New York Giants must retain safety Landon Collins for 2019
The New York Giants need to either franchise tag strong safety Landon Collins or ink him to a long-term contract.
The New York Giants have a very important decision to make in the coming days. Big Blue needs to decide whether to franchise tag strong safety Landon Collins (the deadline is March 5), ink him to a long-term pact or let him walk as a free agent. If Collins leaves, the G-Men may be in line to get a third round compensatory selection in next year’s NFL Draft.
A tough call to make? Not at all. General manager Dave Gettleman must do everything he can to bring Collins back as a member of Big Blue.
The 25-year old Collins is one of the emotional leaders on the Giants, a three-time Pro Bowler and a First-Team All-Pro (2016) during his four-year career with the G-Men. Collins missed the final four games of the 2018 campaign due to a shoulder injury that eventually required surgery.
Despite playing in just 12 contests, the University of Alabama product still led the Giants with 96 tackles, including five for loss.
Collins added four passes defensed, two quarterback hits and one forced fumble. He certainly does not possess excellent cover skills in the secondary but he’s a fierce tackler, strong blitzer, stout against the run and is the quarterback of the defensive backs. His best seasons may even still be ahead of him based on his age and experience. He’s one of the premier safeties in the league when set in the box to thwart the opponent’s ground game.
Hopefully Gettleman can hammer out a long-term deal. If not, the Giants can use the franchise tag, which carries a one-year pact worth $12.37 million against the cap this year, as per nj.com. It’s up to Gettleman to commence negotiations to keep Collins in the fold.
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I would use the franchise tag on Collins. He’s not a good enough cover defensive back – remember the NFL is a pass happy league — to sign to a long-term contract at this point in time. Give him the 2019 season to improve his coverage skills. He still provides prime value for Big Blue though as an inspirational leader, run stopper and blitzer. If he hits the open market, a myriad of teams will be anxious to sign him. He’s too valuable to bid adieu to at this point of his career.