Isaiah Simmons

[DVontel]

How are you feeling about Simmons going into his second year? Think he’s going to live up to his draft status & what he was billed as? Will the FO not regret going OT? Will he show more toughness in the run game? Will he breakthrough?

Outside of Kyler, I don’t think anyone is facing more pressure than him to make a leap.

 

[kerouac9]

I actually don't think that the team is that worried about him. He has all the skills, and there hasn't been any indication that he's coming off the field. It sounds right now like they're looking to leverage his versatility even more.

Players under more pressure to make The Leap:

1) Christian Kirk - Contract Year
2) D.J. Humphries - No 2022 guaranteed salary. Would be in a good position for a fat multi-year extension with a Pro Bowl year
3) Chase Edmonds - One chance at life-changing money

 

[Chopper0080]

The interesting thing about Simmons is that I don't think he is under pressure to make the leap as much as the caching staff is under pressure to figure out how to use him.

His best use was always a base SS and sub-ILB. It is just going to take the right coaching staff to figure that out.

We will always regret passing on Wirfs as an All Pro RT does more for a young franchise QB than a hybrid LB/S can. Nature of the league.

 

[Arz101]

They are trying to create Deone Buccanon 2.0. Simmons is more fast, strong and physical than Buccanon. Will this franchise ever figure him out? This year will tell a lot.

 

[Russ Smith]

The interesting thing about Simmons is that I don't think he is under pressure to make the leap as much as the caching staff is under pressure to figure out how to use him.

His best use was always a base SS and sub-ILB. It is just going to take the right coaching staff to figure that out.

We will always regret passing on Wirfs as an All Pro RT does more for a young franchise QB than a hybrid LB/S can. Nature of the league.

Wirfs obviously looks like a stud but I also think you can make a strong case if we didn't take Simmons that had we taken Lamb or Jeudy we'd be pretty special on offense. Watching Lamb last night he looks ready to have a great year, Kyler obviously knew him so even though I preferred Jeudy I was perfectly happy with Lamb. But we got Hop and that made it unlikely to draft a WR.

I think Simmons is just so athletic as you said it's more about figuring out how best to use him. The problem with being a jack of all trades in the NFL is the NFL is so crazy detail oriented now I don't care how smart you are trying to learn all the nuances of several positions is REALLY hard.

I expect him to have a good year but I do think you can still make that argument if we take Lamb last year we're a better team and then this year we could have used the Rondale pick on a LB or even a TE like Freiermuth. I still am ok with the pick I think Simmons is just so athletic it's a matter of time.

 

[QuebecCard]

I suggest that by the end of the season every Tight-end we face will agree that the CARDS should have selected someone other than Simmons.

 

[Russ Smith]

I suggest that by the end of the season every Tight-end we face will agree that the CARDS should have selected someone other than Simmons.

That is certainly the hope, the team that couldn't cover TE's for a decade it seemed finally gets a stud that can cover them.

We've seen glimpses that INT against Russell Wilson that's a goosebumps play it's not just the athleticism and the hands on it it's the smarts to know Wilson would try to go there. It's ironic now but at the time it was sort of like Malcolm Butler in the Superbowl, obviously nowhere near as big a game, in that you just can't believe a great player like Wilson did that but you can't really blame him for not expecting a rookie who was barely playing to sniff out that play like that.

That wasn't to a TE but same idea he knew where Wilson wanted to go and sort of baited him into it.

 

[BritCard]

It depends if they mess about and move him around too much.

If they keep him at WIL in Nickel and base I think he will do well. I don't think he's going to be all pro yet but expect progression. Might be a bit rough to start with.

 

[SoonerLou]

Wirfs obviously looks like a stud but I also think you can make a strong case if we didn't take Simmons that had we taken Lamb or Jeudy we'd be pretty special on offense. Watching Lamb last night he looks ready to have a great year, Kyler obviously knew him so even though I preferred Jeudy I was perfectly happy with Lamb. But we got Hop and that made it unlikely to draft a WR.

I think Simmons is just so athletic as you said it's more about figuring out how best to use him. The problem with being a jack of all trades in the NFL is the NFL is so crazy detail oriented now I don't care how smart you are trying to learn all the nuances of several positions is REALLY hard.

I expect him to have a good year but I do think you can still make that argument if we take Lamb last year we're a better team and then this year we could have used the Rondale pick on a LB or even a TE like Freiermuth. I still am ok with the pick I think Simmons is just so athletic it's a matter of time.

We had Andrew Thomas higher than Wirfs. Its possible after the Hopkins trade they had him graded higher than Lamb or Jeudy.

It took the Giants surprising a lot of people with passing on Simmons for Thomas.
Basically Simmons was the necessary evil with Keim in charge. Now lets hope he lives up to his great potential.

 

[Goldfield]

I’m not sure what to expect. He has all the tools speed length smarts toughness. I want to see him show instincts not just read and react.

 

[Vacard]

Hoping he’ll be like Darryl Washington but I don’t see hose instincts

 

[Stout]

I suggest that by the end of the season every Tight-end we face will agree that the CARDS should have selected someone other than Simmons.

