HEADLINES

Landon Collins

La Canfora’s Latest: Mathieu, Ravens, Bucs

March 6th, 2019 at 9:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

While the Texans are attempting to retain Tyrann Mathieu, both the Ravens and Buccaneers have “serious interest” in the veteran defensive back, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Baltimore just released fellow safety Eric Weddle on Tuesday, while Tampa Bay has been in need of secondary help for years. Mathieu inked a one-year, $7MM deal with Houston last year, but he’s expected to receive a significant raise on his next contract. Per La Canfora, Mathieu should be able to collect $24MM over the first two years of a new deal.

Here’s more from JLC:

  • Overall, the safety market is not expected to be as depressed as it was a year ago, when Mathieu, Eric Reid, Kenny Vaccaro, Tre Boston, and others were forced to settle for one-year pacts. Earl Thomas will set the market and is asking for $13MM annually, per La Canfora. Meanwhile, former Giants safety Landon Collins — now on the market after New York declined to franchise him — will likely come in below Thomas, and Bears defender Adrian Amos is searching for $9-10MM per year.
  • While there aren’t any clear-cut, No. 1 wideouts available this offseason, slot receivers are aplenty, and they should get paid, says JLC. Golden Tate is looking for $13MM per season, while Adam Humphries may be targeting $10MM annually and has already been deemed too expensive to return to the Buccaneers. Cole Beasley could also get $10MM per year, while John Brown wants $8-9MM per season.
  • Offensive tackle Daryl Williams is expected to reach the open market, and La Canfora reports Williams’ price has already “soared” above where the Panthers are comfortable paying. Both the Bills and Giants are expected to target Williams, and both connections make sense. Buffalo employs former Carolina staffer Brandon Beane as its general manager, while ex-Panthers GM Dave Gettleman is in charge in New York.
  • The Raiders have already been mentioned as a potential suitor for Chargers receiver Tyrell Williams, and the Colts could also join the fray, per La Canfora. Williams is expected to earn more than $12MM per year on his new deal.

Safety Notes: Weddle, Mathieu, Collins

March 5th, 2019 at 7:45pm CST by Sam Robinson

In somewhat of a surprising sequence on Tuesday — some Ravens staffers were surprised by this move, per NFL.com’s Peter Schrager (on Twitter) — Eric Weddle is now a free agent. Although the 34-year-old safety said in January he would retire if he was not part of the 2019 Ravens, he backtracked on that. His stance remains to continue his career, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (on Twitter). On the heels of three Pro Bowl slates in Baltimore, Weddle stands to generate interest as a short-term fix. It will, however, be interesting to see how teams proceed at this position this year — after oddly brushing it aside in 2018. There are far more safeties available this year, giving this the feel of another buyers’ market.

Here is the latest from the safety marketplace:

  • One player whose market may be in better position than it was last year, Tyrann Mathieu will have options. The Texans are trying to re-sign the seventh-year safety, and this process has now produced a preliminary offer, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Mathieu is believed to still want to remain in Houston, Wilson writes, and the parties have been linked to a reunion for months. But with less than a week until the legal tampering period, the 26-year-old defender is a threat to depart.
  • The Ravens already have several veteran contracts in their secondary, helping explain their reasoning to cut Weddle, but Jason La Canfora tweets they may be interested in Mathieu. Tony Jefferson‘s former back-line mate in Arizona, Mathieu would fit Baltimore’s desire for another playmaker at this position, JLC adds.
  • The Giants‘ decision to let Landon Collins hit free agency shocked much of the football-following world, and Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports there will be an extensive market awaiting the three-time Pro Bowler and 2016 All-Pro. The Chiefs, Colts and Redskins profile as potential suitors, per Raanan. This move also may affect future Giants negotiations, reminding of how Dave Gettleman‘s tactics as Carolina’s GM rubbed some Panthers the wrong way, with Raanan adding the team made no serious attempt to discuss a long-term deal with its high-profile safety.
  • New York received multiple offers for Collins prior to last year’s deadline, most notably a third-rounder from the Buccaneers, but Ralph Vacchiano of SNY notes the Giants were holding out for a second-rounder and possibly another late-round pick as well. Now, they will lose the safety for a compensatory pick — possibly a 2020 third-rounder, but that depends on what the Giants do in free agency.
  • Collins hitting the market should prompt the Colts to pursue him, with Joel Erickson of the Indianapolis Star writing the team — which uses a system that values safeties more than most teams — needs a strong safety to pair with Malik Hooker. The Colts engaged in discussions with Clayton Geathers‘ reps at the Combine, but it’s not clear where the sides stand in talks on a Geathers return to Indianapolis. The Colts have already re-signed Mark Glowinski and Margus Hunt, but both players were initially Chris Ballard-era additions. Geathers was a Ryan Grigson second-round pick. The Colts still hold more than $100MM in cap space, putting them in strong position to land Collins if they choose.
  • The 49ers remain in the market for a starting-caliber safety, per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area (on Twitter). With former Seahawks assistant Robert Saleh running their defense, Earl Thomas is a natural fit. But Maiocco notes the team may not be willing to meet a massive asking price. There are, however, plenty of available candidates beyond Thomas to fill this role.

