linebacker and Commanders rookie, Kain Medrano.
So Washington isn't short on potential options to find a new starting safety to play next to Martin. However, if for some reason those fits aren't working out the way they envisioned, Simmons may be an option to keep an eye on.
If he begins to meet the criteria of what the Commanders still need for the 2025 NFL season, they clearly meet his needs, and might just end up pairing up after all.
