Isaiah Simmons has played out of position with the Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals should use Isaiah Simmons in the “dollar” linebacker role that two of their former players made famous.

Ever since Isaiah Simmons arrived back in 2020, the former Clemson University superstar has been used improperly by the Arizona Cardinals defense.

The eighth-overall pick of any NFL Draft should be logging significant playing time for the team that selected him. But far too often, Simmons has been benched by the Cards coaching staff in crucial situations.

It appears that the Cardinals have been unable to pinpoint what the right position would be for the ultra-talented Simmons. There is a spot, however, that two of the organization’s former players had an impact at during their time in the desert. A specialty role that Simmons would likely find success at in the same way that Adrian Wilson and Deone Bucannon were able to as members of the Arizona defensive unit.

Isaiah Simmons can thrive as a “dollar” linebacker with the Arizona Cardinals

The “dollar” linebacker is a position that was custom-made for a particular type of defender. It’s a spot that was invented for an individual that is too big to be a safety, but at the same time, is too small to be a traditional linebacker. Basically, it could best be described as a safety who plays a lot closer to the line of scrimmage than a normal performer at that position would.

Both Wilson and Bucannon were quite productive for the Redbirds in that role. Wilson recorded 100-plus tackles in back-to-back campaigns (2004 to 2005) for the club, and he registered 93, 84, and 88 stops in three additional seasons as well. Bucannon totaled 83,112, 91, and 82 tackles during his first four years (2014-17) with the Cardinals franchise.

Simmons has sort of been the “Swiss Army Knife” of the Arizona defense, having been used at a variety of positions by coordinator Vance Joseph. That has to be a bit confusing for a 23-year-old who is trying to make his mark in the National Football League.

Keeping Simmons at one spot, and allowing the youngster to excel at one particular post, sounds like a good plan. Perhaps a brand-new version of the “dollar” linebacker would be beneficial for both Simmons and the Cards going forward.