Sean Payton comments on Broncos releasing Justin Simmons

“That was difficult,” Sean Payton said of releasing Justin Simmons. “That’s the hard part of this job sometimes. It wasn’t any fun.”

Speaking at the NFL’s annual meetings in Orlando on Monday, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton had very little to say about the team’s decision to cut quarterback Russell Wilson.

“We felt it was in the best interests of our team,” Payton said of Wilson’s release. The coach had more to say about former safety Justin Simmons.

“There was a lot that went into that,” Payton said when asked about the release of Simmons, via KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. Payton explained that it was a financial decision — after eating $53 million in “dead money” from the Wilson release, the team needed to save $14.5 million by cutting Simmons.

It wasn’t an easy decision.

“[I]t’s difficult especially for someone like Justin who’s really been a first-class player for the organization, someone who I know is respected highly in our league, certainly by us as coaches,” Payton said. “That was difficult. That’s the hard part of this job sometimes. It wasn’t any fun.”

After parting ways with Simmons, Denver replaced him by signing safety Brandon Jones. The Broncos now have seven safeties on the roster and their combined salary cap hits in 2024 will be less than what the team saved with Simmons’ release.

Simmons will be remembered as one of the best safeties in franchise history, but Denver had to make a business decision to stay under the salary cap.

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Who are the best available NFL free agent fits left for Eagles?

We’re looking at the best available free agent fits for the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the second wave of free agency

The Eagles have undergone significant changes on both sides of the football field, involving player personnel and a retooled coaching staff.

The free agent period and NFL draft are Howie Roseman’s seasons, and the Eagles GM got off to a roaring start after inking running back Saquon Barkley to a three-year deal, signing improving pass rusher Bryce Huff and then bringing versatile defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson back into the fold.

Roseman then added talent to the backup quarterback position, acquiring Kenny Pickett from the Steelers for a 2024 third-round pick and two 2025 seventh-round picks.

The Eagles have since added wide receiver Parris Campbell, slot cornerback Tyler Hall, defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, and linebacker Oren Burks.

With the second wave of free agency set to begin, we’re looking at the best available free agent fits for Philadelphia.

Here are P.J. Locke’s contract details with the Broncos

After re-signing with the Broncos, safety P.J. Locke will have a $2.5 million salary cap hit in 2024.

Shortly after they released veteran Justin Simmons to save $14.5 million, the Denver Broncos re-signed fellow safety P.J. Locke to a two-year, $7 million contract. Details for that deal are now known.

Locke received a $2 million signing bonus that will be prorated as $1 million salary cap hits over the next two years. This season, his base salary will be $1,245,000 and he can earn an additional $255,000 through game-day roster bonuses. Those numbers combined with his prorating signing bonus will give Locke a total salary cap hit of $2.5 million in 2024.

Next year, Locke’s base salary will increase to $2,990,000, and his game-day roster bonus will jump to $510,000. With his prorated signing bonus included, Locke will have a total salary cap hit of $4.5 million in 2025.

In addition to re-signing Locke, the Broncos have also agreed to terms on a three-year, $20 million contract with pending free agent safety Brandon Jones. Exact details of that contract are not yet known, but it will average about $6.6 million per season.

Jones (roughly $6.6 million), Locke ($2.5 million) and Caden Sterns ($1.13 million) will combine to cost less ($10.23 million) in 2024 than Denver saved ($14.5 million) by releasing Simmons earlier this week.

That’s good cap work from the Broncos.

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Broncos agree to 3-year, $20 million deal with safety Brandon Jones

After releasing Justin Simmons, the Broncos are signing safety Brandon Jones to a three-year, $20 million contract.

The Denver Broncos have agreed to terms on a three-year deal with safety Brandon Jones, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The contract will not become official until the NFL’s new league year begins on Wednesday afternoon.

The three-year deal will be worth $20 million, according to Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz. Jones will get $12.5 million guaranteed with an average of about $6.6 million per season.

The Broncos saved $14.5 million when they released veteran safety Justin Simmons earlier this week, and those savings will help pay Jones.

Jones (6-1, 191 pounds) entered the league as a third-round pick out of Texas with the Miami Dolphins in 2020. He appeared in 54 games over the last four seasons, earning 30 starts. In those contests, Jones recorded 238 tackles, 14 quarterback hits, nine pass breakups, eight sacks, four forced fumbles and three interceptions.

Jones, 25, will now team up with Caden Sterns and P.J. Locke (two other former Longhorns) to give the Broncos a trio of talented safeties.

