AROUND THE NFL

Daily Briefing

While hoping to stay on schedule, the NFL knows that there are public authorities that want to shut down everything for as long as possible.  They tell the Washington Post that they are making contingency plans.  Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com:

The NFL’s official position is that it’s planning to play a full season in full stadiums. It’s unofficial position is far more pragmatic.

According to the Washington Post, the NFL’s contingency plans include a shortened schedule and playing games in empty or partially empty stadiums.

“As we have said, we are committed to protecting the health of our fans, players, club and league personnel, and communities,” the NFL said in a statement issued to the Post. “We look forward to the 2020 NFL season, and our guidelines and decisions will be guided by the latest advice from medical and public health officials, as well as current and future government regulations. We will continue to plan for the season and will be prepared to adjust as necessary, just as we have done with free agency, the draft, and now the offseason program.”

Beneath that thin patina of confidence, the NFL is planning for playing without fans at all to playing with some fans to playing fewer games.

As a result, the NFL’s schedule — which will be released by May 9 — is being structured to provide maximum flexibility.

That’s an important approach, and it’s critical that the league anticipate every possible outcome, and that the league have a predetermined plan for every potential permutation. Apparently, the league does.

Joe Klingele of ESPN.com has compiled all the current odds for 2020 (except for whether the authorities will allow the season to be played) which you can read here.  We have put his Super Bowl odds below, in order and color coded by conference.

Kansas City Chiefs (4-1)

San Francisco 49ers (7-1)

Baltimore Ravens (8-1)

Dallas Cowboys (11-1)

Seattle Seahawks (14-1)

New Orleans Saints (14-1)

Green Bay Packers (16-1)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (17-1)

New England Patriots (20-1)

Philadelphia Eagles (22-1)

Chicago Bears (25-1)

Los Angeles Rams (25-1)

Buffalo Bills (28-1)

Pittsburgh Steelers (28-1)

Minnesota Vikings (30-1)

Indianapolis Colts (30-1)

Tennessee Titans (30-1)

Las Vegas Raiders (30-1)

Cleveland Browns (40-1)

Los Angeles Chargers (45-1)

Denver Broncos (50-1)

Houston Texans (50-1)

New York Jets (50-1)

Arizona Cardinals (50-1)

Carolina Panthers (50-1)

Atlanta Falcons (55-1)

New York Giants (60-1)

Detroit Lions (60-1)

Miami Dolphins (100-1)

Cincinnati Bengals (100-1)

Jacksonville Jaguars (125-1)

Washington Redskins (150-1)

So the Buccaneers have lower odds than the Patriots.

Kind of hard at the moment to see a team other than the Chiefs or Ravens coming out of the AFC, which the odds reflect.

If you were forced to take a flyer on a team from 40-to-1 and up, who would it be?

We’re looking at Atlanta (55-1 with a Hall of Fame QB) and Arizona (they were a decent team at the end of 2019 and should get better).

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO

Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com on how the Bears draft might play out, including QB JALEN HURTS:

The Chicago Bears enter next week’s NFL draft with limited resources in the first 150 picks.

General manager Ryan Pace does have two picks in the second round (No. 43 from Las Vegas and No. 50), but Chicago’s first- and third-round choices belong to the Raiders by virtue of the Khalil Mack trade. Last month, Pace sent the club’s 2020 fourth-round compensatory pick to Jacksonville for veteran quarterback Nick Foles, who will challenge Mitchell Trubisky for the starting job.

The Bears addressed several needs in free agency when they acquired Foles, signed pass-rusher Robert Quinn ($30 million guaranteed) and re-signed veteran inside linebacker Danny Trevathan, but there’s still plenty of work to do.

Chicago needs immediate help at cornerback, safety and offensive line, where the Bears are likely to overhaul the majority of the group to fit what offensive line coach Juan Castillo prefers. Castillo wants large bodies on the offensive line. The Bears are not particularly big up front, except for right tackle Bobby Massie (6-foot-6, 325 pounds) and new guard/tackle Germain Ifedi (6-5, 325).

Additionally, the Bears could use another wide receiver, tight end and a developmental quarterback to groom behind Foles and Trubisky.

There’s little chance the Bears accomplish all of that given their lack of draft capital in the early rounds. In a perfect world, Pace swings a couple trades and stockpiles extra picks.

The Bears have four picks spread over the sixth (No. 196 and No. 200) and seventh rounds (No. 226 and No. 233). But, when the draft reaches the late rounds, there’s no way to accurately forecast what a team might do.

So let’s focus on Chicago’s top-three choices. Here’s what the Bears’ ideal picks could look like:

Round 2, pick No. 43: At 6-foot-5, 322 pounds, USC left tackle Austin Jackson is the Castillo mold. Veteran Charles Leno has been a tremendous player considering he entered the league as a seventh-round pick, but neither Leno nor Massie played their best football in 2019. Massie is guaranteed $6.9 million in 2020 and Leno is out of guaranteed money. The Bears have to plan for the future at offensive tackle. Jackson being available at this spot is the best-case scenario, but if he is not, the tackle class is strong. The Bears could have other tackle options later.

