“This Is A Rare Player”
April 21st, 2020
Clemson gamewrecker Isaiah Simmons.
When a grizzled personnel evaluator drops the word “rare” on you, that means the player is a once-every-two-decades kind of a guy.
Someone like Lee Roy Selmon or Warren Sapp.
Such is the case with Hall of Fame general manager Bill Polian. In recent weeks Joe has heard Polian, as co-host of “Late Hits,” exclusively broadcast on SiriusXM NFL Radio, absolutely gush over Clemson everyman defender Isaiah Simmons.
And Polian is not wont to blow smoke up a prospect’s tailpipe.
This Simmons can do just about everything. Polian said in the right defense, Simmons is the next Derrick Brooks.
Now Polian has refined his opinion of Simmons. Oh, Polian still loves him, but now Polian believes Simmons to be a total gamewrecker at safety.
How good? Polian invoked the name of Troy Polamalu.
Joe will say this: Before he Polamalu’s knee injury, he was the best safety Joe had ever seen. The guy was quite literally all over the field. A Tasmanian devil.
Who needs a safety? The Bucs.
Who likes to blitz? Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
If this guy Simmons slips just a little bit, Joe might not have the discipline to resist working a deal to trade up and grab this guy.
When Joe hears someone like Polian drop the word “rare” to describe a defender, that tells Joe he’s more than worth the ransom it would cost, especially at a position of need.
And there is no doubt outside of running back, the biggest need on the Bucs is a safety. Maybe it’s the only thing keeping the Bucs from having a complete defense.
You can hear Polian slobber over Simmons in the SiriusXM NFL Radio clip below.
One of the more intriguing prospects in the 2020 NFL Draft is @IsaiahSimmons25.@ProFootballHOF Executive Bill Polian discusses how he views him in the NFL…
“I think this guy is Troy Polamalu.”
⬇️LISTEN HERE⬇️ | #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/thxyoAKHG3
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) April 21, 2020
April 21st, 2020 at 12:49 pm
Watched enough Clemson games to know that he’s a talent, for sure; It’s always tough though when you ask guys to play positions other than what they played in college; There have been exceptions, for sure….
April 21st, 2020 at 12:51 pm
I would be more excited about this pick than any pick over the last decade and a half.
April 21st, 2020 at 12:54 pm
Itz ok to draft a safety. You draft players that are special and you cannot find. A safety like this could change the whole defense. The front seven is solid and the young corners showed they can play and cover well. We lack safeties. Get a difference maker in the draft. DO we need a right tackle yes but you just dont drft right tackles early in the first round because you can find them elsewhere. You can’t tell me we shouldnt resign Dotson who is a good enough proven right tackle. Running backs are also much easier to find later in the drat. Early on even if you have to move up a little you grab a rare talent who can have the biggest impact.
April 21st, 2020 at 12:54 pm
Simmons would be the player I’d want the Bucs to get, more than any other. I think he goes to the NY Giants at pick 4, though.
April 21st, 2020 at 1:06 pm
This guy is not just a safety, he can be a game changer from that position.
With Simmons and White in the middle and Vea and Suh in the middle of our DL…hard to imagine any defense in the league better up the middle.
Simmons would give us the chance to be truly special on defense.
April 21st, 2020 at 1:12 pm
Chase Young, is a rare player. This is a tweener. Barkevious Mingo 2.0. How’d that work out?
April 21st, 2020 at 1:21 pm
Oh baby Joe. You are tickling my fancy with this article!!!
Do people still say that? Tickling my fancy?
April 21st, 2020 at 1:24 pm
No doubt this guy is good .. he covered outside receivers, blitzed the passer, played all over the field, … In college!! But what was it that he was better than anyone else at? Yeah he blitzed well when they stunted or brought him around the edge but he really has no moves to beat blockers on an NFL level… And he did good at safety when they played him there but he doesn’t have an incredible amount of break ups or picks…. But he showed some bad tendencies at safety too that may come into play in the NFL …. I am all for getting him with the 14th but I would only want him for the style that the bucs play and move him all over the field… If they draft him just to play safety I don’t think he’ll do as well!! But rotate him with jpp and David AND safety then yeah I think he’ll be really effective!!
April 21st, 2020 at 1:24 pm
JimmyJack Says:
April 21st, 2020 at 1:21 pm
Oh baby Joe. You are tickling my fancy with this article!!!
Do people still say that? Tickling my fancy?
.
.
Joe Biden still does 😉
April 21st, 2020 at 1:28 pm
This guy would look great in Pewter and Red
Peace, out
April 21st, 2020 at 1:36 pm
Rotate him with JPP…..Wow I never ever thought of that!
I would love to see how it would work. I would assume it would be somewhat similar to our line where much of the time it looks like a four man front…..sometimes it is a straight rush sometimes not.
You look at our MLBs and most the time the 2(David and White) are lined up how you expect in a 3-4…….Now you add Simmons to the mix do we show a lot of look with a traditional 4-3 LB set? Then how do they play the snap? Whose coming? Is anybody coming? Is Simmons dropping?…….It freaking sounds like fun. With White calling everything!!
I truely think the trade rumors we heard are just in case idiot teams pass on this guy. If this guy drops to pick nine he better bust or I may never forgive the Bucs!!!
April 21st, 2020 at 2:28 pm
pipe dream won’t be there for #14
April 21st, 2020 at 2:31 pm
I’d be happy if this guy fell to us at 14, but our team is not good enough just just give away picks. Someone good will be there for us at 14. Stick and pick Licht! (I listen to too much Daniel Jeremiah and I’ve stolen his catch phrase. Sue me.)
April 21st, 2020 at 4:22 pm
Polian also didn’t think Michael Bennett was a top 150 FA when he left the Bucs.
April 21st, 2020 at 4:23 pm
Defense wins championships. Lest we forget how we won our only title. We now have the QB. I would go for Simmons if possible in round 1, RB in round 2, OT round 3, QB round 4 hopefully Fromm, OT round 5, defense last 2 rounds.
April 21st, 2020 at 4:55 pm
Simmons has the speed for safety, but does have the “suddens” and “quicks” for safety?
If so…wow. just wow.
But he will be looooong gone by #14.