Top five linebackers for Redskins to target in 2020 free agency
player. 47. . Linebacker. New England Patriots. Jamie Collins. 5
If the Redskins want a linebacker that can make splash plays and create turnovers, Jamie Collins may well be their man.
There was a time last season when Collins was legitimately in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year. His return to the Patriots defense really helped improve the squad on that side of the ball and he enjoyed his best season last year.
Collins, a hyper-athletic linebacker, uses his excellent speed to make big-time plays on the defensive side of the ball. Last season, he had 81 tackles, seven sacks, three interceptions, seven pass defenses, and three forced fumbles for the Patriots. He was on the right end of numerous game-changing plays and that’s what led him to be in that DPOY conversation.
Washington Commanders
Things haven’t always gone well for Collins, especially outside of New England. He was dealt away from the team and to the Cleveland Browns in his contract year of 2016 after freelancing a bit too much on the field to try to make too many splash plays. He had an up-and-down tenure in Cleveland but enjoyed a solid final season before being cut and returning to the Patriots.
The Redskins would have to make a decision about whether pursuing Collins would actually be best for the squad. He’s obviously talented, but he’s going to turn 31 during the 2020 campaign and given his lack of overall success outside of New England, it would be a risk to bring him in.
That said, it’s also possible that Collins would find a role as an outside linebacker in Jack Del Rio‘s defense and become an all-around playmaker for the squad like he was for the Patriots. If the team is confident enough in his ability to do that, he could end up being a nice signing on a three-year deal. And he would certainly live up to expectations on that contract provided that his athletic ability doesn’t regress too early.
Collins has a lot of positives, but the minor concerns coupled with his age places him behind a handful of other linebacker options that the team could choose to target in free agency.