Cardinals DB Isaiah Simmons Projected to Breakout
Arizona Cardinals DB Isaiah Simmons has plenty of questions surrounding his name heading into this season.
There's been intrigue on Simmons since he was first made a top-ten pick by the Cardinals just a few years ago. The versatile defensive chess piece out of Clemson showed he was capable of playing across the board, and his rare combination of size and speed made him a can't-miss prospect.
Yet entering the final year of his rookie contract, Simmons hasn't quite found a home. First playing inside linebacker then switching to nickelback last season, the new regime of head coach Jonathan Gannon and general manager Monti Ossenfort simply wasn't confident enough to award him his fifth-year option.
Simmons is set to become a free agent after 2023, and if he's looking to get his first payday, he'll have to step up in major fashion.
Some believe he'll do just that.
In The Athletic's preview of breakout players from each team, Simmons was chosen as Arizona's most likely candidate:
"The eighth pick in the 2020 draft has tried to live up to high expectations. Previous coach Kliff Kingsbury and staff never seemed to know what to do with Simmons. Was he a safety? An inside linebacker? Simmons spent most of last season at nickel corner. Given this uncertainty, Arizona declined Simmons’ fifth-year contract option for 2024, putting him on a path toward free agency. Defensive-minded head coach Jonathan Gannon and a new scheme might be just what Simmons needs to finally blossom. He has ability. At 6-4, 238 pounds, he has size. Simmons has worked this summer with the defensive backs and says he wants to master the secondary. This is his chance. — Doug Haller"
Simmons - as Haller noted - is working with the defensive backs, where many believe his talents are best suited.
Gannon and new defensive coordinator Nick Rallis have kept quiet on their plans for the upcoming season. Will Simmons operate as a third safety alongside Jalen Thompson and Budda Baker? Will he slide into slot/nickel roles similar to last season?
Nobody knows - yet it feels everybody in the facility expects Simmons to have a big season under a fresh scheme.
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