3 free agent safeties the Redskins should consider signing in 2019
Safety. Giants. Landon Collins. 1. player. 31.
Landon Collins is easily the best free agent option that is likely to hit the open market this Spring. The former Alabama product is just 25 and is one the best safeties in the league. He should command a large price tag on the free agent market, and the Redskins should strongly consider paying for his services.
Collins has been a strong tackler ever since coming into the league. He has never logged less than 96 tackles in a season, and even that number came across just 12 games this past season. He has averaged 7.25 tackles per game over 59 career contests, and it’s clear that adding him would do a lot to improve the team in run support.
In addition to his run stopping prowess, Collins has solid coverage skills in the secondary. In his best season, 2016, Collins logged five picks and 13 pass defenses while proving to be a true playmaker in the back end. He has good instincts in coverage and while he can be beaten by tight ends at times, his strong play in all aspects will make him coveted on the free agent market.
However, Collins is coming off shoulder surgery that sidelined him for the last month of the Giants’ season. That shouldn’t be a major concern, as he will have ample time to recover before the start of the 2019 season, but it’s something to keep an eye on. In his four-year career, Collins has missed just five total games, so health isn’t a concern.
Collins could step into a starting role in the Redskins’ defensive backfield right away, and he would instantly be the best safety on the team. This move would also weaken the Giants, so it would be an additional plus, and potentially reuniting Collins and Clinton-Dix at safety would give the team’s defense a lot of hope in the backfield.
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In our offseason simulation, we handed Collins a five-year, $45 million deal. That’s the type of contract it will likely take to land him, though his recent injury could drop that number a bit. If the Redskins go after one high-budget free agent this offseason, it should be Collins, as he could have a massive impact on their secondary for years to come.