A day after trading for Matthew Judon, the Atlanta Falcons continued to bolster their defense, signing top veteran safety Justin Simmons. The deal is for one year worth $8 million, with $7.5 million guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport.
Simmons was with the Falcons for two days and also had dinner with defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and cornerback A.J. Terrell.
The Falcons were looking to add to their secondary after DeMarcco Hellams with down with an injury in the preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins. Simmons should come in and make an immediate impact, and the Falcons will possibly have one of the best safety tandems with him playing alongside Jessie Bates III.
The Falcons are adding pieces to bolster their defense
The Atlanta Falcons heavily invested in their offense this season, signing Kirk Cousins, Darnell Mooney, and trading for Rondale Moore. To add to their future on offense, they selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. In other words, the offense had nothing to worry about, but the defense had some questions.
Last year the Falcons defense was a good group, but they've lost pieces and added some this offseason. Grady Jarrett, A.J. Terrell, and Jessie Bates III lead the defensive group, but there were still some things that needed to be addressed with the pass rush. After third-round pick Bralen Trice suffered a torn ACL in the preseason opener, it was imperative that the Falcons added depth to their defensive line.
Not only did they add depth, but they went out and got a four-time Pro Bowl player in Matthew Judon and traded a third-round pick for him. Judon had a career-high 15.5 sacks in 2022 and 12.5 sacks in 2021. In 2023, Judon only played in four games due to a torn biceps injury.
With the offense and defense coming together, the Falcons have the chance to be one of the top teams in the NFC.
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