Bills named 'best fit' for free agent All-Pro safety

One outlet thinks that the Buffalo Bills are the best fit for free agent safety Justin Simmons.

Oct 12, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons (31) celebrates after making an interception against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills made significant alterations to their defensive backfield in the 2024 offseason, and if one publication’s suggestions are ultimately followed, the makeover may not be complete.

Buffalo parted ways with stalwart safeties Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer in the offseason, removing the proverbial lid that has effectively sat atop its defense over the past seven seasons. The two combined for 202 starts, three All-Pro selections, and two Pro Bowls throughout the better part of the last decade, serving crucial roles on a Bills defense that was consistently one of the league’s best throughout their tenures.

Buffalo partially filled the vacancy left by the veterans with the offseason signing of Mike Edwards, a former Kansas City Chiefs safety who tallied 51 tackles and one interception last season. The team also selected Utah defender Cole Bishop in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft; the two project to compete with the returning Taylor Rapp to man the starting safety spots.

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The Bills, at this juncture, employ talent at the safety position, but the group is a bit inexperienced as a whole; Edwards and Rapp have been starters in the past, but they combined for just nine starts last season. Bishop demonstrated ability and promise at Utah to the tune of 197 career tackles, but he’s a rookie, and growing pains can naturally be expected. There’s potential, but also question marks, an idea that has prompted some pundits to suggest that Buffalo should make further additions at safety.

The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher has suggested that the Bills should sign former Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons, a four-time Second Team All-Pro who is currently without a club. In a recent article breaking down the best fits for the top six remaining free agents, Mosher suggested that Simmons could play an important, but temporary role in Buffalo as the team develops younger options along. 

No one has intercepted Patrick Mahomes more in his career than Justin Simmons.

Here's all of them: #BroncosCountry pic.twitter.com/tDjwHOuJOC

— RG 📷 (@RyanGreeneDNVR) March 7, 2024

"While the Bills are high on Bishop, asking him to be a Day 1 starter on a Super Bowl–caliber team might be too much," Mosher wrote. "He would better fit as a No. 3 safety, at least as a rookie. The top safety on the market is none other than Justin Simmons, who was released by the Denver Broncos earlier this offseason. Simmons is an incredible athlete with outstanding ball production (30 interceptions since 2016). 

"He isn’t quite as dynamic as he was earlier in his career and will turn 31 during the 2024 season, but he is a clear upgrade for the Bills. He would be a welcome addition to a young safety room that could use some leadership. Simmons isn’t a long-term solution, but he would be an excellent stop-gap option until Bishop is ready to take the job."

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Mosher is correct in his assessment that Simmons would be an immediate upgrade over Buffalo’s current options at the position; with 604 tackles, 64 pass deflections, and 30 interceptions under his belt, he’s a game-changing defender who is still dynamic despite entering his age-30 season (he’ll turn 31 in November). Starting the two-time Pro Bowler opposite Rapp, Edwards, or Bishop while relegating the odd men out to depth roles would also improve both the potential ceiling and floor of Buffalo’s defense.

That said, a Simmons signing is only feasible for the Bills if he agrees to a contract vastly under market value; according to Over The Cap, Buffalo currently has just $1 million in cap space (though roughly $10 million will become freed up on June 1, as the Bills released cornerback Tre'Davious White with a post-June 1 designation earlier in the offseason). The signing would also go against the “infusion of youth” strategy the team operated with throughout the 2024 offseason; the Bills recentered their core around younger players this spring, parting with several veterans in an attempt to reset their on-field and financial clocks. Signing a 30-year-old safety to keep younger options off the field doesn’t seem like something Buffalo is interested in doing at this point.

While a Simmons signing would momentarily steal headlines in Western New York, it shouldn’t necessarily be expected. Seeing Bishop log significant snaps opposite Edwards or Rapp as a rookie is the far more likely scenario.