We are tracking all of Denver’s free agency moves on Broncos Wire.

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Broncos could have gotten more for Jerry Jeudy in 2023

Broncos turned down 3rd- and 5th-round picks for Jerry Jeudy last fall, per Adam Schefter. Now they’ve accepted 5th- and 6th-round picks.

Hindsight is always 20/20, right?

Last year, the Denver Broncos held firm at the NFL’s in-season trade deadline, opting not to trade wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, safety Justin Simmons or anyone else despite being 3-5 going into their bye week.

The Broncos ended up finishing the year with an 8-9 record and they missed the playoffs. A few months later, Jeudy has been traded for a pair of late-round picks and Simmons was cut in exchange for salary cap space (which was needed, but picks would have been helpful as well).

Denver probably could have gotten more for Jeudy had they traded him before the in-season deadline last fall, and even getting a late-round pick for Simmons would have been better than releasing him for nothing.

During an interview on 104.3 The Fan last November, ESPN’s Adam Schefter said, “I believe they [the Broncos] got offered a three and five” during trade talks for Jeudy. If that’s accurate, Denver turned down third- and fifth-round picks in 2023 only to later accept fifth- and sixth-round picks for the same player in 2024.

This is yet another poor result for general manager George Paton, who has fumbled numerous free agent signings and trades in recent seasons. One has to wonder just how long until the Broncos might cut Paton as well.

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Justin Simmons kept commitment to speak at youth group same day Broncos cut him

After being cut by the Broncos, Justin Simmons kept his commitment to speak at youth group that same day.

This sums up the kind of person Justin Simmons was in the Denver community from 2016-2023.

Simmons was scheduled to speak at a church youth group on Thursday evening, a commitment he made before he knew the Broncos would release him. Even after news broke Thursday morning that Denver planned to cut the safety, Simmons kept his commitment to speak on Thursday evening.

Check out the photos from local radio talent Mike Rice:

Simmons released a lengthy statement on social media last night after the news of his release became official. Here’s part of it:

I hope my game and character represented everything it meant to be a Bronco. … I don’t have any regrets over the past 8 seasons, but I’m truly sorry that I couldn’t deliver on getting you back to the post season. I understand it’s a business but as a captain and leader I am disappointed that I won’t see this thing through. I will always love you, Broncos Country. 

Simmons is a class act and he will be missed in Denver. We wish him the best wherever he lands next.

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Garett Bolles now the longest-tenured Broncos player

Following the departure of Justin Simmons, Garett Bolles (2017) is now the longest-tenured Bronco remaining on the team.

After the release of Justin Simmons by the Denver Broncos on Thursday, left tackle Garett Bolles became the longest-tenured player on the team. Technically, wide receiver Tim Patrick also joined the team in 2017, but he joined the squad mid-season on the practice squad.

Simmons had been the longest-tenured player on the Broncos (eight years) — he was selected by Denver in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft. Simmons had been one of the most productive and steady defensive players on the Broncos since he came to the team. Simmons had endured five different head coaches (Gary Kubiak, Vance Joseph, Vic Fangio, Nathaniel Hackett and Sean Payton) during his time in the orange and blue.

Now, Bolles takes the place as the oldest current player on the franchise, at seven years. Bolles was the Broncos’ first-round selection in the 2017 NFL draft, and despite suffering a season-ending injury in 2022, has been a steady face on an ever-changing offensive line. Bolles has been a favorite of Denver media and fans.

Bolles may be a candidate to have his contract restructured in order for the Broncos to get under the salary cap before the league new year begins on March 13.

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How signing Justin Simmons would transform Rams defense

With Justin Simmons becoming an available target, the Rams should go all in on the All-Pro safety.

A big surprise sprung out of Denver this morning when the franchise announced the release of All-Pro safety Justin Simmons. Simmons, the cornerstone of the Broncos’ secondary, has become a multi-purpose tool during his eight years in the league and would be the veteran piece that takes an emerging Rams’ defense to the next level.

The Rams are stout up front. Three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald’s pass-rushing prowess has been supplemented by young studs Byron Young and Kobie Turner. With contract talks between the Rams and Ernest Jones underway, the core of the team’s front seven looks set for the future.

The enthusiasm fans have for the boys up front is shared in the surprises displayed by the Rams DB room in 2023. Ahkello Witherspoon was a welcomed addition as the former Steeler started all 17 regular-season games in 2023, recording a career-high three interceptions, 43 tackles and 14 defended passes in his inaugural year in L.A. Witherspoon was not the only promising player.

