New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman’s decision to not franchise tag All-Pro safety Landon Collins isn’t being taken lightly.
On Tuesday, the New York Giants made the tough decision to not franchise tag safety Landon Collins.
Big Blue comes equipped with only $27 million in cap space. Franchise tagging Collins would cost around $11.2 million and they need around $8-10 million for rookies and in-season emergencies. The Giants’ front office felt that they couldn’t comfortably retain Collins from a financial standpoint.
Making these types of decisions comes with being an NFL general manager. Taking the heat that may coincide with these decisions is also part of the job. Giants GM Dave Gettleman knows that and is experiencing it as you read this.
Writers, analysts and fans across the league don’t see this as a good decision at all by Gettleman. And to be honest, they have a good reason to feel this way.
Collins is a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro. Having been drafted out of Alabama in 2015, Collins has essentially been the “defensive quarterback” of the Giants since the 2016 season.
Now, Collins will walk. He’ll sign with a new organization once he officially becomes an unrestricted free agent on March 13.
Again, people aren’t happy about this and are letting Gettleman have it.
The back page: Dave Gettleman has a plan. He has to have a plan, right? https://t.co/wT0mK5sSzH pic.twitter.com/PhHoPUNqIc
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) March 6, 2019
So the Giants are letting Collins walk, want to trade Odell but are cool with the aging QB? Did I get that right?
— Geoff Schwartz (@geoffschwartz) March 5, 2019
Landon Collins is 25 years old, has made three Pro Bowls and been a first-team All-Pro. The locker room loves him. The fan base loves him. For the team that drafted him to let him walk when they can hold him in place for $11.15M is just a brutally bad decision.
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) March 5, 2019
I do agree; it’s not a great decision letting the heart and soul of your defense walk. But then again, as many people like to reiterate time and time again, the NFL is a business. Sometimes these decisions come down to money and how much it’ll eventually cost to retain a highly-talented asset such as Collins.
The only opinion I have a problem with is Geoff Schwartz‘s. Comparing the Collins’ situation with the Eli Manning situation is a tough look. The two are unrelated.
Teams can absolutely replace a safety, but can they replace a franchise quarterback, regardless of age? Are you going to draft a rookie quarterback and start him right away without the mentoring that Manning could bring? It can’t be done.
