Report: Giants unlikely to franchise tag Landon Collins

The Indianapolis Colts might catch a break in free agency as the New York Giants are reportedly unlikely to franchise tag safety Landon Collins.

Initial thoughts were that the Giants were going to apply the tag to Collins to keep other teams from making glamourous offers, but it appears that price is too high for the Giants’ liking, and the star safety is trending toward becoming a free agent when the new league year begins, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The #Giants are viewed as unlikely to franchise tag safety Landon Collins, sources tell @KimJonesSports and me. They love the player but view the tag number as too high. If this holds, he’s expected to be free.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 4, 2019

Collins is expected to be one of the highly sought-after free agents if available when the new league year begins. With so many players being franchise tagged on Monday, the Colts appear to have a chance to make a play for the former All-Pro.

Collins would be a solid fit for the Colts as his skill set complements Malik Hooker wonderfully. The 25-year-old can play a deep-half while also working as a box safety near the line of scrimmage.

With the most salary cap space in the NFL, Collins could become the biggest free agent Chris Ballard signs since he became general manager in 2017.