Maybe there’s more to the story than previously thought, but star safety Landon Collins doesn’t seem to be the priority for the New York Giants this offseason. With the franchise tag deadline March 5th, the Giants are cutting it awfully close with Collins, but why?
If Collins wasn’t 100% and thought to return to full health, why wouldn’t the Giants tag him and end the speculation? There must be something more, whether it be about the significance of his injury or not.
What the Giants could be thinking:
It’s possible the team wants to evaluate other safeties at the NFL combine to weigh the option of drafting a player to replace Collins and the $11 million he would be owed if he was tagged.
General manager Dave Gettleman stated at the combine in regard to cap space and the 53-man roster:
“Here’s what everybody has to understand. You’ve got 53 players on your club and you’ve got a salary cap. You don’t have 53 silos. Decisions like this cannot be made in a vacuum.â€
He further said that they were “evaluating” the choice to tag one of their best defenders. With the idea that the Giants need to go into the season with at least $8-10 million in cap space, that theoretically lowers their available sums of money to around $18 million from $28 million.
I anticipate that the team will make more cap-related moves to increase investment opportunity, and it could start with letting Collins walks in free agency. Thanks again Jerry Reese, you half-wit.
The New York Giants need to make salary moves:
Moving forward, players like Olivier Vernon, Janoris Jenkins, and Eli Manning remain on the chopping block or are candidates for cap-savings – this includes lowering the hit, which is most likely for Manning if he wishes to play on a competitive team and stop hoarding money for his great-grandkids’ grandkids.
Depending on how much money the team can save via cap-cuts and deductions, Collins’ future continues to hang in the balance.