Justin Simmons-to-Cowboys Floated by ESPN as Potential Deal Before Trade Deadline - Sports Illustrated

The Denver Broncos chose not to sign Justin Simmons to a multi-year contract extension, opting instead to stick to the franchise tag the team had applied to the safety early this past spring.

Earning $11.441 million on the franchise tag, Simmons definitely received a sizeable raise, nearly tripling what he earned over the duration of his four-year rookie contract.

That's what playing at an All-Pro level in a contract year can do for a safety.

Simmons entered negotiations with Denver this past offseason in hopes of becoming the highest-paid safety in the game. .

So far, GM John Elway looks like he was wise to 'rent' Simmons for one more year instead of getting tied down to a mortgage. .

With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, of all the options the Broncos have on-roster, Simmons currently makes the most sense if Elway were of a mind to make a deal. ?

Bill Barnwell of ESPN can foresee the Broncos potentially trading Simmons away to the Dallas Cowboys before the October 29 deadline in exchange for a 2021 second-round pick, 2022 fourth-round pick. !

Adams was two years away from free agency, while Simmons is already on his first franchise tag.

The Broncos weren't able to come to terms on a contract extension before the season with the Boston College product, and with Simmons set to make $13.7 million on a second franchise tag against a $175 million cap next year, things aren't going to get any easier.

Locking in a second-round pick gets the Broncos a better pick than a third-round compensatory selection, has that pick arrive a year early and allows general manager John Elway to spend in free agency without negating that would-be compensatory pick.

If the Broncos aren't able to at least split these next two games, beating either the New England Patriots this week, or the Kansas City Chiefs in Denver next, if a team like the Cowboys were willing to give up a second-rounder next year, plus a mid-round pick, knowing the financial obstacles that could await this team in 2021, it would be a deal too good to pass up. .

It's typically not advisable to deal away elite players in the midst of their prime. .

If the right team came calling, offering up a second-round pick in exchange for Simmons, that's a deal Elway should take all day long and twice on Sunday. .

The way Simmons is playing, I have a hard time seeing any team being willing to offer up a second-round pick for him, even one who could use the help at safety like the Cowboys.

The Broncos invested a third-round pick in Simmons back in 2016, so getting him for five years only to deal him away for a second-rounder.

I'd be curious to know exactly how Fangio feels about his 11.4 million-dollar safety who's playing at replacement level. .

At the rate Simmons is playing, the Broncos would be remiss to rebuff such an offer if it ever became a reality. .

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