As Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons turns his preparation and attention towards training camp, there is one particular piece of his game that he wants to improve on: communication.
“There’s always different variables that kind of fall into [my position] depending on what the scheme of the defense is asking and how I see that role kind of improving. I think for me, the thing I am always trying to improve on the most is communication,” Simmons said in a recent interview with Broncos Wire promoting USAA.
That is not to say that Simmons does not find other parts of his game that needs progress.
“I think that my tackling could have been way better last year. There were some times when some situations where I didn’t tackle well and I normally make those,” Simmons said. “That’s just getting back to some fundamentals. There were some lapses in both zone and man coverage last year, so obviously those can always improve.”
As the leader of a unit in the midst of learning under yet another coach (defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero), younger players and free agent signees such as Patrick Surtain and Nik Bonitto and K’Wuan Williams will increasingly look to Simmons to guide them.
“The biggest improvement each and every year for me is the communication aspect; being the quarterback of the defense and having the responsibility of getting us into different checks and the different calls depending on what the offense is presenting us,” Simmons said. “A lot of that falls on [safety Kareem Jackson] and I’s shoulders, so that for me always for me is finding a way to be 100% each and every week. That’s a realistic expectation and I need to make sure that everyone can do that.”
Simmons is now leading the Denver defensive charge into the future. If both the offense and defense can find a way to click early on, there is no telling how far they will go.
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