OTL: Will Ravens Still Add Safety Help?

Welcome back, Ravens Flock. Today, our Ravens Reflections tie into some news that came out on Wednesday. We’ll explore the secondary as it is the Ravens’ best position group but a group that will need more help.

For now, let’s get into the football news today:

Welcome to Nashville, @prez pic.twitter.com/WQHwk65boN

— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) July 11, 2024

As many fans remember, Jamal Adams took a meeting with the Ravens way back in spring. He now finds his home with the Titans. Though he isn’t what he was, he can play a role that fits in the NFL as a linebacker-safety hybrid. He’s also had some health issues, so there is risk for any team singing him – which ended up being Tennessee.

Personally, I am absolutely thrilled about this, as I was adamantly against the idea of Jamal Adams joining the Ravens.

If the Ravens had signed him, it would’ve been the worst fit possible. That role I just described is Kyle Hamilton’s. So, for Adams to fit, one of two things would’ve happened. One, you move Hamilton into more of a box safety role instead of a hybrid player, or two, Adams plays the strong safety role instead. Adams cannot cover anyone in the NFL from the safety position. He struggled with coverage even when he was healthy with the Jets. So, the only way this would have worked was if Hamilton had moved, which would have been like putting Kryptonite next to Superman. Hamilton’s best value with the Ravens is that he can play anywhere at any moment. Could he play a main Strong Safety role? Sure, but it limits what Hamilton can do with the Ravens.

That’s not even getting into whether or not Adams fits the Ravens’ culture (spoiler: he wouldn’t). So, all in all, I love that he isn’t with the Ravens, and it makes me wonder why the team even had him in for a visit in the first place.

Now, let’s get into why I wanted to reflect on the secondary this week. The Adams singing has sparked my brain into an idea: What if we added a real Safety who could cover to the team late? Surely, no former pro bowlers who still have a ton left in the tank are out there right now…

Wait a minute.

#Thinking pic.twitter.com/kpFE3n4G6N

— RAMEY (@HoodieRamey) July 11, 2024

This is the piece, Ravens fans. Justin Simmons will complete this secondary for me. Simmons was part of a weird NFL trend when teams randomly started cutting quality safeties around the league. Quandre Diggs was also part of this, though he isn’t quite as good as Simmons, so it was a bit more understandable.

Simmons can actually play safety in the NFL, and his addition would give the Ravens the league’s best secondary, in my opinion. As we’ve seen with Ravens teams in the past that had questions about the pass rush, an elite Secondary can hide a ton of problems.

Here’s the catch: his asking price.

Do the Ravens have Justin Simmons money?
No. At least, not without making a move or him taking a significant paycut.

But adding Simmons to the best safety tandem in football would be absurdly awesome to watch.

— Kyle Phoenix (@KylePBarber) July 11, 2024

Apparently Simmons is asking for too much money right now. What also worries me is that there have been zero rumors about where he wants to sign or what he wants. Usually, when the NFL is silent about something, it isn’t good. The only update I could find is that he wants to be with a team soon, so maybe with camp approaching quickly, he will compromise on his apparent high asking price.

The NFL is either playing a game of chicken, or Simmons wants way too much money for a position that the NFL has deemed obsolete. Maybe both? I am not an agent, so honestly, I have no idea what is happening with Simmons. The point is that he would be a good addition to this team. Having three Pro Bowl/All Pro players at safety would be deadly.

Only a couple more weeks until Camp starts, so hopefully a domino or two falls, and Simmons becomes a Raven.

The post OTL: Will Ravens Still Add Safety Help? appeared first on Russell Street Report.