Denver Broncos: Five most underrated offseason moves
5. Signing Justin Simmons to a long-term deal
After George Paton was named as the Denver Broncos’ new general manager, many saw the first order of business on his “to-do” list as keeping one of the game’s best young safeties. While it didn’t seem like Denver would let a great young player like Simmons slip away, there were a lot of valid concerns that the team might not be able to keep him after placing him on the franchise tag for a second consecutive year.
Several former players and those close to the team have been outspoken about the team’s negotiation tactics, often offering key players well below their asking price and market value. The thought of Simmons being upset with the team and choosing to play somewhere else that respects his value was a real concern for fans.
Contrary to those past situations with players, Paton was able to get a deal done with Simmons. The four-year, $61 million contract made Simmons one of the highest-paid safeties in the NFL. According to Spotrac, Simmons will have the ninth-highest cap hit among safeties in 2021 at $5.75 million.
Why is this an underrated move? It’s underrated because of the rocky past between the organization and retaining its top players. Getting a deal done is definitely an underrated move by Paton and keeps Simmons in Denver as one of his cornerstone pieces.
It also shows that Paton was serious about his commitment to shifting the culture within the Denver Broncos organization and keeping the young core of key players for the foreseeable future.