If Jackson is off the board, ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has Chicago taking Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet. The pick makes sense on paper. The Bears are a mess at tight end. Pace tried to improve the situation by signing veteran tight end Jimmy Graham ($9 million guaranteed) in free agency, but Graham is coming off an unspectacular stint in Green Bay. To make matters worse, highly compensated tight end Trey Burton missed almost all of last year and had to undergo another offseason surgery, and former second-round pick Adam Shaheen has yet to make an impact after three years on the roster. The Bears also added veteran Demetrius Harris, but coach Matt Nagy needs dynamic playmakers at that position. The 2020 tight end draft class is, unfortunately, not great. Kmet is viewed as the best of the bunch.

Round 2, pick No. 50: The Bears can go in many different directions. Kiper has Chicago selecting Penn State receiver KJ Hamler, who’s one of the fastest players in the draft. It’s not a stretch to envision Hamler replacing Taylor Gabriel, who was released, in the Bears’ offense. The health of receiver Anthony Miller is another question mark after Miller had another offseason shoulder surgery. So, the Bears need help at receiver, but this is a deep receiver class so the Bears could wait.

LSU’s Grant Delpit and Southern Illinois’ Jeremy Chinn are safety prospects that are projected to be second-round picks, but history has shown that safeties can be found later in the draft. Bears Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson, for example, was a fourth-round pick in 2017. Again, the Bears can probably afford to wait at safety.

Sooners quarterback Jalen Hurts’ most dominant moments as he prepares to take over the NFL.

The most intriguing player in that range is Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts — Kiper projects Hurts to the Steelers at No. 49. Pace has drafted one quarterback in five years: Trubisky. Now is the perfect time for the Bears to invest a draft pick in a developmental quarterback. The rookie would be third on the depth chart and under no pressure to play. Foles might be the short-term solution, and the Bears have yet to pick up Trubisky’s fifth-year option. For those reasons, taking a QB makes sense, but history suggests Chicago avoids that route.

The most practical pick at No. 50 is probably cornerback. The Bears are in the market for another starter after they released veteran Prince Amukamara. Cornerback is a premium position and the quality ones are usually taken early in the draft. TCU’s Jeff Gladney, Ohio State’s Damon Arnette and LSU’s Kristian Fulton were all given solid second-round grades by Kiper. There’s also the financial element. The Bears already doled out serious cash to Jackson and cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Buster Skrine. Chicago can’t afford another pricey veteran in its secondary.

Round 5, pick No. 163: Here’s where the Bears make a move. Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy said he wouldn’t take a wide receiver until the third or fourth round because the class is so deep. Chicago has to figure out how to trade back into the third or fourth and snag a quality receiver. Perhaps the Bears could wait until the fifth round, but that’s risky. The last thing an NFL team wants is to miss out on a great wide receiver class when it so clearly has a need there. Pace has always been aggressive. This year should be no different. A sleeper receiver, such as the University of Minnesota’s Tyler Johnson, could be an option if the Bears miss out on the top pass-catchers.

MINNESOTA

Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer has a source who throws cold water on the rumors of a trade of WR ODELL BECKHAM Jr. to Minnesota.

@MaryKayCabot

Received a one-word answer from a source close to the #Vikings about the report they’re talking to the #Browns about trading for Odell Beckham Jr. for a 2nd & 5th next year: “False”

That should make former NFL linebacker Ben Leber who is on the Vikings radio crew happy.

@nacholeber

I’m hoping the “rumors” stay rumors.

#OBJ

NFC WEST

ARIZONA

The deal is officially done and WR D’ANDRE HOPKINS is a Cardinal, to the delight of GM Steve Keim.  Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com:

Almost a month after the Houston Texans sent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals for running back David Johnson, the trade was finalized.

Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said on a teleconference call with reporters that he found out Wednesday morning that both players passed their physicals. The trade was made on March 16.

Reports surfaced earlier in the week that Hopkins had already passed his physical, and on Wednesday morning Johnson tweeted that he had passed one, as well.

@DavidJohnson31

PASSED THE PHYSICAL. Can’t wait to get started with my teammates and the @HoustonTexans organization. 🤘🏾💯

The trade also included a swapping of NFL draft picks. Arizona received a fourth-round pick this year, and Houston received a second-round pick this year and a fourth-round pick in 2021.

Keim said the Cardinals were “really high” on Hopkins, a three-time All-Pro.

“To be able to get a player of his caliber and to add to the weapons that we already possess, I feel like he can certainly take us to the next level,” Keim said.

