The Minnesota Vikings swung a trade for wide receiver Adam Thielen on Wednesday, and there is a chance that they may not be done making additions.
More specifically, the Vikings could definitely use another safety after losing Camryn Bynum in free agency. It certainly would help them to add some veteran depth at the position, which is why Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox has named Minnesota a top potential destination for Justin Simmons.
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"A year ago, two-time Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons waited until mid-August before signing with the Falcons. He went on to start 16 games for Atlanta and have another standout season," Knox wrote. "Simmons tallied 62 tackles while allowing an opposing passer rating of only 81.9 in coverage. Once again, he's available late in the summer and could probably step right into a starting role."
You can probably pencil in Harrison Smith and Joshua Metellus as the Vikings' two starting safeties currently, but if they are able to sign Simmons, he would definitely make a case to start.
The 31-year-old may not be quite the same player anymore, but as Knox noted, he was still productive in 2024, and he made a trip to the Pro Bowl as recently as 2023. He also earned a Second-Team All-Pro selection that season and notched that very same honor four times between 2019 and 2023.
Minnesota's pass defense struggled last season, ranking 28th in the NFL. And that was before losing Bynum. Clearly, the Vikings could use some more juice in their secondary, and in terms of safeties, Simmons represents the best available option. At least on the free-agent market.
Minnesota went 14-3 last season, but was eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. The Vikings decided to allow Sam Darnold to walk via free agency in order to allow J.J. McCarthy to take the reins at quarterback for 2025, so we will see how Minnesota manages.
The Vikings will open up their regular season against the Chicago Bears on Monday, Sept. 8.
For more on the Vikings and NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
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