3 extremely obvious destinations for Justin Simmons in 2024

2. Detroit Lions

Another team that makes a lot of sense for Justin Simmons is the Detroit Lions. Once upon a time, now Lions head coach Dan Campbell was on the New Orleans Saints coaching staff under Sean Payton, so there's one obvious connection. Furthermore, while the Lions certainly made a jump in 2023, their secondary was iffy at best.

They have a nice young stud in Brian Branch and did just re-sign Emmanuel Moseley. However, one of their notable free agent additions in 2023, CJ Gardner-Johnson, only played in a few games for them this past season because of a torn pectoral. I think the Lions could allow Gardner-Johnson to hit the free agent market and perhaps shift their focus to a more reliable player in Simmons.

And given that the Denver Broncos now have a hole at safety, CJ Gardner-Johnson makes a ton of sense for the team. He was drafted by Sean Payton and is several years younger than Simmons. He'd also be quite cheap in 2024, so a player swap, if you will, could definitely happen. If the Detroit Lions can get their secondary even at an average spot, they could truly make the Super Bowl.

The offense is set and has virtually no questions. But their defense, on the other hand, could still use some reinforcements.