Landon Collins
Age: 25 Height: 6-0 Weight: 218 Experience: 4 seasons
Potential Suitors: Colts, Chiefs, Cowboys Redskins, Buccaneers, Saints, Giants
Free Agent Profile
Potential Team Perspective
Landon Collins is an impact player at the safety position. A disruptive presence in the run game, Collins is better playing forward than he is backward. In today’s NFL, that leaves something to be desired.
Collins production has tapered off over the last 2 seasons, culminating in arguably his worst season to date in 2018. He recorded 6 interceptions, 22 passes defensed and 4.0 sacks in his first 2 seasons—he has 2 interceptions and 10 passes defensed since.
Potential Player Perspective
Collins is arguably the best run-defending defensive back in the NFL. He leads all defensive backs with 32 run stuffs (run stuff: gain for 0-or-fewer yards) since 2016. He’s 1 of 2 players to lead his team in tackles in each of the last 4 seasons (MIN Eric Kendricks).
Although he is known more as a run stopper, Collins has shown his versatility: he’s the only player in the NFL with 400+ tackles, 10+ QB hits and 30+ passes defensed since entering the NFL in 2015. One of 4 defensive backs to be selected to each of the last 3 Pro Bowls, Collins will look to pace the safety market this March.
Production
– Career: 428 tackles, 8 INT, 32 PD, 4.0 sacks, 22 TFL, 3 FF, 3 FR
– 2018 season: 96 tackles, 4 PD, 5 TFL, 1 FF
Positional Market
Player Comparables: SEA Kam Chancellor, MIA Reshad Jones, MIN Harrison Smith
Leverage
Most players want to be a first-round pick, but Collins’ situation (33rd overall in 2015) offers a silver-lining to those drafted outside the first frame: avoiding the 5th-year option. Had the option been available, the Giants would have surely picked it up. Now, Collins hits free agency a season earlier than he would have if picked one spot earlier.
Salary Floor: $10 million
It’s hard to envision a market where Collins can’t crack the Top 5 safeties in the NFL in terms of average annual value.
Salary Ceiling: $13 million
With multiple bidders, Collins could command top of the market money.
Contract Projection
Team Ideal: 5 years, $52.5 million, $10.5 million AAV, $20 million Full GTD
Player Ideal: 5 years, $65 million, $13 million AAV, $32 million Full GTD
Front Office Football 
Leave a Reply