A late addition to camp, Simmons is likely here to allow others to recuperate
The Buffalo Bills under general manager Brandon Beane have been a team that builds depth along the offensive line. They consistently look to shuffle the back end of the line, as they often look for players with some (or all) of the following traits: positional versatility, starting experience, extreme athleticism, or youth with upside. Some players fit the Buffalo mold more than others, but that’s the general gist of what they’re seeking in reserve linemen.
So when the Bills signed another player once training camp had already begun, it wasn’t much of a surprise. Typically, our “90 players in 90 days” series is a misnomer anyway, as the Bills are constantly adding and shuffling new faces. Some of the players we profile don’t even make it to August with the team (sorry, Malik Williams, we hardly knew you), but sometimes the Bills find a diamond in the rough while shuffling their roster.
Today’s profile is of Buffalo’s newest offensive lineman.
Name: Jordan Simmons
Number: 61
Position: G
Height/Weight: 6’3” 339 lbs.
Age: 28 (29 on 7/15/2023)
Experience/Draft: 5; signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent following the 2017 NFL Draft
College: USC
Acquired: Signed with Bills on 7/25/2022)
Financial situation (per Spotrac): Simmons signed a one-year deal worth a total of $965,000, which is also his cap hit for the season. Spotrac doesn’t list any guaranteed money in the deal, but as a vested veteran, if he makes the roster and is with the team for Week One, then his full base salary becomes fully guaranteed.
2021 Recap: Simmons spent the offseason with the Seattle Seahawks, which is where he played from 2018-2020. He was released by Seattle on August 31 as a part of final roster cuts, but he signed with the Seahawks’ practice squad on September 6. On September 15, the Raiders signed him to their active roster from Seattle’s practice squad. He appeared in five games with the Raiders, playing a total of 31 snaps on offense and nine snaps on special teams. In Week Eleven, he played 21 snaps on offense against the Cincinnati Bengals, allowing one sack in the game.
Positional outlook: Simmons joins a versatile group of guards, one that isn’t completely healthy at the moment. Ryan Bates, Cody Ford, Jacob Capra, Greg Van Roten, Greg Mancz, and David Quessenberry are the listed guards who are participating in training camp. Ike Boettger is still rehabbing an Achilles’ tendon tear, while Rodger Saffold is limited by a rib injury suffered in a car accident right before camp began. Tommy Doyle is listed as a tackle, but he’s kicked inside to play guard this summer, too.
2022 Offseason: Simmons is healthy and participating in training camp.
2022 Season outlook: Barring something crazy, Simmons is most likely a body to substitute for Saffold as he returns to full health. Simmons has started nine games in his career, but he isn’t someone who is markedly better than what the team has among its reserves at present. He is a mammoth individual, but the Bills have players in front of him who are just better. He’s someone to watch as a practice squad candidate later on, however, as the Bills love to keep offensive linemen who know the system close at hand.
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