NFL writer believes Philadelphia Eagles could be good landing spot for elite free-agent defender

The Philadelphia Eagles were quite busy in free agency last month, signing running back Saquon Barkley and edge rusher Bryce Huff to headline their haul.

However, there are still some good free agents remaining, and the Eagles could probably stand to add one.

Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay thinks Philadelphia could end up being the landing spot for safety Justin Simmons, who was released by the Denver Broncos earlier this offseason.

Kay cites that the Eagles still have plenty of cap room, so they could certainly absorb Simmons. He also notes that Simmons worked with new Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio when Fangio was the Broncos’ head coach from 2019 through 2021.

Philly also needs all the help it can get in its secondary.

The Eagles ranked 31st in the NFL in passing defense this past season, and while they did bring back an old friend in C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency, their defensive backfield still needs work.

Adding Simmons would go a long way to helping solve some of those issues.

Simmons is coming off of a 2023 campaign in which he played 15 games and registered 70 tackles, a sack, three interceptions, a couple of forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and eight passes defended en route to his second Pro Bowl appearance and his fourth Second-Team All-Pro selection.

The 30-year-old led the league with six picks in 2022, and from 2020 through 2022, he accumulated a hefty 16 interceptions.

Simmons, who played his collegiate football at Boston College, was selected by Denver in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

The Manassas, Va. native seems to be biding his time in free agency and likely wants to sign with a contender. We’ll see if the Eagles can represent a match for him.