Analyzing the Green Bay Packers roster, no other positional need is bigger than safety. The team let Adrian Amos walk in free agency after a rough season in 2022 and, even though they added low-level free agents, the two starters were already on the roster last season: Darnell Savage and Rudy Ford.

Both are not under contract beyond this year, and the only safeties with deals through at least 2024 are seventh-round rookie Anthony Johnson Jr. and recently acquired Zayne Anderson, who hasn't played a down for the Packers.

Even though Green Bay isn't exactly in a position to be a buyer before the trade deadline in order to compete right now, acquiring a good safety could be a two-way street. It would absolutely help the team in 2023, but it would also be a clever long-term investment. And two bad teams could present possible solutions.

The Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers.

Justin Simmons

Simmons is a well-established safety, with three second-team All-Pro selections over the last four seasons. He was the NFL interceptions co-leader last year. He's had a PFF grade of 70 or above in six of his seven seasons in the league, but this year it's been his worst: 53.3 through five weeks. And this is most likely related to the Broncos defense being a total disaster. And they are open to making deals.

"We aren't calling, but we will pick up the phone," said Broncos head coach Sean Payton.

Another positive factor is that Simmons knows the system well and is a good fit. He's played at a high level exactly for the same coaching tree, under Vic Fangio and Ejiro Evero.

The biggest problem in this case is the contract. Even if the deal is executed right at the deadline, the Packers would absorb $8 million, which they barely have cap space to do — the Packers have $8.795 million in space, but they need an amount to operate during the season, for moves like practice squad elevations. So, there are two options: one, the Packers finalize the trade and then restructure Simmons' deal, moving money to the future. The other is that the Broncos could eat some of the salary, with the Packers sending a better pick in return.

The good part is that Simmons is already under contract for 2024 at $14.5 million. It's not a cheap alternative, but he would be a difference-maker for this defense — and it would even allow the Packers to move Savage to slot corner, leaving Keisean Nixon primarily as a kickoff returner.

Jeremy Chinn

Chinn is a different kind of player than Simmons. He's more of a box safety, executing the role that Rudy Ford is doing right now — but potentially at a higher-level. Bad news: he's not working very well under Ejiro Evero, who runs a similar system. But he's 25, four years younger than Simmons, and is a promising player — he made the 2020 All-Rookie Team.

And it's not like he isn't playing well: he has a 64.5 PFF grade, including a 64.1 rushing grade, an area where the Packers would welcome a reinforcement.

Contract-wise, Chinn is a cheaper option for the present. The Packers would absorb just $1.62 million in 2023. But he is not under contract beyond this season, and that's something general manager Brian Gutekunst and executive vice-president/director of football operations Russ Ball would have to work out. The Panthers are open to trade Chinn, according to Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer, so they might not want to re-sign him — which means the draft compensation wouldn't be as high.

The Packers aren't desperate to make moves this time around. But if a market opportunity presents itself, the front office will consider it — and at safety, it's easier for it to make sense.

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