Landon

Collins

Collins will make his season debut in Week 7 after spending the last two weeks getting in shape. The Giants are expected to use Collins in a subpackage role, getting the former All-Pro snaps at linebacker and safety.

Collins is heading to London to join the Giants as they prepare to face the Packers. After visiting with the team earlier in the week, Collins is now set to reunite with the team that made him the 33rd overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft. He spent the last three seasons with the Commanders but was cut back in March after underperforming on a six-year, $84-million deal that he signed back in 2019. Collins struggled mightily in pass coverage last season but has remained a force against the run. He’s expected to start on the Giants’ practice squad, but there’s a chance he could be elevated ahead of Sunday’s game.

Collins will be designated a post-June 1 release. Washington signed Collins to a six-year $84 million deal in 2019. With three years left on his deal, the Commanders were looking to restructure his contract. Collins was due base salaries of $11.5 million, $12.5 million, and $13.5 million in 2022-2024. After tearing his Achilles in Week 7 of 2020, Collins had a rough 2021, grading as Pro Football Focus’ 142nd safety. He was particularly bad in coverage, grading 172nd out of 176 qualifying among safeties. Collins remains a force in the run game and should attract interest from teams looking for a classic in the box strong safety.

Collins reported for voluntary OTAs but isn’t practicing. There’s talk he could see some snaps at linebacker after 2020 seventh-rounder Kamren Curl showed well in his absence last year. That seems unlikely to happen given his lack of offseason reps to this point. Collins, who’s seven months removed from October surgery, expects to be 100 percent for Week 1.

It was the sadly obvious outcome after Collins went down with a non-contact injury in Week 7 against the Cowboys. Playing all over the back end of Washington’s defense, Collins will be difficult to replace for a unit that has punched above its 2020 weight. Seventh-round rookie Kamren Curl is the next man up opposite Deshazor Everett. In the midst of his age-26 campaign, Collins is signed for four more seasons. His release would be cost prohibitive next spring, so he will be back in Washington. Collins should be healthy for Week 1 2021.

Collins suffered what appeared to be a non-contact injury in the second quarter. He was carted off the field into the locker room after undergoing medical treatment on the sideline.

The Redskins are all kinds of banged up in the secondary as well as at wide receiver. The Cowboys are presently 13.5-point favorites.

The Redskins are without their entire starting secondary for their regular season finale. Collins had an up-and-down season, demonstrating better ability to play at the line of scrimmage against the run than as a true middle-of-the-field safety. Overall, he finished the season as PFF’s No. 41 ranked safety among 100 qualified players.

Collins will play against his former team after getting in a full practice Friday. The Redskins inactives are QB Colt McCoy, CB Quinton Dunbar, CB Fabian Moreau, RB Josh Ferguson, LB Josh Harvey-Clemons, C Ross Pierschbacher and TE Caleb Wilson.

Look for Collins to do everything in his power to suit up for this #RevengeGame. Still, he’s another banged up member of an already-meh secondary. No. 1 CB Quinton Dunbar (hamstring) has been ruled out, while the defense will also be without slot CBs Jimmy Moreland (foot, IR) and Fabian Moreau (hamstring, doubtful).