Former Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons left his New Orleans Saints visit without a deal on Thursday morning, per NFL insider Josina Anderson. So what's next for the black and gold?

Before we can get into that, let's talk more about Simmons. Anderson adds that this was always intended to be a one-day meeting with the Saints, and that Simmons had already booked his flight out of town beforehand. That lines up with what Dennis Allen said after practice on Thursday afternoon. He felt the visit went well, and the team is content to give Simmons space to make a discussion. There's plenty of time left in the hourglass before Week 1 kicks off, even if anxious fans would like to see him signing a contract as soon as possible.

Don't expect the Saints to go looking for another safety. There isn't another one of Simmons' caliber on the free agent market, and this felt more like an opportunistic "just in case" meeting to see if a two-time Pro Bowler would accept a modest contract.

If the Saints were so determined to upgrade the position they could have moved sooner on another veteran like Eddie Jackson or Quandre Diggs, both of whom signed near-minimum deals in recent weeks. Expect Jordan Howden and Johnathan Abram to continue pushing to start next to Tyrann Mathieu. At least until Simmons signs on the dotted line, if that's what he chooses.

But they clearly had some salary cap resources earmarked for a splashy signing like this. Maybe New Orleans is looking to take a swing somewhere else. They already extended Pete Werner's contract but that has little impact on their salary cap accounting (for this year, anyway). They could dive into the market for offensive linemen or add to another position group. Training camp is nearing its midway point with three preseason games lined up in front of them, so the Saints can't afford to be complacent.

Keep an eye out for their next move, but don't rule out Simmons altogether. Just because he's weighing his options doesn't mean he won't end up with New Orleans after all.

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This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Justin Simmons leaves his Saints visit without a deal