Commanders make Landon Collins a cap casualty after Carson Wentz trade

The Washington Commanders‘ acquisition of Carson Wentz was always going to be followed by cap-saving maneuvers.

By taking on Wentz’s full salary for 2022, the Commanders’ previous surplus of cap space disappeared. Before Wednesday, the team flaunted over $33 million in cap space. After the trade, that sum dropped to $5.9 million.

With the legal tampering period just days away, Washington is forced to scramble to create enough wiggle room to make signings. While fans hoped it wouldn’t result in any player getting released, the writing was kind of on the wall for Landon Collins the second the terms of the trade were finalized.

For the former All-Pro safety, it was either cooperate in having his contract restructured or get the axe. On Thursday morning, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported the two sides could not agree to a restructured contract.

As a result, Collins is expected to be released.

The Commanders are expected to release Landon Collins.

It’s worth pondering if Washington was going to cut Collins regardless of which quarterback they acquired this offseason. With a bloated contract, lengthy injury history and being forced out of a full-time safety role due to his limitations in coverage, it’s likely Collins was going to bite the bullet anyway.

According to OverTheCap, releasing Collins will save the Commanders $6.48 million against the cap. They’ll also have to swallow $9.6 million in dead money, but desperate times call for desperate measures and Washington was backed into a corner with Collins’ contract after they traded for Wentz.

After making three Pro Bowls in four years with the Giants, Washington’s previous regime gave Collins a six-yer $84 million deal in free agency back in 2019. The contract made him the highest-earning safety in the NFL and made him the first safety in league history to pocket $14 million on a per year basis.

We like to think the Commanders would’ve been happy to keep Collins given the potential he flashed as a box linebacker last season. His $16.082 million cap hit for 2022 made that impossible, however.

Having just turned 28 in January and boasting elite instincts as a run defender and pass rusher, Collins should have no trouble finding a new home in free agency now that his contract is no longer a concern.

It didn’t work out the way he would have hoped in Washington, but Collins has plenty of good football ahead of him. For all of his frustrating tendencies, we wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors.