NFL free agency is far in the rearview mirror at this point, as is the NFL Draft. We are now in the beginnings of the 2024 offseason program, and many rosters have already taken on something resembling their full shape. But there is one specific market where there is lot of talent still out there: the safety position.
Teams spent much of the pre-free agency period cutting safeties like it was going out of style in an effort to clear salary cap space, and it's clear the position has become somewhat devalued as teams move to more two-high defenses in an effort to slow down the deep passing game.
That led to a situation where there were just a ton of quality safeties available. And even after the market was picked over several times, there are still a bunch of veteran guys available who can help teams -- and some who can be high-level starters.
With June 1 rapidly approaching, after which these players can be signed without counting against the compensatory pick formula, it wouldn't be surprising if they quickly found landing spots. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the top available names.
| Player | 2023 Team | Position | Age | Snap % | Previous AAV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamal Adams | Seahawks | SS | 29 | 44 | $17.5 million |
| Kareem Jackson | Texans | SS | 36 | 46 | $2.7 million |
| Tashaun Gipson | 49ers | FS | 34 | 89 | $2.9 million |
| Eddie Jackson | Bears | FS | 31 | 60 | $14.6 million |
| Quandre Diggs | Seahawks | SS | 31 | 97 | $13 million |
| Micah Hyde | Bills | SS | 34 | 74 | $9.7 million |
| Justin Simmons | Broncos | FS | 31 | 87 | $15.3 million |
Adams visited with the Ravens, who are always big on utilizing multiple-safety looks to provide different challenges to opposing offenses. He's probably closer to being a small linebacker than he is to being a true safety at this stage of his career, but if you get him moving forward to defend the run and/or rush the passer, he can still have an impact.
Jackson is 36 now, and has been in the league for 15 years. He was also suspended multiple times last season -- once for a hit on Packers tight end Luke Musgrave, and once for a hit on then-Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs. He can still cover the deep part of the field, but teams might be a bit more wary of adding him after the way last season went.
Gipson is another late-career veteran (he turns 34 in August), but he has been bouncing around the league and playing nearly every snap for his team since 2013 now. (He's been on the field for at least 91% of defensive snaps in each of the last 11 seasons.) He's clearly trusted to play at both safety spots, and it seems highly likely that he'll find someone out there to give him a rotational role or more.
Jackson's star has fallen since his early career Pro Bowl and All Pro berths. The Bears saw fit to replace him on the back end of their defense, as he has seen his effectiveness wane in recent seasons. He's particularly fallen off as a run defender and tackler, with his missed-tackle rate spiking to over 15% last season, according to Pro Football Focus. But as a veteran with experience playing as both a deep safety and in the box, there's probably a role for him somewhere.
Diggs played at an extremely high level for his first three-plus seasons in Seattle, but much like his former teammate Adams, he saw his play drop off more recently. Last year saw him post his worst coverage numbers since early in his Detroit career, and he also saw his missed tackle rate spike (over 17%). Diggs is an experienced deep safety who has played in multiple coverage schemes, though, and teams are always looking for players who can clean things up in the deep part of the field.
Hyde said this week that he'd like to be back in Buffalo. His former defensive backfield partner, Jordan Poyer, landed in Miami with the division-rival Dolphins, but Hyde has had a bit more trouble staying healthy in recent years, and he also said that he wants to make sure he can do that, but has woken up with a sore neck multiple times in recent weeks.
Simmons is the best safety on the market, and still one of the top players in the NFL at his position. It's frankly pretty surprising that he didn't land a deal during the early portion of free agency. There are plenty of teams with salary-cap space who could potentially hand him a sizable deal, but that's also not usually the kind of thing that happens at this point in the offseason. Maybe he gets something more like a one-year contract with the ability to hit the open market again next winter.