“I was a restricted free agent that year,” Simoneau said. “I was assuming I was just going to sign my restricted tender and play out that year and then become a free agent. But I was excited. In Atlanta, I think I had a chance to start maybe seven or eight games and play a lot of nickel and that sort of thing. I was just looking forward to the opportunity to compete for a starting job.
“The main thing going into that situation was learning the defense. It was a pretty complicated scheme. There’s a lot of checks and tons of different blitzes.