Keim also said he wants Hopkins to be a Cardinal “long term.” For that to happen, Arizona may need to give Hopkins what he wants — a new deal. When Hopkins was traded to Arizona last month, ESPN’s Ed Werder reported that Hopkins had wanted to restructure his contract in Houston to earn in the range of $18 million to $20 million per season.

Hopkins is scheduled to make $12.5 million in 2020, $13.5 million in 2021 and $13.9 million in 2022.

Keim said he has already talked with Hopkins’ agent, Todd France, about a new contract. Keim declined to share the specifics of those talks but said he’ll “continue to pound away” and have “ongoing talks” with France.

“If it makes our organization better, and it’s an opportunity that arises, we’ll certainly do that,” Keim said.

AFC SOUTH

HOUSTON

Frank Schwab of YahooSports.com reports Bill O’Brien’s defense of his trade of WR D’ANDRE HOPKINS – and subsequent manuvers:

Bill O’Brien made a fair point on Thursday.

While the Houston Texans’ trade of DeAndre Hopkins for David Johnson and a second-round pick has been blasted mercilessly for a month, we don’t know how it will turn out. Some trades that look great in the moment end up being huge mistakes.

O’Brien just asked that the trade be evaluated after we know some of the results.

@AaronWilson_NFL

Bill O’Brien on how the DeAndre Hopkins trade has been received: ‘I have a lot of respect for the media. Let’s review it a year from now, two years from now, three years from now, let’s let it all play out.’

O’Brien will not back down, nor should he.

He made the trade, and he has more knowledge about the situation than anyone else involved. He had a reason to trade Hopkins. And he continued to defend the trade, even as the rest of the NFL world disagrees.

“We feel very good about the value we got for the trade,” O’Brien said, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

What else is he going to say?

The most tangible reason for trading Hopkins, coming off three straight All-Pro selections, was that he wanted a raise. He wanted a contract that put him closer to the other elite receivers in the game. Apparently the Texans did not like that he asked for a raise with three years left on his deal.

O’Brien referenced that on Thursday too.

“It was going to be very difficult to have elite quarterback, elite receiver, elite offensive tackle, elite defensive end and be able to do that,” he said, via Wilson.

Texans like what they got for Hopkins

If there is a defense of the Texans’ trade, it’s that Johnson has shown elite skills. He was an All-Pro in 2016. He has dealt with injuries since then and fell out of favor with the Cardinals. Maybe he can recapture that form, and the second-round pick the Texans got turns out to be an impact player too.

Still, the Texans will miss Hopkins. Hopkins is a tremendous receiver, one of the best players in the NFL, and it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t play very well in Arizona. Even if Johnson rebounds and the second-round pick turns out well, it still will be hard to match Hopkins assuming he maintains his typical level. Hopkins is just 27 years old, so that shouldn’t be a problem.

But we’ll see. While this trade looks terrible, O’Brien isn’t wrong to ask everyone to see how it turns out first. One thing is certain: Nobody will forget to check back in a year.

The thing is, the Texans took on a big salary and gave up a second rounder for oft-injured WR BRANDIN COOKS (now on his 4^th team, so three teams have had no trouble trading him away).  The DB would have kept that pick and drafted one of the many promising young receivers that would be available at a cheaper salary in the second round.  That second part of the equation is not mentioned by O’Brien or Schwab.

JACKSONVILLE

Coach Doug Marrone positions the Jaguars to either add a QB or stand pat.  Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com:

The Jaguars traded Nick Foles to the Bears last month in a move that made Gardner Minshew the unquestioned No. 1 quarterback in Jacksonville at the moment.

Some mock drafts have projected the Jaguars using the No. 9 pick on a quarterback, which would muddy those waters a little bit. During a Thursday conference call, head coach Doug Marrone was asked about those mock drafts and said that the team will “evaluate everyone” before making his position on Minshew clear.

“Gardner Minshew’s our guy and I’m excited about that,” Marrone said.

Marrone went on to say that the team wants to have competition at every spot, which came after General Manager Dave Caldwell said that the team won’t pass on a quarterback if they like the value of the pick. That doesn’t sound like using a first-round pick on a quarterback is on the radar.

Josh Dobbs is currently the only other quarterback on Jacksonville’s roster.

AFC EAST

MIAMI

There is a growing sense that the Dolphins are looking at the “safe” QB JUSTIN HERBERT (i.e. MATT RYAN) over the “risky” TUA TAGOVAILOA (i.e. PATRICK MAHOMES).

For much of the 2019 NFL season, the Dolphins were accused of tanking so they could take Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with the first overall pick in the draft. That wasn’t the case: Miami didn’t tank, ended up with the fifth overall pick, and now there’s growing talk that the Dolphins may pass on Tagovailoa even if he’s available at No. 5.

That’s because they may prefer Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the Dolphins have done a significant amount of work studying Herbert over the last two years, and recently had a video conference with him. According to the report, the Dolphins are impressed with Herbert’s size and arm strength but are aware of some evaluators’ concerns about about his accuracy, as well as whether he’ll grow to be a team leader as a franchise quarterback.

