3 easy cuts that can save Commanders $15 million in cap space

1. Landon Collins

If it isn’t already, Collins’ future figures to be a hot topic of conversation this offseason. In a vacuum, the Commanders have to decide whether his 2021 form as a box linebacker can be replicated and carried out over a full season or if it was a revelation and his maddening tendencies will return.

It previously wouldn’t be this cut and dry, as Collins’ albatross of a contract was virtually unmovable. In fact, his dead chap charges over the first three years ranged from $26 million, to $28 million and $26.3 million.

This year, though, it’s an entirely different story. With the guaranteed portion of his contract frontloaded, Collins comes with just $9.6 million in dead money for 2022 and cutting him would salvage just over $6 million in cap space.

With Cole Holcomb and (potentially) Jamin Davis expected to be the starting off-ball linebackers, Collins all of a sudden becomes superfluous. Of course, that’ll hinge on whether Davis, who was moved to OLB near the end of the season after he struggled to acclimate himself to the MLB role, adjusts accordingly.

There’s a lot of variables to consider, clearly, but it’s impossible to look at Collins’ contract and not point out that he could get cut this offseason.

We’ll know soon enough.