The excitement for NY Giants fans is quite high on Thursday, as general manager Joe Schoen pulled a rabbit out of his hat and acquired Isaiah Simmons from the Cardinals for a seventh-round pick. This feels like a major steal for the G-Men being able to land a former first-rounder for so cheap.
Moving forward, the expectation is that Simmons will push for the starting inside linebacker job next to Bobby Okereke. However, could something else be in the works for the 6-4, 240-pounder? Per Brian Daboll, nothing has been set in stone for where Simmons will take the field for Big Blue. This sure is interesting:
Daboll wouldn’t commit to a position for Isaiah Simmons, who told the Cardinals coaching staff this offseason that he didn’t want to play linebacker: https://t.co/moKH3rBE7m
— Dan Duggan (@DDuggan21) August 24, 2023
It's unknown which position Isaiah Simmons will play for the NY Giants
While Coach Dabes said he's unsure of things, it wouldn't make any sense for Simmons to suit up at any spot other than inside linebacker. This is where the Giants defense will need the former first-rounder the most.
Simmons has plenty of experience playing safety and him getting a shot at that starting job next to Xavier McKinney would have been smart if we didn't see the emergence of Jason Pinnock at the position. Pinnock has been one of the biggest surprises of the summer for the Big Blue D, as he's really impressed both at training camp and in the preseason opener vs. the Lions.
Behind Pinnock, second-year safety Dane Belton has also looked sharp, recording an interception in that game against Detroit as well. It feels like Pinnock and McKinney will start, with Belton ready to be mixed in for significant playing time.
At inside linebacker, both Micah McFadden and Darrian Beavers have been getting a lot of time with the 1s, but McFadden has clearly been leading the race there. With that said, Simmons has far more experience than both those youngsters, which is why fans are hopeful he'll start with Okereke on the inside.
Daboll and Wink Martindale may be playing things cool here with the trade just announced. However, it's clear that Simmons' best role for this defense is at ILB in 2023.
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