General manager Brian Gutekunst has excelled at striking gold on someone who didn’t pop early in their career. De’Vondre Campbell and Rasul Douglas are two quiet pickups who turned into gems.
Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers hope Isaiah Simmons will be the latest such find, but how does he fit into the roster?
Simmons’ versatility undoubtedly holds great appeal for Green Bay. The Packers love players who can wear multiple hats, and head coach Matt LaFleur recently highlighted that when talking about Simmons.
The thing that you love about him is he’s got a lot of versatility to do a lot of different things. I know in New York, just when we went against him a couple years ago, specifically situationally, he was all over the place. So I think that just tells you his mental capacity in order to be able to understand defensive schemes.
Where does Green Bay visualize Simmons for now? LaFleur says it’s in the linebacker room and that Packers safety Xavier McKinney, who played with Simmons in New York, gave the approval to bring him aboard.
Yes, I asked X, and X gave it two thumbs up. That is meaningful, though, when you have a player like X, coming from New York, who was a teammate with him, and you just ask those questions. He said he’s a great teammate, and that’s all I needed to hear.
While LaFleur plans for Simmons to start as a linebacker, expect that role to expand.
Coming out of Clemson in 2020, Simmons did it all for the Tigers. He played everything from safety to slot corner, all the way to inside linebacker. So far in his NFL career, he’s been just as versatile, although he hasn’t exactly lived up to his first-round billing.
Simmons spent the last two years with the Giants, but his role significantly diminished last season. Two years ago, under then-defensive coordinator Wink Martindale, Simmons played 166 snaps at inside linebacker, 137 on the defensive line, and 65 in the slot. Last year, under first-year defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, Simmons only logged 181 defensive snaps.
The plan for the Packers is predictable. Expect Simmons to get some spot looks at linebacker if things go as planned this summer. They can slide him around elsewhere if he doesn’t pick up that role. If all else fails, Rich Bisaccia will come knocking on the door.
Simmons played 370 snaps on special teams for the Giants in two years, highlighted by a blocked field goal last year against the Seattle Seahawks. His ability to contribute on special teams likely solidified the decision for the Packers.
Green Bay won’t rely on Simmons as a key cog in Jeff Hafley’s defense. Keep in mind that Campbell and Douglas were also thought of as filler pieces at first, but both grew into larger roles that earned them hefty paydays.
Simmons will have to earn a spot in training camp. However, given Green Bay’s fascination with players who can bounce around the field and do different things, he feels like a strong bet to make the final 53.
Expectations must be managed. Don’t expect Green Bay to unlock Simmons like they did Campbell and Douglas. Still, it’s hard not to be enamored with Simmons’ profile. His size and speed of play in the secondary would catch any scout’s eye. However, for one reason or another, Simmons hasn’t been able to put all the puzzle pieces together in the NFL.
Green Bay hopes to change that.
Putting Simmons with the inside linebackers gives the Packers an abundance of freak athletes in that room. Having him learn from Edgerrin Cooper and Quay Walker and show them some tricks he’s picked up along the way benefits all parties. Imagine a package where Hafley has all three on the field? Sounds pretty lethal.
The Packers understand they can pivot off Simmons as a linebacker. Green Bay seems destined to experiment with him on special teams as well, regardless. If one fizzles out, there are so many options to explore. However, if the end result a year from now is that Simmons turns out to be a big get on special teams, it’ll be considered a successful signing.