Tagovailoa was a better college quarterback than Herbert, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be a better pro quarterback. And there are injury concerns about Tagovailoa that aren’t there with Herbert.

With the draft one week away, Herbert’s stock seems to be rising, and it wouldn’t be surprised to hear his name called before Tagovailoa’s.

THIS AND THAT

PROSPECT PROFILE – ISAIAH SIMMONS

Scouts have come to view Clemson’s ISAIAH SIMMONS as the ultimate defensive weapon, someone whose greatness transcends such antiquated notions as position – although he arguably is a linebacker.

Born in Omaha, Simmons grew up in Olathe, Kansas, the same burg on the Plains that gave us a pound-for-pound offensive great in RB Darren Sproles.  Now Simmons, who like Sproles was an Olathe North High School Eagle, may be the defensive equivalent in a bigger package.

Oh-lay-tha is the last part of the Kansas City metro area as you head southwest on I-35 on the road to Wichita.

Simmons was a good player at Olathe North, but his recruiting stars lagged behind his ability.  Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com does a good job of explaining how Clemson landed this prospect from outside their usual Florida-Georgia-Carolinas fish pond.

This is a story about a football freak.

The kind that makes the hair stand up on the back of a defensive coordinator’s neck. The kind with a 40-inch vertical leap who can plant a ballcarrier in the ground like a gardenia.

The kind recruiters would have drooled over — if they had only known about Isaiah Simmons.

Clemson’s redshirt junior linebacker has literally played every defensive position on the field this season heading into the College Football Playoff National Championship on Monday. To call him a linebacker would be like calling a Swiss Army knife a can opener.

But you have to call him something. This year, you can choose: Butkus Award winner, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, projected first-round NFL Draft pick.

“You knew he was special,” said Jeremy Crabtree, a long-time expert recruiting analyst who now works in Kansas City television. An alumnus of Simmons’ Olathe North High School, “Crabby” is especially qualified to help tell this story.

“I saw him play in person four or five times doing high school football on the radio,” he said. “For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t being recruited heavier than what he was. He was one of those that stood out. He was a no-brainer.”

That was a summation of Simmons from four years ago when Arkansas passed on him. That was when Missouri, Kansas and Kansas State showed cursory interest.

That was when Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables got a tip from Crabtree that turned into a program changer. Talk all you want about quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne, the No. 3 Tigers might not be here gunning for their 30th straight win without Simmons.

“I always thought I was good enough to play for the bigger schools,” Simmons said. “Obviously, they thought otherwise. Coming out of Kansas, you don’t see too many highly-recruited football guys.”

Think of Simmons like Chase Young … if he was able to play safety. Think of Ronnie Lott at defensive end.

At the heart of this story is a 6-foot-4, 230-pound tackling assassin who has lined up at safety, cornerback, slot corner, defensive end and linebacker.

“I don’t even know [how] to classify myself,” Simmons said. “You could put me anywhere, really.”

In high school, he played safety and receiver, catching almost 1,000 yards worth of passes as a senior. At Clemson, Simmons has shown he can catch — both ballcarriers and the ball — with four career interceptions.

The last one came against Ohio State’s Justin Fields in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal. Fields still finished the season with the best touchdown-to-interception in history (40 passing scores, three picks).

“I’ve been trying to play receiver all year, but the coaches don’t want me to get hurt,” Simmons lamented.

Now think of the Great Flyover. Olathe North is in the Kansas suburbs, 20 miles or so from Kansas City. It’s the same school that produced Darren Sproles. He was a sleeper, too, before becoming a Kansas State great and a 15-year NFL veteran.

“Isaiah might be the most decorated player to come out of Kansas City in 25 years,” Crabtree said. “I love the story.”

Finding a diamond in Northeast Kansas

Just how Simmons got out of the Great Flyover is a salute to his talent, Crabtree’s eye and Venables’ recruiting tenacity. The way the story goes, Clemson needed safeties for its 2016 recruiting class.

“Brent reached out as many coaches do, ‘Hey, are there any guys there in Kansas City that are being overlooked? I’m looking for a safety/linebacker,'” Crabtree recalled. “It was kind of like perfect timing.”

Within two days, Venables was on a plane to Kansas.

“I was over there about half dressed,” said Chris McCartney, Olathe North’s coach. “The phone rings. ‘This Coach Venables. I’m flying in tomorrow, can I come see Isaiah?'”

Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh had already made a home visit. Simmons’ name still wasn’t out there.

“Harbaugh came in that evening and then left,” McCartney said. “Next thing I know, Venables was coming in and there was a spark of interest.”

That’s the way it works in recruiting. A big-name school gets involved and that visit alone can validate a prospect.

