Report: Redskins expected to have interest in free agent safety Landon Collins

The 2019 free agent safety class is a very strong one. The Washington Redskins will look to get involved and they reportedly will have interest in Landon Collins.

The Washington Redskins have a lot of holes they have to address during the 2019 offseason, but none are bigger than the safety position. The team is lacking talent at the position after they cut D.J. Swearinger for insubordination while Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is set to be a free agent.

If Clinton-Dix walks, the team will need two new starters at the position. They have two former fourth-round picks, Montae Nicholson and Troy Apke, on the roster, but trusting either would be a big risk. That’s why it’s comforting that the Redskins at least seem to be interested in adding talent at the safety position.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Redskins are expected to be among the teams that show an interest in former Giants safety Landon Collins. Collins is one of the best tackling box safeties in the league and at just 25, he is just entering his prime. Washington would certainly do well to land him and add him to their squad.

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For Washington, Collins would take over a starting job and would instantly be the best safety on the roster. He would occupy more of a strong safety role, playing in the box quite a bit and being asked to make plays downhill. That would improve the team’s run defense greatly while also adding a player who is more than capable in coverage.

Collins’ potential addition would potentially end up pushing Clinton-Dix off the roster, as signing both may end up being too expensive. However, it wouldn’t preclude them from adding another cheaper safety in free agency in a very deep market. The team could also look to add a potential starter at some point during the 2019 NFL Draft, and this player could compete with Nicholson for the starting job next to Collins.

If the Redskins can find a way to get Collins on their roster, it will be a major win. He is young and provided that he stays healthy, he will almost certainly live up to his contract. Paying him roughly $10 million per year would make sense, and the team could try to give him a deal ranging four or five years. That may be slightly above the expected market value for Collins, but it would be well worth it.

We’ll see if the Redskins end up getting in on the Collins sweepstakes when the legal tampering period opens. For now, the team’s potential interest is duly noted.