What is happening to the safety market in the NFL? Recently, there have been several high-profile safeties who were released or not re-signed. Justin Simmons, Jamal Adams, Eddie Jackson, and more were all let go. All were at one time All-Pro caliber players and yet none have signed with another team weeks into free agency. Simmons was in a unique position as the Broncos were sitting firmly in cap hell and releasing him was the first step to climbing out of it. Yet that doesn’t explain why he hasn’t signed elsewhere. Last year, Simmons was selected to his second Pro Bowl and fourth All-Pro team (don’t get me started on Pro Bowl voting), so why hasn’t he found a new team? Many big-name safeties still on the market are now in their 30s and the ones who resigned are in their mid-20s. The NFL is a harsh league, but there are plenty of older players who still command a high salary. However, these players tend to be in more premium positions, which leads to the answer to the question these high-profile cuts caused. Safeties are the running backs of defense.
Running backs have the capabilities to be game-changing players, yet often find themselves replaced with a cheaper option, and aren’t paid like receivers are. It has become common thought to not use premium picks on running backs. With the exception of this last year where Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs were both drafted in the top 15, no other running back was drafted that high since Saquan Barkley went at number 2, which in recent years has been criticized for being too high. For safeties, that trend is even more extreme. Kyle Hamilton was drafted at 14 in 2022, barely making it into the completely arbitrary standard that I’ve set. He was the most recent safety drafted that high since Minkah Fitzpatrick in 2018.
Today, we don’t see the same level of fame in these positions that we have seen in the past. There are no safeties today that demand the attention that Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed. Who is that safety now? There are great players at the position but none that come close to being a face of the league that Polamalu and Reed were. Similarly, Christian McCaffrey is the only running back today who can match the fame of players like Adrian Peterson or LaDainian Tomlinson, and McCaffrey’s success is largely due to his ability catching the ball, not just running it.
So what is it about safeties that has caused their positional value to decline? In my opinion, the main thing is that they are not the most directly involved in disrupting an offense. Safeties can still make game-changing plays but they are not directly involved in every play the way other defensive positions are, especially in the pass-heavy modern NFL. Elite cornerbacks consistently take away a number one receiver and force the QB to look for other options. Great pass rushers can disrupt an offense’s rhythm on every passing play, requiring extra attention to block.
Unfortunately, safeties often do not provide the same direct disruption on a play-by-play basis. The best safeties can provide excellent one-on-one coverage, taking away a slot receiver or tight end from the equation. Some safeties are dominant forces in the run game or are elite blitzers. These are valuable skills, yet they cannot be utilized in every play.
Elite safeties will always be valuable, just like elite running backs. However, it seems like teams have come to adopt a similar line of reasoning for both positions. While it is nice to have a superstar in that position, as they get older and more expensive, it’s not worth it to keep them on the team. Signing a younger and cheaper safety who has the potential to become a long-term starter, or simply investing a Day 2 or late 1st-round draft pick has become the more appetizing option. Maybe these veteran safeties will find rosters as the season gets closer to starting, but I doubt it will be for a price they are thrilled about. While safeties and running backs remain a necessary part of a team, it seems that superstars don’t have the same value that they used to.
Photo Credits Yahoo Sports