Simmons was what they call a late bloomer. Plus, even in this age when the internet is soaked with recruiting experts, sometimes they all can miss one. All of them. Except Venables.

It shouldn’t be a surprise. Venables was born three hours from here in Salina, Kansas. His wife is from Hutchinson. Venables made his bones two hours away from here spending eight years under Bill Snyder at Kansas State. 

“Whoa,” Venables said when he first saw Simmons, “That’s what they look like when they leave [Clemson].”

Hard to believe, then, they called the prospect “Slimmons” as a 140-pound freshman running track at North. Isaiah’s dad, Victor Sr., had moved the family from Omaha, Nebraska, in 2003. Victor started a track club, Olathe Express, that became a hyper-competitive training ground for his sons.

(Victor, Sr. also works as a salesman in a furniture store)

Victor Jr. — four years older than Isaiah — played cornerback at Kansas. The brothers were both Junior Olympic track champions.

“One day, his brother and him were arguing over who had the most national medals,” Victor Sr. said. “… Isaiah used to be really thin, but you know what? He was always a force to be reckoned with. Little league football, there was this skinny little kid who was so fast, who would score four, five touchdowns a game. A safety on the other side, he would knock those kids out.”

The urban legends surrounding Isaiah Simmons grew along with the player himself. There was the time Simmons, a high school senior, sort of flexed during an eighth-grade orientation.

“At the end, they have this assembly,” McCartney recalled. “They had a dunking competition, and Isaiah was in it. He jumped over four or five kids and slammed the ball. He jumped from the free throw line. He couldn’t play basketball, but he could jump.”

Playing against then No. 1-ranked Lawrence Free State, Simmons once picked up a ballcarrier and “lifted him up and planted him in the ground like a shovel,” McCartney recalled.

After watching Simmons return a fumble 65 yards for a touchdown in the same game, the opposing coach asked McCartney, “Are you f’n kidding me?! I’ve never seen a guy with whatever ability he has.”

When it came down to scholarship-offer time, Venables asked McCartney to level with him: How tough is this kid, on a scale of 1-10?

“I thought he was he was at least an eight,” McCartney said.

“So you think he’s pretty physical?” Venables asked.

“I’m a very picky guy,” McCartney countered. “A 10 is really [tough] in my eyes.”

“What’s a 10 to you?” Venables shot back.

“I don’t know if we’ve had a 10,” McCartney concluded.

Simmons was defined. He went on to run a 4.31-second 40-yard dash at Clemson before playing a down of football. During his redshirt year in 2017, the two-time state long jump champion at Olathe North finished 13th in event at the ACC championships without really training.

Even while sitting out that first year, Simmons matured while watching the 2017 CFP Fiesta Bowl semifinal skunking of Ohio State (31-0).

“That was kind of like the opening stage, if you will, for my college career,” Simmons said. “Even though I wasn’t participating in the game, I felt like I was. If you ask me, I played every play.”

Entering the Clemson lineup as a backup safety in 2017, Simmons transitioned to Sam linebacker in 2018. That year, he led the Tigers in tackles. This season, he is second in that category and leads Clemson in tackles for loss (14).

“It wasn’t a coincidence I got there to Clemson,” Simmons said this week. “Not getting the schools I wanted made me work harder. I was always told, ‘You don’t want to be the best guy on the field [or] the smartest guy in the room because then you can’t get better.'”

More here on how Arkansas, his dream school, spurned him and Michigan was in on him, but got out-recruited by Clemson. This from The State in Columbia, SC:

Simmons was recruited by several schools within driving distance of his hometown of Olathe, Kansas, but the school he really wanted to attend was not one of them.

“He wanted to go to Arkansas. And for some odd reason they would not offer him a scholarship,” Victor said. “He liked Fayetteville. He liked the town and everything like that. And it’s only four hours away from our house.”

Simmons camped at Arkansas and performed well for head coach Bret Bielema and the Razorbacks’ staff as his recruitment was heating up, but apparently not well enough to earn an offer.

“At the time I just felt like that’s where I should be. I went there just for an unofficial visit. It happened to be a day they had a camp. They asked me if I had cleats with me and could work out. And I happened to have them, just in case, honestly,” Simmons said. “That’s when I found out I was pretty fast. I remember running the 40 there and at the end after I ran everybody was looking at me. I was like, ‘Dang, I must have run a slow time.’”

Not exactly.

Simmons asked his brother, who was accompanying him on the trip, what his 40-yard dash time was and found out that heads were turning because he had run a 4.37 at 6-foot-3, 207 pounds.

Simmons spoke with then Arkansas assistant Sam Pittman, who is currently on staff at Georgia, about joining the Razorbacks.

“He took me in there with the head coach, and I was like, ‘Coach, I want to be here if you’ll have me. If you’ll offer me a scholarship I’ll commit.’ And I guess they just didn’t know what position I was,” Simmons said.

