Last summer, there was no question the 2021 season would be Landon Collins’ last in Washington. Coming off an Achilles’ injury, Collins was due to count almost $17 million against Washington’s salary cap. More importantly, it was his final season of guaranteed money on the six-year deal he signed in 2019.
Washington fans couldn’t wait to get rid of Collins early in the season. Playing his traditional position of safety, Collins struggled badly in coverage. Finally, around the Week 5 or Week 6 mark, head coach Ron Rivera and his staff approached Collins about tweaking his role, playing more of a linebacker role closer to the line of scrimmage. The change would allow Collins to play to his strengths while limiting his coverage time.
Collins accepted the role, and suddenly, he was playing much better, and so was Washington’s defense.
Outside of defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, Collins was arguably Washington’s second-best defensive player in the second half of 2021.
Now, the Commanders face a big decision with Collins. Do they cut him and save around $6.5 million in cap space, or keep him at his current cap number of $11.5 million?
Collins’ situation led Adam Rank of NFL.com to suggest him as one of five big names who should be traded this offseason.
The market might be pretty tepid right now for the three-time Pro Bowler, considering teams could just wait a minute and see if Washington outright releases him (which wouldn’t be too surprising). Collins was terrible for most of last season before coordinator Jack Del Rio moved him to a hybrid linebacker position that allowed him to play closer to the line of scrimmage. The 28-year-old has missed games due to injury in each of the last two seasons, but he could provide a boost to a defense in need of talent and experience.
Rank nailed it in his first sentence. I don’t think there will be a market for Collins through a trade. Now, if Washington released him, he’d have options as he wouldn’t be tied to his current contract.
But if you’re Rivera, why not approach the veteran defender about a contract restructure? Collins will not see another contract like he signed with Washington in 2019. He is coming off his best season in years and seems like he likes being in D.C.
If Collins is unwilling to restructure his deal, then you can see the team wanting to move on from him.