While the New Orleans Saints attempt to figure out what to do at the safety spot next to Tyrann Mathieu, the NFL world has some thoughts about their recent failure in free agency.
Those Saints had met with and seemingly hoped to sign former All-Pro safety Justin Simmons recently. But Thursday, he elected to sign elsewhere in the NFC South, joining the Atlanta Falcons.
That leaves the Saints in a bind and on the receiving end of serious criticism. It’s no secret that Mickey Loomis is the league’s longest-tenured general manager and sticks to offers. When Simmons “only” gets $8 million on a one-year deal with Atlanta, that factor comes into play in the conversations.
As of this writing, Loomis and the Saints have roughly $10 million in free cap space and plenty of ways to free up more, so again, when looking at the money and past habits, it’s a bad outlook.
Granted, the Saints clearly aren’t a desired destination for free agents right now, either. But one would think certain ties that link Simmons to the team—such as his past with Saints defensive coordinator Joe Woods and Saints defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson—might give the team an edge. That sticks out when it seemed like the Saints were his first visit.
As such, much of the criticism leveled at the Saints right now isn’t just about the cash—it centers on Loomis and head coach Dennis Allen.
I think the #Saints losing out on the Simmons sweepstakes speaks to something fans have believed for a couple years now:
— RevDeuce (@RevDeuceWindham) August 15, 2024
No one believes in Dennis Allen outside the facility. Can't tell me New Orleans couldn't match the contract the Falcons gave him.
He chose ATL over NOLA.
Man it's one thing for Justin Simmons to sign with the Falcons but to sign with the Falcons after the Saints wined and dined him first? Good lord. This Mickey Loomis-Dennis Allen era really gonna be looked at as a dark era for this franchise.
— Jono Barnes (@JonoBarnes) August 15, 2024
Saints spent months recruiting Justin Simmons and came up short because Mickey Loomis guaranteed too much money to the wrong players.
— John Sigler (@john_siglerr) August 15, 2024
Justin Simmons signing with the Falcons over the #Saints just means one thing. He believes in more of what the Falcons are building than what the Saints are. Very Telling.
— Timothy J Jones (@tjayjones8) August 15, 2024
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