The Packers Must Figure Out Exactly What They Have In Isaiah Simmons

Although Isaiah Simmons was an intriguing addition because of his sheer athleticism, the Green Bay Packers' decision to sign him earlier in the offseason has not gone according to plan. Simmons’ progress has trended in the wrong direction, to the point where it’s fairly easy to make a case that he won’t be on the final 53-man roster.

So, what should the Packers do with the former first-round pick?

At his previous two stops in Phoenix and New York, Simmons bopped around from one position to another. The Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants tasked him with being a Swiss Army knife of sorts.

When he landed with the Packers this offseason, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley had a plan

Hafley ended by saying in July that Simmons was in a good spot. However, it hasn't gone well for Simmons since then, especially in two preseason affairs. His coverage skills are lagging, and the game appears to be moving at a breakneck pace as Simmons tries to diagnose what's happening in front of him.

What should the Packers do?

They could choose to ride it out and hope that things will start to fall into place for Simmons. However, with just one exhibition game left and limited training camp time remaining, that belief could dwindle rapidly. Green Bay can't afford to run this out on a trial basis in the regular season just to see how it goes.

Hafley and Co. need to figure out exactly what they have and where they're at with Simmons as an inside linebacker.

Although it's not typical to flip a player's position at this stage, it's not entirely impossible that the Packers could still love Simmons' athletic profile enough to try him out somewhere else. If he continues to struggle at inside linebacker, but they still see something, why not try him on the edge and just have him get after the quarterback? The injury to rookie Barryn Sorrell, which was serious enough that head coach Matt LaFleur said Sorrell will miss some time, could open up an opportunity for Simmons.

Green Bay probably won't take that route. Still, a pivot of some sort could be in the works if they aren't getting results from continuing to focus on inside linebacker.

The final option is outright releasing Simmons, which can't be ruled out.

Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper are your starters at inside linebacker. Isaiah McDuffie was re-signed for a reason. Ty'Ron Hopper has shown flashes this summer and was drafted a year ago. Kristian Welch has made a case for a roster spot and is a value piece on special teams.

Releasing Simmons wouldn't be stunning. Still, with how highly the Packers spoke of Simmons after the signing, they may not want to throw in the towel just yet.

Hafley said, He's a great teammate, he brings great energy, obviously he has great physical tools. Our job is to develop him within our scheme and maximize what he can do.”

As a last resort option, if Green Bay is really hellbent on keeping Simmons in the fold, they could shuffle him over to special teams and use that as the reasoning for why he made the roster. It would give him a defined role and, through practice, the Packers could continue to see if he improves at inside linebacker, or they could explore other avenues.

Simmons could be a dream on special teams for Rich Bisaccia, and there wouldn't be much pressure for him to have a prominent role at inside linebacker, which would allow him more time to try and get comfortable at the position. His athletic profile may just be too tempting for the Packers to cut him before the start of the season. The clock continues to tick, though, and there isn't much time to see if he will finally start to put the puzzle pieces together at inside linebacker.

The Packers still have options, given Simmons’s flexibility to play different positions. The Packers had hoped that having Simmons focus on one position would solve the riddle, but so far that hasn’t worked out. They may now have no choice but to try something new if they want to reserve a roster spot for him.