Cardinals plan to use Isaiah Simmons like Derwin James, Jalen Ramsey

By Eric D. Williams
FOX Sports NFC West Writer

With frontline players like Chandler Jones and Jordan Hicks no longer on the roster, it’s time for Arizona Cardinals do-everything playmaker Isaiah Simmons to take on more of a leadership role this season.

To help in that effort, defensive coordinator Vance Joseph anointed Simmons the defensive play-caller, starting with a Week 1 contest against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the desert this Sunday.

“I like it,” Simmons told reporters last week. “I get to hear the play first, so I can’t forget it (laughs). I don’t have to worry about not hearing the call from anyone, or anything of that sort. And so far, I feel like in the past we’ve had some times where guys are not getting the call.

“I realize the stress of getting the call to everybody, especially the far side corner. I feel like ever since I’ve started calling it, we’ve been able to get the call out and get lined up.”

This is the first time Simmons will wear the green dot on his helmet as the defensive play-caller in an NFL regular season game. Simmons, 24, said he understands it will be an added stress hearing Joseph’s voice the entire game, but he’s up for the challenge.

“VJ (Joseph) pulled me aside, and he was like, ‘Everything I say into that mic, I need you tell everybody,'” Simmons said. “And sometimes he talks the entire time. And I’m over there like, ‘Oh my God, are you serious?’ But it’s all for the good. These are important things. I understand if he’s telling it to me, it’s important for everybody.”

The eighth overall selection in the 2020 draft out of Clemson was one of the most impressive athletes in his draft class, running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash and posting a 39-inch vertical jump at 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds during the NFL Scouting Combine.

Last season, the Cardinals finally turned that athleticism into consistent production on the field. Simmons started all 17 games in 2021, totaling 102 combined tackles, including four tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, 1.5 sacks, an interception and seven pass breakups.

Joseph used Simmons all over the field. According to Pro Football Focus, Simmons lined up for 587 snaps in the box as a linebacker, 233 snaps as a defensive lineman, 161 snaps in the slot, 22 snaps at corner and two snaps at free safety.

Joseph hopes a move to the “star” position — a hybrid linebacker/safety role — unlocks even more of Simmons’ potential.

“Isaiah is on the way to becoming a great player,” Joseph said. “He has to keep honing his skills and keep growing his football IQ. … He made a lot of plays — his numbers were off the charts last year. Now, he gave up too many plays in my opinion last year. He knows that. So that’s the next level. To make his plays and not give up plays.”

Joseph plans to use Simmons similarly to how the L.A. Rams use Jalen Ramsey and the L.A. Chargers use Derwin James. Both served as defensive play callers and played the “star” position for their respective defenses in 2021.

Like Simmons, both Ramsey and James are long, versatile athletes.

“A ‘star’ linebacker is a guy that plays a little linebacker, a little safety, a little dime,” Joseph said. “In this scheme it can be a lot of places. … They are ‘star’ players. Big, fast guys who can cover, play halves (half-field safety coverage) and blitz.

“He’s special because he can do things as far as covering. He’s a big man who can tackle. He can run and chase. He can blitz. He can play on the edge. But also, he’s covered guys in the slot like CeeDee Lamb and those guys. And he likes it. That’s different than most linebackers.”

Simmons and the Cardinals will have their hands full stopping Kansas City’s explosive offense, led by Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce. The Cardinals held teams to just 214.4 passing yards a contest last season, No. 7 in the NFL.

However, they lost one of their best pass-rushers in Jones to the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency. Jones finished with 10.5 sacks last season. And last year’s defensive play caller Hicks, second on the team with 116 combined tackles, is now with the Minnesota Vikings.

Simmons believes he can pick up the slack with those veteran players no longer on the roster.

“I kind of feel like I’m back in the position — or working my way back into the position I was at Clemson — which is really a nice thing,” Simmons said. “Just knowing I can be there to help guys, it actually helps me because the more questions they ask me, the more it keeps my mind on the game.

“And thinking about things that could maybe correlate towards a corner, or an end, or an outside linebacker. So just being that guy that people can come up to is very helpful. I still ask Budda (Baker) a million questions every day. Just understanding that I’m the Budda to someone else, just keeps me wanting to help.”

Eric D. Williams is an NFL writer for FOX Sports. He has covered the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter @eric_d_williams.