The only silver lining for the New York Giants this season has been the defense, on occasion. Star safety Landon Collins has been good but not his usual great, making his future a bit murky.
There’s no doubt the Giants will look to retain the former second-round pick, but reports of general manager Dave Gettleman shopping him for a second-rounder surely put doubt in the mind of the safety.
What should the Giants do in regard to extending Landon Collins?
Personally, I would hold on to a building block like Collins. Can we blame a stud defender for playing less than his usual self on a 1-7 team that seems to be getting worse with every passing week? It’s a similar situation that Janoris Jenkins is going through. The offense suffers three-and-outs, allowing the opposing offense to control time of possession, which fatigues the players on defense. We have seen far too much of this exact scenario the past two years.
Some might say Collins has fallen off, and I would agree that he hasn’t been as efficient.
#Giants Landon Collins has 15 run stops so far this season which is the 2nd most among safeties. #GiantsPride pic.twitter.com/Ll00lddlgg
— PFF NY Giants (@PFF_Giants) November 8, 2018
But, just because he hasn’t been great, doesn’t mean he hasn’t been productive. Collins ranks 2nd in the league among safeties with 15 run stops, additionally he has a whopping 62 tackles, on pace for over 100 on the year.
When Collins was asked about a potential franchise tag from the team that drafted him, he stated:
“Honestly I don’t want it,” Collins said. “I know what type of player I am … Why would I want to play under a one-year deal? If something happens I’m not guaranteed. And even though I’m guaranteed that for a year, I’m still not guaranteed.”
Collins was not interested in staying with a team that’s rebuilding, and to be quite frank, neither would I. The Giants must make the necessary moves to be competitive in the near future, or some of the better players on the roster might be looking for an out.
My take:
I think that the Giants should sign Collins to a long-term deal, locking him in for a minimum of four years. Front-load his contract to take advantage of a rookie quarterback deal and add young pieces over the course of his contract. By the time his third year comes around the Giants will have the cap-space to continue addressing positions of weakness.