Cleveland Browns Linked to Former All-Pro Defender

The Cleveland Browns have been linked to a former All-Pro defensive player in NFL free agency.

Sep 22, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons safety Justin Simmons (31) celebrates after an interception against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns' defense showed some serious signs of slippage in 2024, and while a complete overhaul is not needed, some tinkering is obviously necessary.

The Browns particularly need some help at safety, especially after losing Juan Thornhill to the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency.

Fortunately, there are a couple of very intriguing safeties remaining on the open market, and Candace Pedraza of Dawg Pound Daily has linked Cleveland to one in particular: Justin Simmons.

"Possibly the best available safety on the market, Simmons just finished up a somewhat productive 2024 season with the Atlanta Falcons," Pedraza wrote. "He had two interceptions and played a majority of the team's snaps, but he had just an overall grade of 59.9 from PFF thanks to a slightly lower rating as a pass rusher from the analytics site."

Simmons also added 62 tackles and seven passes defended on the year, but it was pretty clear that he was not quite the same elite defensive back he was during his days with the Denver Broncos.

The 31-year-old spent the first eight years of his career with the Broncos, making a couple of trips to to the Pro Bowl while earning four Second-Team All-Pro selections. As a matter of fact, he made the Pro Bowl and notched Second-Team All-Pro honors as recently as 2023.

Here's the thing, though: Simmons may be waiting for the right opportunity, much like he did last offseason when he ended up signing with the Falcons in August.

Would the veteran actually want to join a Browns team that went 3-14 this past year? It remains to be seen, but Simmons would definitely represent a nice pickup for Cleveland, even at this older stage of his career.

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