General manager Howie Roseman and the Philadelphia Eagles have built one of the deepest and most talented rosters across the NFL, but ahead of defending the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship, there is one move yet to be made that might put coordinator Vic Fangio’s defense over the top.
Despite drafting Andrew Mukuba, in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, out of Texas, and Reed Blankenship‘s presence in the starting lineup, veteran free agent Justin Simmons could be the missing piece for the Eagles’ defense.
Simmons, 31, would add a solid veteran presence on the back end of a young and ascending secondary while having played some of the most dominant football of his career under Fangio during their time together with the Denver Broncos.
Bringing in Simmons, off a 62-tackle and two-interception 2024 season with the Atlanta Falcons is the kind of move that creates personnel package options for Fangio and adds a proven veteran playmaker to a defense that lost several key contributors to last season’s championship team via free agency.
Justin Simmons Would Fill Big Need for Philadelphia Eagles
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Free agent safety Justin Simmons could be a major upgrade for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025.
As the Eagles prepare for mandatory minicamp, CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr suggests that safety remains Philadelphia’s biggest weakness yet to fill before the regular season kicks off.
“[Safety] is a concern for the Eagles, who have a few questions at the position heading into the summer,” CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr noted from his observations during OTAs in Philadelphia on May 29.
“[Reed] Blankenship has one of the two starting spots, but who will start opposite him? Do the Eagles trust [Andrew] Mukuba enough as a Week 1 rookie starter? Will [Sydney] Brown be consistent enough to earn a starting job?”
Blankenship was among the Eagles’ biggest breakout stars last season, logging 78 total tackles, pulling down four interceptions, breaking up six passes and recovering a fumble in his third NFL season. For the Eagles, the question becomes whether his success in Fangio’s system was a sign of things to come, or a season where he caught lightning in a bottle.
Whether Mukuba wins a starting job out of camp, or Blankenship falters, Simmons would add quality depth and potentially nail down a starting job while alleviating the pressure on some of the younger players at the position to perform on a defense that is expected to make a major impact on a run at returning to the Super Bowl.
Adding Simmons, who in his three seasons in Fangio’s system logged 269 total tackles with 14 interceptions and 1.5 sacks would go a long way towards not only answering one of the Eagles’ few remaining questions but upgrading a young position group.
Vic Fangio Sets the Stage for Preseason Position Battle
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio expects a competitive summer for Philadelphia’s starting safety jobs.
Whether Simmons eventually lands with the Eagles remains to be seen, but Fangio expects a competitive summer at safety, regardless.
With Blankenship, Mukuba, and Brown already in the fold, once the pads go on next month at the NovaCare Complex, Fangio expects the competition to heat up for starting jobs along with the temperatures.
“It’s a competition that is going to take a training camp and a few preseason games to sort out,” Fangio told reporters, of the safety position. “And [S] Tristin [McCollum]’s in that, too.”
The Eagles chose Sydney Brown in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, but the former University of Illinois standout has only appeared in 25 games through his first two seasons with 52 total tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.
Fangio expects the 5-foot-10 and 211-pound playmaker to be in the mix this summer.
“Last year at this time,” Fangio said of Brown. “He wasn’t doing anything and didn’t do anything really until the middle of October. So he lost all this time of year, training camp, early part of the season, and really never got many reps with us defensively.
“He did play in the last game against the Giants and did fine, but it’s a new system from what he had in ’23. So yes, he’s sitting in meetings, but that only goes so far. You’ve got to get out there and experience it and build on it, and he lost that last year, so he’s going through that process now and he’s doing fine.”
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