Arkansas was far from the only Power 5 school to pass on Simmons. Several Midwest school recruited him hard from an early stage, but he didn’t get a lot of national attention. Simmons was rated as a three-star recruit and the No. 25 safety in the country coming out of high school, by the 247Sports Composite rankings.

“He had some offers around here, and no disrespect to those places, but they weren’t Clemson,” said Simmons’ high school coach, Chris McCartney. “Around here we have Mizzou, K State, Nebraska… He was getting recruited pretty hard, it just wasn’t national power type schools. He was one of those guys who was kind of a late bloomer.”

While Simmons is now a star on the defensive side of the ball, he played both ways at Olathe North High. He hauled in 29 passes for 994 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior receiver, and several schools were recruiting him to play offense in college.

“His senior year he had a really good year for us at receiver, and he was thinking maybe that would be the direction he would go,” McCartney said.

Nebraska, a school that had recruited Simmons all along, was interested in him playing receiver. As was Michigan, a team that threw its hat into the ring in January of 2016, about a month before Signing Day.

“They were like, ‘We don’t care what you do. You want to come and play both sides? You can do that,’” Victor recalled. “Nebraska said, ‘If you wanna come be a wideout you can do that.’ The same thing with Michigan. Michigan said, ‘I don’t care what you do. I just want you on the team.’”

Simmons was leaning toward attending either Michigan or Nebraska,. Late in the game, Clemson got involved.

Dabo Swinney found out less than a month before Signing Day in 2016 that three of his defensive backs were leaving early for the NFL Draft.

“Well boys, we’ve got three weeks. We’re in the DB business,” Swinney told his staff.

Tigers defensive coordinator Brent Venables was searching for players he thought could help the Tigers when he was made aware of a potential fit.

“Coach Brent Venables has connections in the Midwest, and so he asked a gentleman that does a lot of the sports reporting up here in our area, ‘Is there anybody up there that we should take a look at?’” Victor explained. “And the guy informed him that, ‘Yeah, there’s this one kid here by the name of Isaiah Simmons who is an incredible athlete.’”

It didn’t take Venables long after checking out Simmons’ film to be sold.

As Victor remembers it, Swinney asked Venables to choose tape of his favorite five players and they would decide on one together to heavily pursue.

“Coach V said to me that once he looked at Isaiah he said he didn’t need to look at anyone else,” Victor recalled. “He said he showed it to coach Swinney and he said it was a unanimous decision to go after Isaiah.”

Within a couple of days, Venables was on a plane to meet Simmons and his family. A couple of days later Venables made a return visit and was joined by Swinney.

Clemson’s staff convinced Simmons and his family to take a visit, and Simmons fell in love with the school.

“What went into his decision making to go to Clemson was that it seemed like family,” Victor said. “He said Michigan just seemed like it was all business. And Clemson seemed like family. He told me and his mother ,‘This is further than I want to go away for school, but I know it’s the best place for me.’”

In addition to his amazing ability (4.39 in the 40 at 238 pounds for example), Simmons checks all the right boxes for character, personality, background. 

Arnie Menendez Stapleton of TSN filed this evaluation of his versatility.

Several years before building a Super Bowl roster in San Francisco, John Lynch the broadcaster was pining for a new kind of defensive playmaker.

What the NFL needed to counter all the offensive innovations driving up scores, he said back in 2013, was a hybrid linebacker/safety who could stay on the field no matter the down and distance, regardless of the pace or the play.

Some players have started to fit that bill, none the likes of Isaiah Simmons. The 6-foot-4, 238-pound Clemson captain lined up at linebacker, over the slot and in the deep middle for the Tigers. He projects as an even more all-purpose pro.

“Simmons is built for today’s NFL,” said NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah, “and his role could change week to week, depending on the opponent.”

Simmons’ specialty is his versatility.

“I can fit in anywhere,” Simmons said.

Clemson defensive co-ordinator Brent Venables lined him up all over the field except nose tackle and defensive tackle.

Back in Lynch’s playing days and even during most of his time in the broadcast booth, NFL teams leaned toward prototypical prospects who fit the mould as much as the scheme.

“Tweeners,” as they were referred to — sometimes derisively — were typically downgraded for their lack of specialization.

Now, adaptability and ambidexterity are attributes.

“I think it’s really beneficial for me,” Simmons said. “I know years ago it wasn’t good to be a position-less guy. But now it’s become a benefit for me just because of all the versatility I’ll be able to (provide).”

Although he’s had some multi-talented predecessors in recent years such as Chargers strong safety Derwin James, there’s not been anyone quite like Simmons, who can’t even count himself a genuine acolyte of any specific NFL player.

“I don’t know if I truly have one person you could compare me to just for all the different things I do,” Simmons explained.

That said, he does have a trio of superstars he models.

