(poll) So what do we do with SS Landon Collins?

[aceinthehouse]

I've been thinking about this a little bit. Surely, Kam Curl has taken over the starting SS role, right?

He's a 7th Rd steal & our own developed player & cheap.

But Landon Collins is injured & our starting SS. So we have some tough decisions to make regarding his future here, don't we?

Landon isn't so great in coverage, but very good around the line of scrimmage. Wouldn't he make the transition to LBer pretty useful for us, since we lack the talent there?

He's probably got the size to be able to handle that, but I wanted to hear from you guys.

[turtle28]

Move him to WLB. We’ve been going back and forth on this in the Kam Curl Thread. Most people think we should cut Collins. He will be making $17 mil next year coming off an achillies injury and trying to learn a new position.

Personally, I think they should move him to WLB but, I’m not sure they will, I wouldn’t be surprised if Ron cuts him outright or asks Collins to restructure his contract at the least bc that $17 mil cap number is way too high for a player who isn’t an All-Pro, will be coming off a serious injury and learning a new position.

Edited January 1, 2021 by turtle28

[Jeezy Fanatic]

Does he still model his game off Sean Taylor? Give him a big money extension 

[turtle28]

Just now, Jeezy Fanatic said:

Does he still model his game off Sean Taylor? Give him a big money extension 

[PARROTHEAD]

Trade. Highest bidder/Anything useful. If someone has a backup guard that could start here. Pull the trigger. Just make him gone.

[taylor made]

Can anyone name me a successful SS to LB conversion besides Mark Barron?

[Umbaugh21]

I only trade him if someone is willing to give a 3rd or 4th. If not I keep him at least one more season to play WLB or for 3 safety formations or even just depth. 

Edited January 1, 2021 by Umbaugh21

[Vladimir L]

Landon tackling abikity worry me but give him a look at lb but still I wouldnt garantee him a job

[ovfd55]

Well we can't/won't trade him before draft we would lose money  on the deal and no on is going to take on the last 3 years of his deal.

Most Likely outcome is we make him a post june 1 cut and save 8 mil.

He could restructure but think he'll want to stay SS and go elsewhere.

Would be interested to see him and Curl on the field together as it could help cuase confusion as the both could alternate between SS and nickel LBer

[turtle28]

34 minutes ago, taylor made said:

Can anyone name me a successful SS to LB conversion besides Mark Barron?

Thomas Davis & Shaq Thompson were both college safeties. What do they have in common?

Edited January 1, 2021 by turtle28

[taylor made]

4 minutes ago, turtle28 said:

Thomas Davis & Shaq Thompson were both college safeties. What do they have in common?

Right, they were young college prospects. Can you name me a pro safety that has converted to linebacker? This isn't like a old corner-back switching to safety. It's not as easy as you are making it out to be.

[turtle28]

12 minutes ago, ovfd55 said:

Well we can't/won't trade him before draft we would lose money on the deal and no one is going to take on the last 3 years of his deal.

Most Likely outcome is we make him a post june 1 cut and save 8 mil.

He could restructure but think he'll want to stay SS and go elsewhere.

Would be interested to see him and Curl on the field together as it could help cause confusion as the both could alternate between SS and nickel LBer

I agree with a lot of this. I would like to see the bolded but what you said in the second paragraph is likely. Although, if we’re going to keep Collins until June, we might as well just hold onto him for another season plus bc by the time June comes it’s unlikely we sign a FA that will replace his abilities on the team.

I think most likely a restructure will happen to lower his $17 mil cap hit this year and he’ll play WLB. Collins doesn’t strike me as a guy who will care where he plays on a defense, just that he’s in a position to make plays and help the team. I think WLB is the best position for both of those things to happen.

[turtle28]

1 minute ago, taylor made said:

Right, they were young college prospects. Can you name me a pro safety that has converted to linebacker? This isn't like a old corner-back switching to safety. It's not as easy as you are making it out to be.

The way I see it is that Collins already plays more like a linebacker than a safety, that’s the only reason I say it’s a possibility. 
 

I agree it’s not something that happens often but, I think it’s possible. I get that you don’t but it’s not like we are going to settle our disagreement here until it happens or it doesn’t.

[ripsean21]

19 minutes ago, taylor made said:

Right, they were young college prospects. Can you name me a pro safety that has converted to linebacker? This isn't like a old corner-back switching to safety. It's not as easy as you are making it out to be.

But his game where he’s been effective this season was when he was at LB and Curl had Nicole or SS responsibilities. And we still had him play SS with Curl on saftey blitzes and we can keep doing that. But this year it was obvious he belonged on the LB level.

[e16bball]

I think they need to find a way to get him and Curl on the field together. Whether that’s Curl at FS and Collins at SS, or Curl at SS and Collins at WLB (or just nickel LB in a frequently used Cobra type package), I’m just not sure. 

My uncertainty is more due to Curl than anything. Obviously, he’s been very good in the SS role. Not as good, we should probably make clear, as Collins was with NYG, and very similar to Collins with us last season — but better than Collins was this season. All of that is per PFF at least, and that does match with what I’ve seen. 2019 Collins and 2020 Curl were very similar, Collins more effective against the run and Curl of course making more plays in coverage. But can he do more? The guy was a single high safety at times in college, and he actually started out as a CB. With an offseason to work at the position, maybe he could play FS? Hell, Deshazor Everett and Jeremy Reaves have been doing it, and there’s no way they’re better equipped for the position than Curl.

So the question is, can you find a way to deploy those two together or do you have to go outside the organization to find a true FS this offseason and move Collins to a nickel LB position? I think we’d really hope it would be the former, for asset allocation purposes, and because Collins has been a really good SS in this league. Excellent, really, and he’s only 27 at the start of next season. The goal should be to get him back to that level. He’s way overpaid, and those who panned the signing have been proven quite correct (in large part because of how easily replaceable he proved to be, with a 7th round pick stepping in to do the job). But he’s still here, and he can still be an impact player. 

Edited January 1, 2021 by e16bball