Justin Simmons 'found the right spot' with the Atlanta Falcons | Pro Football Talk | NFL on NBC

Justin Simmons now a member of the Atlanta Falcons one of two moves that they made last week to shore up the defense it was the trade for Matthew judon followed by the signing of Justin Simmons who was available for a long time cut before the the league year even began in March to dump that salary and put him out on the market and he waited and he waited and he waited visited the Saints visited the Falcons deal done how much better do you think he makes that defense haded Jesse Bates II what last year was it last year two years no it was last year and he he kicked some butt right uh Hey listen that's a scary Duo at safety that that's what I would say playing against those two they're extremely instinctive they're smart right Bates has got not only speed and a little length Simmons is a little more length oriented in a in a defense where yeah it's Raheem Morris and his defensive coordinators Jimmy Lake it's going to be raheem's defense and style they want to play a lot of zone right these guys can read eyes oh wait what Raheem and Jimmy Lake taught me during the week about route combinations oh I see it happening I'm going to jump this and intercept it so that's where I love that and as I said last segment there's a lot to like about the Falcons football team there is a lot I don't look at too many spots on their roster and go o That's weak right that maybe the other safety position addressed it with Justin Simmons I think we talked about last week if I had one question about Atlanta it'd be the pass rusher oh we got Matt da certainly going to improve that aspect of their football team so yeah I I like what Atlanta's doing here and some big late moves here as of late and as we pointed out last week Justin Simmons a guy who has bedeviled Patrick Mahomes in the past and gets a chance to do it again week three Sunday Night Football es whoops I'm fired NBC and peacock damn I'm trying to do the promo and I'm mentioned ESPN andc peacock what the hell seriously what the hell what are you doing all right well this will be my last show uh so anyway NBC and peacock week three Justin Simmons gets another chance to do it let's hear a little more from Justin Simmons as I change the subject on joining the Atlanta Falcons for me it was also being about where I could go where I feel like I'm valued and um where I know I can produce and I can get the best not only out of myself but the guys around me I feel I feel like one of the most undervalued uh things just about myself is that I when I'm coming in um it's a multiplier factor I can make I can make everyone around us better but that's the communication with Jesse with AJ um Kaden I mean if all of us can be just a little bit better it makes the group better and um that's what I'm looking forward to the most communication is a big thing for me and those guys communicate at a high level um there's just so much about it man and then we were already in talks and so when the judon trade happened yeah I pretty much called my agent and said we got to get this done I know what winning doesn't look like so I know what it takes in in some instances to get to to get to that side of it and I played on great defenses and um no out that this is going to be one of them and so that conversation right there kind of solidified it for me like these guys are hungry they want it they're talented and um when all those pieces fall fall into motivation you know the sky's a limit it is unusual to see a team make these kind of moves this close to week one you could regard it as desperation or just waiting for the right time to make your move timing right strategy right we're going to make that offer to the Patriots for judon at that moment we're going to make this offer to Justin Simmons look at the impact that it had on Simmons to know that judon was going to be there exactly but it's still pretty damn close to the start of the Season You're Expecting guys to get on the same page and have a significant impact without many days many practices many opportunities to get there yeah they got some work to do definitely Jon's life will be easier as far as that's concerned than Simmons s like he was explaining there and that is one of his gifts is yeah he's a quarterback of the defense telling everybody what to expect hey we're doing this hey check to this coverage if they motion over here whatever so that's where he's great now he's going to have some learning to do that that that he will definitely have some some catching up in that department but I think you know Boston College guy smart as hell been in some complicated defenses in his career already where I don't think he'll have any problem he'll be close to 100% all over that defense by the time the regular season comes around but you're right it is it's it is a late move right and we know some of these veteran guys that are sitting at there as free agents they're expecting some sort of you know barometer to be hit with the money so they're very picky and they want to pick the right team and all that and I think Simmons uh found the right spot here and I think the Falcons had time to look at their own team and evaluate it and go okay no we've had three weeks at training camp we we definitely need an improvement here and here if we want to get to where we want to get to and you know I think that's why they made the appropriate moves because of that I almost feel like for some of the veteran free agents who have made and presumably saved a lot of money there's a number that will get them to bite in March and April yeah right and May and then maybe once we get to July and August it's a lower number that gets them to bite because you're either going to play or not play but if the number is what it is screw the offseason program I'll make my decision during training camp and maybe I'll miss the bulk of it as well and show up for the final push to get ready for the season it kind of feels like that's what happened with Simmons I don't think the Falcons all of a sudden decided to open the the piggy bank for Justin Simmons it just it just meshed the timing was right he's ready to get ready and whatever they were interested in paying him it's there he takes it and off he goes right and same like I think what we have with Stefon Gilmore and the Minnesota Vikings right I think it was probably a very similar situation uh but yeah you get to this time of the year and you're right I think you know money expectations lower a little bit because you start to get ansy as a player okay wait maybe I wanted 10 million but damn I need to get somewhere and to florio's point get schooled up on this defense know the checks so we can get all and get myself in shape to be my best player okay I'll take eight and a half million right now that's so what I wanted 10 but I'll take eight and a half that's a very very you know real reality of the NFL I think and what goes on there and we got you know the one thing I look at Mike too like xaven Howard still out there xaven Howard like I know he's had some injury issues but even last year when he's playing in somewhat close to good damn he's still a good cover corner and I would think that's some of the the same logic going on there as you just you know referred to with with Justin Simmons and he may be thinking I'm not giving in I want what I want and I'll wait I'll wait I'll wait until whenever somebody maybe has an injury and they're desperate maybe that's what I'll get what I want uh when that arises if and when it happens we know the injuries are inevitable hi it's Mike Florio thanks for watching PFT on YouTube hit subscribe for the latest news and Analysis from pro football talk