Giants Won’t Franchise Tag Landon Collins

March 5th, 2019 at 11:49am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants will not apply the franchise tag to Landon Collins, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). With that, the Giants are likely set to move on from one of the game’s best young safeties. 

Recently, GM Dave Gettleman expressed doubt about cuffing Collins, but many expected the two sides to patch things up.

“So let’s go to the conversation of eliminating distractions,” Gettleman said. “You tag a guy. He’s mad. And that’s all you guys are going to write about. For six months it’s what it’s going to be. So I have to say to myself, ‘Is it worth it?‘”

Collins clashed with the Giants last year and made it clear that he would not show up for work if he was tagged. Still, the move is perplexing to many in the football world – the Giants need talent in their secondary, yet they are somehow willing to lose out on a three-time Pro Bowler.

Collins, 25, joins a free agent safety group that also includes Earl Thomas, Tyrann Mathieu, Lamarcus Joyner, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Adrian Amos, and Kenny Vaccaro. Last year’s free agent safeties were met with disappointing offers, but it could be a different story this time around given the amount of cap space around the league and the lackluster talent at other positions.

The Buccaneers, Chiefs, and many other teams with safety needs figure to be in on Collins when free agency begins next week.

Giants Unlikely To Tag Landon Collins

March 4th, 2019 at 4:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Landon Collins may reach free agency after all. The Giants are now not expected to apply their franchise tag to the decorated safety, Kim Jones and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com report (via Twitter).

This is a course change from a previous report. The Giants believe in Collins’ talent and long-term viability, but the NFL.com duo adds team brass views the safety tag number ($11.15MM) as too high to make this move.

No significant talks between the Giants and Collins are believed to have occurred, and the fifth-year defender went through a much-publicized locker-cleanout session recently. He now may be a week away from being able to speak to other teams about deals. The NFL’s legal tampering period opens March 11.

Collins just turned 25 and likely will have a robust market awaiting him, despite being in the process of rehabbing a shoulder injury. He is a three-time Pro Bowler who landed on the 2016 All-Pro first team.

The Giants are not flush with cap space, holding $27MM-plus, but have plenty of needs. A Collins defection will create a big one in New York’s secondary, which already has holes. Janoris Jenkins is now expected to stick around — and on his $14.75MM cap number — but the Giants do not have much of note beyond him. This will be an interesting situation, if/once Collins walks.

Giants Notes: Collins, Foles, Manning

February 27th, 2019 at 5:25pm CST by Zachary Links

All signs have been pointing to the Giants using the franchise tag on Landon Collins, but that’s far from a done deal, according to GM Dave Gettleman (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of SNY). The Giants are “still evaluating” whether to use the tag on the safety, so it’s a situation to monitor between now and the March 5 deadline.

“These decisions aren’t made in a vacuum,” said Gettleman when asked about the safety who is less-than-pleased with the notion of the tag. “So many things come into play.”

Collins may or may not have cleaned out his locker earlier this month, but the 25-year-old has already made it clear he doesn’t want to be cuffed by a one-year, $11.2MM tender.

“So let’s go to the conversation of eliminating distractions,” he said. “You tag a guy. He’s mad. And that’s all you guys are going to write about. For six months it’s what it’s going to be. So I have to say to myself, ‘Is it worth it?‘”

While Gettleman mulls that question, here’s more on the G-Men:

Buccaneers Offered Third-Rounder For Landon Collins In 2018

February 24th, 2019 at 7:34pm CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to the 2018 trade deadline, the struggling Giants made multiple deals to collect future draft capital. They dealt Damon Harrison and Eli Apple and received fourth-, fifth- and seventh-round picks in those exchanges.

However, the Buccaneers were willing to give up a better pick for Landon Collins. Near the deadline, Tampa Bay offered a third-round choice for the All-Pro safety, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv reports. The Bucs did not profile as buyers last season but identified Collins as a player they wanted to keep around long-term, rather than a contract-year rental player, per Vacchiano.

While Tampa Bay has a new coaching staff, GM Jason Licht remains in place. He traded a 2018 third-round pick to the Giants for Jason Pierre-Paul. The Bucs could be a Collins suitor in free agency. They are still in need of help at a few spots on defense. After allowing the most passing yards in 2017, the Bucs’ defense yielded the 26th-most in 2018.

However, the Giants may prevent that from happening. They are still expected to place the franchise tag on the three-time Pro Bowler, but an extension may be difficult. A Collins tag would cost the Giants more than $11MM, and with no known negotiations having taken place since he became extension-eligible last year, this could become a reluctant rental situation. If tagged, Collins is pondering a holdout.

Just 25, Collins would stand to pursue a top-end safety pact, with Vacchiano noting this could eclipse $12MM per year and surpass $20MM guaranteed. The Giants have $28MM-plus in cap space — 16th in the league — and needs exist at several spots on Big Blue’s defense.

