Caleb Harris
NFL free agency is far in the rearview mirror at this point, as is the NFL Draft. We are now early in the 2024 offseason program, and many rosters have already taken on something resembling their full form. But there is one specific market where there is still a lot of talent: the security position.
Teams spent much of the pre-free agency period cutting security measures like they were going out of fashion in an effort to free up salary cap space, and it’s clear that the position has become somewhat devalued as teams move to more high defenses in an effort to slow down the deep passing game.
This led to a situation where there were only a ton of quality safeties available. And even after the market has been picked multiple times, there are still a lot of veterans available who can help teams — and some who could be high-level starters.
With June 1 quickly approaching, after which these players can be signed without relying on the compensatory pick formula, it wouldn’t be surprising if they quickly find landing spots. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the top names available.
Adams visited with the Ravens, who always use multiple safety looks to provide different challenges to opposing offenses. He’s probably closer to being a small linebacker than a true safety at this stage of his career, but if you have him step up to defend the run and/or rush the passer, he can still have an impact.
Jackson is 36 years old now and has been in the league for 15 years. He was also suspended several times last season — once to hit Packers tight end Luke Musgrave and once to hit then-Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs. He can still cover the deepest part of the field, but teams might be a little more cautious about adding him after the way last season went.
Gipson is another late-career veteran (he turns 34 in August), but he has bounced around the league and played nearly every snap for his team since 2013. (He has been on the field for at least 91% of the defensive snaps in each of the last 11 seasons.) He is clearly trusted to play both safety spots, and it seems highly likely that he will find someone to give him a chance. rotary function or more.
Jackson’s star has fallen since the start of his Pro Bowl and All Pro career. The Bears have seen fit to replace him at the back end of the defense as he has seen his effectiveness wane in recent seasons. He particularly declined as a tackler and tackler, with his offensive foul rate rising to over 15% last season, according to Pro Football Focus. But as a veteran with experience playing both deep safety and in the box, there’s probably a role for him somewhere.
Diggs played at an extremely high level in his first three seasons in Seattle, but like his former teammate Adams, he has seen his play decline more recently. Last year, he posted his worst coverage numbers since starting his career in Detroit, and also saw his missed tackle rate increase (over 17%). Diggs is an experienced deep safety who has played in several coverage schemes, and teams are always looking for players who can clean things up downfield.
Hyde said this week that he would like to return to Buffalo. His former defensive partner, Jordan Poyer, landed in Miami with the division rival Dolphins, but Hyde has had a little more trouble staying healthy in recent years, and he also said he wants to make sure he can do that, but I have woken up with neck pain several times in the last few weeks.
Simmons is the best security on the market and still one of the main players in the market NFL in his position. It’s frankly surprising that he couldn’t get a deal done during the start of free agency. There are plenty of teams with salary cap space that could offer him a sizable deal, but that’s also not the kind of thing that happens at this point in the offseason. Maybe he can get something more akin to a one-year deal with the ability to return to the open market next winter.
