The New Orleans Saints are bringing in safety Justin Simmons for a free agent visit on Wednesday. Safety, along with wide receiver, was a position that many felt the Saints would add players to the room over the summer, but the team opted to stick with the players already in the building -- at least to this point.

Simmons was a name some expected the Saints to pursue after June 1, as it wouldn't count against compensatory picks in the 2025 draft. Two months later, he would be a late splash to bring to the team during free agency. Adding Simmons would be building on top of a strength. It would also completely solidify the back end of the defense with an experienced starter next to Tyrann Mathieu.

But what's interesting is what else the Saints have to offer, besides the promise of playing-time and meeting contract demands. Their coaching staff are hardly strangers to Simmons. His old Denver Broncos position coach Joe Woods worked with him for the 2015 and 2016 seasons before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2017; he held the post again in 2018, and currently owns the same title in New Orleans. Woods also helped scout Simmons when he was turning pro out of Boston College in 2016, so this relationship is pretty well-established.

When Woods was promoted, he hired Marcus Robertson to coach the defensive backs in 2017 and 2018. Robertson is the Saints' current defensive backs coach, too. So two of Simmons' former position coaches who he saw every day in meetings are part of the team pitching him on New Orleans (Woods and Robertson were each hired in 2023). No wonder he's interested.

Familiar faces. Ample opportunity. Presumably, a serious contract offer. We'll see whether the Saints check enough boxes for Simmons or if he'll continue to evaluate his options, but that sure sounds like a compelling case.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Justin Simmons is hardly a stranger to Saints' coaching staff