Giants Still Likely To Franchise Landon Collins

February 21st, 2019 at 9:05pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Despite all the noise surrounding pending free agent safety Landon Collins, the most likely outcome remains him being franchise-tagged by the Giants, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Collins cleared some personal items out of his Giants locker on Wednesday, and at least one report suggested he’s not expecting to return to New York. However, just because the Giants haven’t expressed any interest in extending Collins for the long-term doesn’t mean the club doesn’t want to retain him for at least 2019.

Big Blue can keep Collins around for at least one more season via the franchise tender, which will cost roughly $11.2MM for safeties. Collins, however, has been adamant that he’s not in favor of receiving the tag, and he may even be willing to sit out spring and summer practice sessions in order to prove his point. If the Giants do franchise Collin, they’ll have until July 15 to hammer out an extension.

Collins, a second-round pick in the 2015 draft, has been a full-time starter for the Giants since entering the league. A two-time Pro Bowler, Collins posted 96 tackles, four passes defensed, and a forced fumble in 2018 while grading as the NFL’s 39th-best safety, per Pro Football Focus.

Landon Collins May Hold Out If Franchised

February 20th, 2019 at 5:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Giants safety Landon Collins may or may not have cleaned out his locker earlier today, but the 25-year-old defensive back has already made it clear he doesn’t want to be franchise-tagged this offseason. Indeed, Collins may sit out spring and summer practice sessions if he is franchised, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (link via Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com).

The impact of Collins holding out for a long-term deal isn’t exactly clear. For one, many franchise players refuse participate in spring/summer workouts and practices as a way of expressing their frustration with the franchise tender, but few (Le’Veon Bell aside) actually sit out the season. Second, Collins is facing a four-to-six month recovery period after undergoing December surgery for a torn labrum, so he probably won’t be allowed to be on the field until the summer anyway.

The Giants seemingly have expressed no interest in working out a long-term agreement with Collins (reports as far back as November and as recently as this afternoon suggest as much). Therefore, New York has until March 5 to decide whether it wants to deploy the franchise tag — at a cost of around $11.2MM — on Collins.

Collins, a second-round pick in the 2015 draft, has been a full-time starter for the Giants since entering the league. A two-time Pro Bowler, Collins posted 96 tackles, four passes defensed, and a forced fumble in 2018 while grading as the NFL’s 39th-best safety, per Pro Football Focus.

If he does reach the open market, Collins will be among the most-coveted safeties in a crowded positional field. Among the other safeties scheduled to hit free agency are Earl Thomas, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Lamarcus Joyner, Adrian Amos, Tyrann Mathieu, and Tre Boston.

Giants’ Landon Collins Packs Up Locker?

February 20th, 2019 at 2:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Giants safety Landon Collins cleaned out his locker at the team facility on Wednesday and said his goodbyes to teammates, coaches, and trainers, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com hears (on Twitter). From what sources tell her, it doesn’t seem like Collins expects to be a Giant for much longer. 

Meanwhile, Collins’ locker appears to be full, according to Ralph Vacchiano of SNY (Twitter link), and sources tell him Collins has not been informed of any decision on whether the team plans to franchise tag him. However, Collins personally took to Twitter and seemed to confirm Anderson’s report.

“The stuff in that locker that I have left I do not need 💯,” Collins wrote.

Reading between the lines, it sounds as though Collins is not envisioning a future with the Giants. Still, the ball is really in the Giants’ court. The Giants can keep the safety away from the open market with the franchise tag and attempt to negotiate a long-term deal with him between now and the summer deadline. If no long-term deal is reached and Collins is unwilling to play out the season on the one-year tender, his only real recourse will be to threaten a holdout.

Collins’ 2018 season was cut short by injury and he wound up missing one-quarter of the regular season. All in all, he finished out with 96 tackles, four passes defensed, and a forced fumble.

No Talks Between Giants, Landon Collins

February 19th, 2019 at 1:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants and safety Landon Collins are not currently in active negotiations on a contract extension, sources tell Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). There’s still time for a deal to get done, but it sounds like there’s still a huge gap to bridge when it comes to a new long-term deal. 

It seems likely that the Giants will employ the franchise tag on Collins, which is expected to be worth approximately $11.2MM for safeties. For his part, Collins has expressed a desire to stay in New York. He’d probably like a long-term deal, but there’s no indication that he wouldn’t cooperate with a tag in the interim.

Collins leads all defensive backs in tackles since entering the league in 2015. The former second-round pick has made three Pro Bowls in the last four seasons, putting him in somewhat rarified air.

Collins’ 2018 season was cut short by injury, but he indicated that he would have played through the pain if the Giants were still in the playoff mix down the stretch. All in all, he finished out with 96 tackles, four passes defensed, and a forced fumble. Collins graded out as just the 39th best safety in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus, but he was a top 15 guy in the previous two seasons. When healthy, Collins is clearly among the best young safeties in the league.

Load More Posts