On March 16, the Washington Commanders released starting Buffalo Nickel hybrid LB/S Landon Collins.
Collins upon being asked to restructure his contract a second time with Washington, declined the terms, determining to risk being an unrestricted free agent.
Now, four full months have passed, and Collins has yet to sign a deal with an NFL franchise. The Commanders begin their 2022 training camp Tuesday, July 26. Surely Collins has had some official offers. Yet, might it be that Collins and his agent feel the former Alabama All-American safety deserves a higher salary than he has been offered in these four months?
Washington had traded for Indianapolis quarterback Carson Wentz. In taking on his salary and a $28,295,176 cap hit in 2022, Washington apparently approached Collins asking if he would be willing to reduce his salary a second time.
In one sense, it was understandable Washington would go to an overpaid player, asking him to take a second reduction. However, on the other side of the coin, Collins, had already agreed once to a reduction. They could have asked someone else to take their first salary reduction. It would be understandable if Collins was insulted by the second reduction being requested.
As he’s done since OTA’s LB Isaiah Simmons has been training with the DB’s all off-season, here he’s training with DB specialist Ryan Clark, Landon Collins, and teammates Budda Baker and Deionte Thompson. Maybe we’ll see a more versatile role from him this season
Via @D1_Zoo IG pic.twitter.com/AmiTzOFmrh— CardinalsUpdate (@updatecardinals) July 19, 2022
As it stands right now, according to Over the Cap, Collins will count $3,825,000 for this 2022 season in dead cap space. Even more, he will cost Washington $5,025,000 in dead cap space in 2023.
Collins (28) was drafted in 2015 by the New York Giants, playing four seasons (2015-18) for the NFC East rival. Collins then signed with Washington in the 2019 offseason. He was paid $15,825,000 in cash (2019), $16,000,000 (2020) and $13,000,000 in 2021.