Derion Kendrick and Cobie Durant are youthful talents who continue to elevate their game, often outplaying their rookie deals. However, when youth is supplemented with veteran talent, especially at the safety position, championship-level play is the direct result.

Looking at recent history, Malcolm Jenkins, Tyrann Mathieu, Justin Reid, and even the brief return of Eric Weddle are all examples of veteran safeties signing with a new team and then guiding them to a Super Bowl victory. In fact, if you look at the history of the NFL, most championship teams have an All-Pro-level safety on their team.

With that said, how will Simmons fit on the roster? He plugs all the holes in the DB room. Need to shut down a slot receiver? Simmons has extensive experience in the slot. Need to shut down the run? He has even more experience in the box. He has the ability to defend the deep pass, he has the anticipation to make quarterbacks hesitate when throwing the ball over the middle and he has the experience to recognize offensive tendencies and change defensive coverages on the field.

Simmons is the battlefield commander you rely on when in the thick of things, the man who is able to rally the troops and prepare them to win in two-minute situations. In terms of his play, he’s a fundamentally sound player who tackles with his arms and body. He gets downfield quickly and he has stifled the efforts of Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert on a yearly basis.

A player for the big moments, Simmons recorded three interceptions last season. Two were against Mahomes, including a game-sealing pick that gave Denver its first win over Kansas City since 2015 and the third was against Josh Allen in Buffalo. Simmons also had two forced fumbles, both against the Chargers in a must-win divisional matchup. He’s a big game performer.

When speaking about Simmons, Broncos insider Keith Richards had this to say.

“Justin is a big player with decent speed. He covers space well, very serviceable against the run, and is about as good as you can get against elite tight ends. He’ll instantly improve any defensive back group.”

In a division that has slot threats like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, elite tight ends like George Kittle and star running backs like Christian McCaffery, a player like Simmons neutralizes those threats. With the quarterback situations in the NFC West looking murky at best, having a safety that has dominated against the league’s best is a no-brainer. He’s an instant starter, a team elevator and the piece that will get the franchise its third ring.

Report: Broncos looking to re-sign safety P.J. Locke

After releasing Justin Simmons, the Broncos are attempting to re-sign fellow safety P.J. Locke.

The Denver Broncos saved $14.5 million in salary cap space when they released veteran safety Justin Simmons on Thursday. Some of that cap space will be used to find Simmons’ replacement, and Denver has an in-house candidate.

The Broncos are “looking to re-sign P.J. Locke,” according to a report from the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson. Locke is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on March 13. Denver could prevent him from hitting free agency by giving him an extension this week.

Locke, 27, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Texas in 2019. He was a key special teams player and rotational defensive back from 2020-2022 before being asked to step up as a fill-in starter in 2023.

Following an injury to Caden Sterns and multiple suspensions for Kareem Jackson, Locke started eight games last season. He ended the season with 53 tackles, five pass breakups, three sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception in 12 games.

Following the release of Simmons, Locke will likely be a priority in-house free agent for the Broncos. As things stand now, Locke and Sterns are likely the favorites to start at the team’s two safety spots in 2024.

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So who starts at safety for the Broncos in 2024?

The Broncos might go into 2024 with Caden Sterns and P.J. Locke as their starting safeties. The biggest question: Can they stay healthy?

The era of Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson has come to an end.

Simmons had been starting for the Broncos since 2017. Jackson started across from Simmons from 2019-2023 (until suspensions ultimately led to his release). Jackson is gone and Simmons has now been cut as well.

So who will start at safety for Denver in 2024?

The team’s safeties currently under contract are Caden Sterns, Delarrin Turner-Yell, J.L. Skinner, Devon Key and Tanner McCalister. P.J. Locke, who started eight games in the place of Jackson last year, is scheduled to become a free agent next week.

Locke should be a priority in-house free agent for the Broncos. He has proven himself as a capable starter and Denver will need him to step up in 2024 (assuming he returns). Locke will likely be paired with Sterns, who was a candidate to start over Jackson last year before he suffered a season-ending knee injury.

On paper, Locke and Sterns certainly look like a capable pair of starting safeties. The biggest concern will be if they can stay healthy. Locke missed five games last year and Sterns missed 28 of a possible 34 games over the last two seasons due to injuries.

When healthy, Locke and Sterns are starting-caliber defensive backs, but the Broncos will need to add more depth at safety this offseason.

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