Cards trade Simmons to Giants for 7th-round pick

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals have moved on from 2020 first-round pick Isaiah Simmons with about two weeks left until Week 1.

Arizona traded Simmons, now a safety, to the New York Giants for a 2024 seventh-round pick the Cardinals announced.

The move comes less than a week after Simmons played 25 snaps for Arizona in his second preseason game at his new position. He made a switch to defensive back this offseason after playing throughout the Cardinals’ defense in his first three seasons under former coach Kliff Kingsbury and former defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

Gods plan let’s get to work!! https://t.co/KQEkh2rE43

— Isaiah Simmons (@isaiahsimmons25) August 24, 2023

Arizona, under new general manager Monti Ossenfort, declined to pick up Simmons’ fifth-year option earlier this year.

Simmons, who was drafted eighth overall in 2020 out of Clemson, entered the league as a positionless player of sorts. He lined up at four positions throughout his first three seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information data, including more than 1,300 snaps at inside and outside linebacker.

During one of his early conversations with new Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon, Simmons said he didn’t want to play linebacker anymore, and he declared in June that he was going to be working exclusively with the defensive backs going forward. Throughout offseason practices, his role in the secondary evolved, from lining up as a slot corner to primarily playing free safety.

“I don’t think it was an issue of what Isaiah did, he did everything that we asked him to do,” Gannon told the Cardinals’ website. “Moving forward we feel this is the best way we want to play football against other people. We’re going to try and put the best guys out there that can function and do the best job.”

Earlier in training camp, Simmons, who was recruited to Clemson as a safety, said he was primarily learning his new position during camp. He said he was comfortable at safety and enjoying his new position.

Simmons struggled in Saturday’s preseason loss to the Chiefs, falling a couple of steps behind Chiefs receiver Justin Watson on a touchdown pass and then not closing on Kansas City quarterback Shane Buechele during a 15-yard touchdown run.

The Giants play at Arizona in Week 2.

The Cardinals are also sending OT Josh Jones, who had 11 starts last year, and a seventh-round pick, to the Texans for a fifth-round draft pick, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Jones is in the final year of his rookie contract.

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