Isaiah Simmons Trade Is Giants Reaching For Potential Now While Cardinals Point Toward Future
The New York Giants have sent a seventh-round draft pick to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for Isaiah Simmons, a former high draft pick with lots of potential but not a lot of production.
The trade was first reported by ESPN. The Giants and Cardinals both announced the trade.
Giants Add LB At Low Cost
This move reminds everyone there's actually another team in New York that is trying to add talent and win now. And it reminds that the Cardinals are kind of pointed toward 2024 and beyond.
Simmons has been for the Cardinals what he was at Clemson before he was the No. 8 pick of the 2020 draft:
A Jack of all trades.
The problem is it worked in college. But in the NFL Simmons has mostly become a man without a home.
Isaiah Simmons of the Arizona Cardinals forces Hunter Renfrow #13 of the Las Vegas Raiders to fumble the ball in overtime at Allegiant Stadium on September 18, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Arizona Cardinals returned the fumble for a game-winning touchdown. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Isaiah Simmons Needs To Find A Home
If you recall who Simmons was at Clemson you have to think this could improve the Giants. He was an all-everything and everywhere defender who played in the secondary and as a hybrid linebacker at the line of scrimmage.
He did this because he had the size (6-4 and 238 pounds) and speed (4.39 in the 40) to do both.
But he never really did either exceedingly well in Arizona. In 2022, his best season so far, he had two interceptions. And four sacks.
Solid but not as dynamic as the draft-day projections believed.
It's one reason the team declined to apply a fifth-year option on Simmons before this season. And a reason the Cardinals decided the cap savings was too good to pass up even if they're only getting that late pick for the move.
Simmons wasn't necessarily prospering in new coach Jonathan Gannon's defense this summer. He was seen struggling to both cover and tackle in the preseason. Last week he managed two tackles in a preseason game against the Chiefs but coaches graded down his work on tape, per a source.
"We've had a month of training camp now and the two games and, you know, hey there's everybody on our team there could have been better performances from everybody. Some guys did some good things, some guys did some bad things," Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort said.
Head coach Brian Daboll of the New York Giants looks on after defeating the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium on January 01, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Giants Vision For Isaiah Simmons
The chances are good Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale will see the potential and use Simmons all over but the work begins at linebacker, a source said.
Assuming Simmons quickly learns the New York defense at one position, Martindale can then decide whether he will branch out to moving him around.
This trade is good for everyone, really.
The Cardinals aren't winning this year. They've spent much of the past few months shedding talent. That has included cutting receiver DeAndre Hopkins, center Rodney Hudson, losing J.J. Watt to retirement, and allowing a handful of free agents to go elsewhere.
Four of the past eight first-round draft picks by Arizona are no longer with the team.
The Giants add a 25-year-old player who still has promise and potential and pay a very low cost for the move.
And Simmons gets to start over with a good organization that has good coaches and is poised to have success in 2023.