“If I have to go look at film of somebody to get something, it would be Von Miller just for pass rush, Jalen Ramsey for man techniques and Tyrann Mathieu just because he plays around everywhere, as well,” Simmons said.

While Mathieu can play anywhere in the back seven, Simmons produced at all three levels on defence at Clemson. He seamlessly transitioned from defending the deep pass to covering tight ends over the middle, thwarting running backs in the box and rushing the passer off the edge.

Playing up to five positions on an afternoon wasn’t uncommon nor physically too demanding for Simmons.

“The hardest part about it is just the mental aspect, having to know what everybody else has to do,” Simmons said. “That was the most complicated thing I had to deal with. But I learn everything very fast. … At Clemson our back seven, we all meet in the same room, so I’m able to hear everything all at one time as opposed to having to go from room to room.”

He doesn’t have a position preference in the NFL.

“I like an interception just as much as I like getting a sack,” Simmons said. “I don’t think I have a favourite.”

Although he worked out with the linebackers at the NFL scouting combine, Simmons had a quick retort for anyone asking what position was in his blood.

“Defence,” he’d say with a million-dollar smile.

It’s not as if he’ll have to choose one position or another in the pros, either.

“He can do anything,” Jeremiah said. “… So with a guy like Isaiah Simmons, whether you want to list him as a linebacker or safety, I know you plug him into that defensive scheme and week by week you can deploy him in different ways depending on what the strength of your opponent is.

“That’s why he has so much value.”

Simmons believes NFL coaches will prove just as creative as Venables and Dabo Swinney in capitalizing on his many skills.

“Mentally I feel like there isn’t anything I can’t do,” Simmons said, suggesting he’s the remedy for all those terrific tight ends winning so many mismatches on Sunday afternoons.

“The game is evolving,” Simmons said, “Something has to be done to stop these Travis Kelces and George Kittles out there.”

And he’s just the man for the job.

Or jobs.

Reading through the scouting reports, he gets extraordinarily high marks in everything with the exception of his reactions as a shallow zone pass defender where he is only good.  Simmons is as close to a perfect prospect as you will find.  Keep an eye out for someone to try to jump up in the draft to get him (Arizona? Denver? Carolina? Las Vegas?) as if he were a franchise QB type.

2020 DRAFT

Here is a Mock Draft from Bucky Brooks at NFL.com.  He bounces CB JEFFREY OKUDAH, from The Ohio State, down from his usual spot at #3 to Carolina at #7.  And QB TUA TAGOVAILOA sails from his usual spot at #5 to Miami down (but up I-95) to the Jaguars at #9.  No QB for the Chargers! Is he assuming the Bolts would sign QB JAMEIS WINSTON or QB CAM NEWTON?

With the 2020 NFL Draft just days away, here’s my fourth crack at how the first round will shake out on April 23.

1 – CINCINNATI

Joe Burrow – QB

School: LSU | Year: Senior (RS)

The Bengals make the Ohio native their next franchise QB.

2 – WASHINGTON

Chase Young – Edge

School: Ohio State | Year: Junior

Ron Rivera can’t turn down the opportunity to add the premier pass rusher in the class to a defensive front that’s loaded with former first-round picks.

3 – DETROIT

Derrick Brown – DT

School: Auburn | Year: Senior

Cornerback is a top priority, but coach Matt Patricia might opt for line-of-scrimmage disruption over tight coverage when retooling the Lions’ defense.

4 – NY GIANTS

Tristan Wirfs – OT

School: Iowa | Year: Junior

Giants general manager Dave Gettleman adds a blue-chip blocker to the lineup to help his prized possessions ( Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley) thrive in 2020 and beyond.

5 – MIAMI

Justin Herbert – QB

School: Oregon | Year: Senior

The Dolphins play it safe and take the Oregon standout to be their QB1 in waiting.

6 – LA CHARGERS

Isaiah Simmons – LB/S

School: Clemson | Year: Junior (RS)

Pairing Simmons with Derwin James would give the Bolts a pair of Swiss Army Knife defenders on the second level to wreak havoc on opponents with their collective speed, athleticism and versatility.

7 – CAROLINA

Jeff Okudah – CB

School: Ohio State | Year: Junior

Okudah would provide the Panthers with a lockdown corner to challenge the dominant WR1s ( Julio Jones, Mike Thomas and Mike Evans) who reside in the NFC South.

8 – ARIZONA

Jedrick Wills – OT

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

The Cardinals get a rugged edge blocker to solidify the O-line in front of Kyler Murray.

9 – JACKSONVILLE

Tua Tagovailoa – QB

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

This should be a no-brainer for the Jaguars if Tagovailoa slides to this point. The Alabama standout is a significant upgrade over Gardner Minshew and gives the team a long-term option at QB1.

10 – CLEVELAND

Mekhi Becton – OT

School: Louisville | Year: Junior

The ultra-athletic Becton is a natural left tackle with the capacity to dominate on the edges from Day 1.