Damn right!

It depends if they mess about and move him around too much.

If they keep him at WIL in Nickel and base I think he will do well. I don't think he's going to be all pro yet but expect progression. Might be a bit rough to start with.

And therein lies the problem. VJ criminally mismanaged him last year, IMO, punishing the kid for an early error and subsequently hurting the defense a lot. Now I'm afraid he's going to double down on that stupidity by moving him all over the defense. Let the kid figure out ONE position first, then start tinkering. The fact that Hicks is supposedly going to have a huge role tells me VJ is going to step on his own "Richard" yet again.

Still, I remain bullish on the kid. He's talented as hell and an athletic freak. I think, even if VJ screws around, he should still shine. It'll just be a matter of how much he shines.

 

[Chopper0080]

I’m not sure what to expect. He has all the tools speed length smarts toughness. I want to see him show instincts not just read and react.

He doesn't have those and may never have them. That is why S makes more sense in base packages. You want him further away from the LOS so he can use his recovery speed to make up for any missed reads.

They talk about him being an eraser but they don't use him that way. He is great matched up in a single high man. Any personnel package. Hang Budda in the single high and everyone else can match up and Simmons can match up. At WILL in zone packages he takes away the dig and the post in the sense that you can't drive the throw because you have to throw over Simmons. That gives DBs time to close on the ball. He can actually be a spy so he can erase a mobile QB.

 

[gmabel830]

I think he’ll make a few plays that make us say “WOW!”, but by the end of the year Collins will undisputedly be the better player.

 

[Solar7]

I still have a ton of faith in Simmons, although I do buy into the idea that Vance might not be the coach to deploy him best.

I think he'll grow into a star.

 

[football karma]

We will always regret passing on Wirfs as an All Pro RT does more for a young franchise QB than a hybrid LB/S can.

funny how watching opposing TEs light your defense up changes your offseason priorities

on Earth2, the Cards have a pair of book end tackles they can count on the for the next 5-7 years, and the Cards took someone like Akiem-David Gaithers at LB in round 3 to fill that hybrid role

 

[football karma]

on Simmons:

it seems like it takes a year or two for these hybrid players to pop.

Im thinking of guys like Myles Jack and Shaq Thompson

also, neither puts up the eye popping stats that attract attention-- sacks or ints--but each was re-signed by their teams to large contracts.

 

[slanidrac16]

Talented but at times seems confused.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

I think he’ll make a few plays that make us say “WOW!”, but by the end of the year Collins will undisputedly be the better player.

See this is interesting, I think the opposite. I believed last year he would be a splash play guy. But now I’m thinking he may be one of those guys who does his job so well in so many aspects that you may not notice him a lot, but he has a huge impact on the defense. Like has been stated, he’s the guy that erase QB runs as a spy, and covers TEs so balls aren’t thrown in that direction, and disrupts passing lanes with his length, and causes pressure on the blitz that someone else like watt cleans up. I mean, I hope I’m wrong and he’s a superstar, but even if he isn’t I think he may end up being a superglue guy for the team that allows others to maybe be not quite as good but the defense remains effective.

that’s actually what I’m most curious to watch this season, the defense. Can the upgrades in the front seven not only cover up, but overcome the potentially weak corner position?

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

on Simmons:

it seems like it takes a year or two for these hybrid players to pop.

Im thinking of guys like Myles Jack and Shaq Thompson

also, neither puts up the eye popping stats that attract attention-- sacks or ints--but each was re-signed by their teams to large contracts.

Yup, that’s exactly what I’m expecting.

 

[SoonerLou]

60 PFF grade so far. Dont blame him as I still dont know if we're using him right.

Isaiah Simmons | Arizona Cardinals LB | NFL and PFF stats | PFF

NFL and PFF player stats for Arizona Cardinals LB Isaiah Simmons on Pro Football Focus.

www.pff.com

@DVontel @Chopper0080 Were we a year off with Micah Parsons or would Vance have misused him as well.

 

[DVontel]

60 PFF grade so far. Dont blame him as I still dont know if we're using him right.

Isaiah Simmons | Arizona Cardinals LB | NFL and PFF stats | PFF

NFL and PFF player stats for Arizona Cardinals LB Isaiah Simmons on Pro Football Focus.

www.pff.com

@DVontel @Chopper0080 Were we a year off with Micah Parsons or would Vance have misused him as well.

It’s PFF.

 

[Chopper0080]

60 PFF grade so far. Dont blame him as I still dont know if we're using him right.

Isaiah Simmons | Arizona Cardinals LB | NFL and PFF stats | PFF

NFL and PFF player stats for Arizona Cardinals LB Isaiah Simmons on Pro Football Focus.

www.pff.com

@DVontel @Chopper0080 Were we a year off with Micah Parsons or would Vance have misused him as well.

I have no faith in Vance using a non-traditional player to his best ability. Not Vance's style.

 

[Zeem_Freeze]

team leader in tackles through week 4

 

[Shane]

It’s PFF so honestly who cares?