With the future of New York Giants safety Landon Collins still in doubt, Big Blue has to start thinking about a future without its former second-round pick.
The last few days have seen nothing but drama surrounding Collins. A report by ESPN’s Josina Anderson started the buzz when she tweeted that the former All-Pro safety had cleaned out his locker and said goodbye to his teammates, coaches and trainers.
Giants reporters were quick to dispel the report, saying that Collins still had things in his locker at the team’s facility. Collins added to the intrigue by responding with a tweet stating he didn’t need the things left in his locker.
The Giants have until March 5th to place the franchise tag on Collins or else he will become an unrestricted free agent. It wouldn’t make much sense for the front office to let Collins walk, but having a contingency plan in case it does happen certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Here’s a few potential replacements should Collins and the Giants part ways.
Earl Thomas
While Earl Thomas has been strongly linked to the Dallas Cowboys in the past, reports suggest Jerry Jones and company might only be interested in Thomas on the cheap. If that’s the case, Thomas is still very much in play.
Thomas is a former All-Pro, Super Bowl winner and has been graded as one of the best safeties in the NFL, scoring 90 or better in three of his last four seasons, according to Pro Football Focus.
There’s no doubt he wants to be paid, but the reality is Thomas is going to be 30 this season and is coming off a broken tibia that limited him to just four games. He might get a nice chunk of change, but it isn’t likely to come from a long-term deal. Assuming he’s healthy, Thomas would be an immediate, short-term fix for New York.
Adrian Amos Jr.
At just 25 years old, safety Adrian Amos Jr. has become one of the top cover safeties in the NFL and was able to shine on an elite Chicago Bears defense last season. As a result of his youth and talent, Amos has positioned himself for a nice payday in 2019 as one of the premiere players at his position on the open market.
After struggling in coverage to the tune of a 115 or higher passer rating allowed in his first two seasons, Amos has posted in the low 80’s in his last two campaigns. PFF graded Amos as the No. 2 and No. 8 safety in the NFL in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
With coverage being Collins’ biggest weakness, the Giants could improve on that problem with the signing of Amos. The former fifth-round pick would also give Big Blue some security at the position for years to come, however that security will come with a fairly hefty price tag.
If the Giants were to keep Collins and find a way to add Amos, perhaps it would solve their long-standing problems at the position.
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
Not only would signing safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix fill a need for the Giants, he would also be a significant loss for an NFC East rival, the Washington Redskins. Clinton-Dix was traded from the Green Bay Packers to Washington midseason in what was one of his best years in the NFL.
The 26-year-old received a career-high PFF grade (79.3), landing him as the No. 17 safety. Clinton-Dix totaled three picks, six passes defensed, two forced fumbles (one recovered) and 92 total tackles (80 solo), with 65 of those coming in just nine games with the Redskins.
Clinton-Dix won’t turn 27 until December, so there’s a worthy investment to be made in the former Packer. If the Giants are looking for a more reasonably-priced solution to their problem at safety in free agency, Clinton-Dix qualifies as such.
