The Raiders are expected to be aggressive in free agency and according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, there are two players from division rivals that the Raiders are watching closely.
“Another player the Raiders would like to steal from an AFC West rival [along with Chiefs DT Chris Jones], according to league sources, is Broncos safety Justin Simmons,” Tafur reported on Wednesday. “[Simmons] could play center field next to Johnathan Abram. Last season, Simmons broke up 15 passes and had four interceptions but, like Jones, could be tagged if he can’t come to a long-term deal agreement.”
Simmons, who is only 26 years old, has 11 career interceptions and was a second-team All Pro in 2019 with the Broncos. In four years as a pro he has never had less than two interceptions in a season and has recorded 90+ tackles in each of the last two seasons.
According OverTheCap.com, the Broncos project to enter free agency with around $62.1 million in cap space while the Raiders expect to be just under $52 million.
The final day clubs can apply the franchise tag is March 10, with the “legal tampering” period beginning March 16, and free agency begins at 4 PM Eastern Time on March 18.
For what it’s worth, there’s a good chance neither Jones or Simmons actually make it to free agency… but there is a small chance.
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