Justin Simmons rumors: 5 best fits in NFL free agency

In the end, Denver understands what they have. They’ve been working for the past two years to come to terms with Simmons for the future. He’s lived up to his side of the bargain on the franchise tag with the production.

It’s time for Denver to do the same.

The Broncos enter the offseason with roughly $31 million in the salary cap. In coverage, Simmons outshined names like Eddie Jackson and Kevin Byard, finishing with fourth in the league with five interceptions. Both players are making roughly $14 million next season.

There’s the starting point for Denver.

Denver’s offense has the pieces to be great. Should Drew Lock flourish in Year 3, four of five the playmakers would all be on rookie deals. With a top 10 pick in 2021, the Broncos also have options to either upgrade their cornerback position or finally add a linebacker. However, no of that matters without a safety net on the back end.

Simmons has earned the right to be paid like a top-five safety. The reasoning? He is a top-five safety. With the salary cap expected to expand, new GM George Paton needs to make sure he starts the regime off on the right foot.

It starts with keeping Simmons.