11 – NY JETS

CeeDee Lamb – WR

School: Oklahoma | Year: Junior

Joe Douglas has to put more playmakers around Sam Darnold to help the QB1 take another step in his development.

12 – LAS VEGAS

Jerry Jeudy – WR

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

As a former receivers coach, Jon Gruden has an affinity for polished route runners, which makes Jeudy the ideal WR1 for the Raiders.

13 – SAN FRANCISCO (from Indianapolis)

Javon Kinlaw – DT

School: South Carolina | Year: Senior

The 49ers could replace DeForest Buckner with another long, athletic defender with disruptive potential.

14 – TAMPA BAY

Andrew Thomas – OT

School: Georgia | Year: Junior

Adding protection around Tom Brady is priority No.1 for the Buccaneers.

15 – DENVER

CJ Henderson – CB

School: Florida | Year: Junior

The talented cornerback would team with A.J. Bouye to give the Broncos a dynamic tandem on the outside.

16 – ATLANTA

A.J. Terrell – CB

School: Clemson | Year: Junior

The Dirty Birds need more playmakers in the secondary. Terrell is a talented cover corner with length, ball skills and toughness.

17 – DALLAS

K’Lavon Chaisson – Edge

School: LSU | Year: Sophomore (RS)

The explosive pass rusher could become DeMarcus Lawrence’s perfect tag-team partner in Mike Nolan’s aggressive scheme.

18 – MIAMI (from Pittsburgh)

Austin Jackson – OT

School: USC | Year: Junior

Upgrading the offensive line with a natural left tackle would help Ryan Fitzpatrick — or, in this mock’s case, Justin Herbert — play with more patience and poise from the pocket.

19 – LAS VEGAS (from Chicago)

Patrick Queen – LB

School: LSU | Year: Junior

Infusing the defense with more explosive athletes like Queen would help the Raiders close the gap on their division rivals.

20 – JACKSONVILLE (from LA Rams)

A.J. Epenesa – Edge

School: Iowa | Year: Junior

GM Dave Caldwell and coach Doug Marrone can re-establish the Jaguars’ culture and solidify the frontline with a blue-collar defender like Epenesa.

21 – PHILADELPHIA

Henry Ruggs III – WR

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

The Eagles need more speed and explosiveness in the passing game. Ruggs is a big-play threat with the capacity to score from anywhere on the field.

22 – MINNESOTA (from Baltimore)

Kristian Fulton – CB

School: LSU | Year: Senior

The Vikings need to replace their departed starting CBs with plug-and-play prospects. Fulton has all of the tools needed to be a high-level cover corner early in his career.

23 – NEW ENGLAND

Xavier McKinney – S

School: Alabama | Year: Junior

Bill Belichick loves defenders who are smart, tough and physical.

24 – NEW ORLEANS

Jordan Love – QB

School: Utah State | Year: Junior (RS)

Imagine the fun Sean Payton could have grooming the super-talented Love for the QB1 role down the road.

25 – MINNESOTA

Justin Jefferson – WR

School: LSU | Year: Junior

The Vikings could replace Stefon Diggs with a versatile receiver possessing exceptional route-running skills and dependable hands.

26 – MIAMI (from Houston)

D’Andre Swift – RB

School: Georgia | Year: Junior

The Dolphins desperately need an elite running back to spark their offense. Swift is a dynamic playmaker with outstanding skills as a runner-receiver.

27 – SEATTLE

Yetur Gross-Matos – Edge

School: Penn State | Year: Junior

With or without Jadeveon Clowney, the ‘Hawks need a pass rusher with length and athleticism coming off the edge.

28 – BALTIMORE

Zack Baun – LB

School: Wisconsin | Year: Senior (RS)

Versatility and explosiveness are coveted by Ravens defensive coordinator Don “Wink” Martindale. Baun checks off those boxes as a three-down linebacker with instincts and excellent blitz skills.

29 – TENNESSEE

Marlon Davidson – Edge

School: Auburn | Year: Senior

Davidson’s versatility, toughness and brutal physicality fit into the Titans’ culture.

30 – GREEN BAY

Joshua Jones – OT

School: Houston | Year: Senior (RS)

The Packers could add an athletic blocker to the mix to better protect Aaron Rodgers while also enabling Matt LaFleur to fully implement a zone-based running game.

31 – SAN FRANCISCO

Trevon Diggs – CB

School: Alabama | Year: Senior

It’s the perfect time for San Francisco to add Richard Sherman’s successor. Diggs is a natural fit for the 49ers’ Cover 3 scheme as a converted wide receiver with length and outstanding ball skills.

32 – KANSAS CITY

J.K. Dobbins – RB

School: Ohio State | Year: Junior

The Chiefs’ offense has continued to thrive with a committee backfield, but the unit could surge with a legitimate RB1 in the fold.