Will Cardinals Regret Decision on Isaiah Simmons?
The Arizona Cardinals have made numerous moves this offseason to set themselves up for 2024 and beyond. While most agree that 2023 will simply not be a competitive year in the desert, one move the Cardinals made will take longer than the next six months to ultimately pay dividends.
Just under a month ago, Arizona declined the fifth-year option of Isaiah Simmons, who is now set to be a free agent after this season. Simmons was drafted with the No. 8 overall pick with potential to become the next great defensive chess piece in the league.
Yet through three full seasons, he hasn't quite lived up to his unicorn status.
It was a tough decision for the Cardinals to make, especially since new head coach Jonathan Gannon hasn't had the opportunity to see Simmons on the field in his new defense.
Bleacher Report's Maurice Moton highlighted seven moves NFL teams will regret from this offseason, and Arizona's decision to not extend Simmons made the cut:
Will Cardinals Regret Decision on Isaiah Simmons?
"Though Simmons hasn't quite fulfilled expectations for a top-eight draft pick, he's done enough to garner support from the Cardinals' new coaching staff. As a starter, Simmons has finished with 99-plus tackles in each of the previous two terms and saw his missed tackle rate drop from 9.5 to 4.8 percent between 2021 and 2022," Moton said.
"Moreover, Simmons has made highlight reel defensive plays while lined up in multiple positions, recording 14 pass breakups, three interceptions, nine tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks over the last two years. With a defined role, he could become a Pro Bowl playmaker.
"In 2022, the Cardinals fielded the 31st-ranked scoring defense. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, two-time All-Pro safety Budda Baker wants a market-setting contract or a move elsewhere.
"Gannon, who's a former defensive coordinator, should've understood the need to keep a unique budding talent like Simmons under team control beyond the 2023 term."
You can see arguments for both sides. Cardinals fans feel as if they've seen this movie before with Haason Reddick - who has now gone on to dominate elsewhere after being misused by Arizona.
Simmons and the Cardinals can still find an agreement on a long-term deal between now and free agency next year, though both sides would be smart to see how Simmons plays on the field before making any moves for the future.
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