Three-time Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins is set to hit free agency, with
the news on Tuesday that the Giants won't franchise tag him in 2019.
And a couple Lions are already trying to lure Collins to Detroit.
It started on Monday with Damon Harrison, who played with Collins for two and a half seasons in New York. Sensing that the Giants were prepared to let Collins walk, Harrison gestured for his former teammate to
come on over here.
Hey @TheHumble_21 pic.twitter.com/VSgFh5H0qc
— Damon Harrison Sr. (@snacks)
March 4, 2019 Collins got a kick out of it.
pic.twitter.com/wAZdOvDxuT
— Damon Harrison Sr. (@snacks)
March 4, 2019 The recruitment continued on Tuesday, after Collins formally acknowledged the end of his time with the Giants. This time it was Devon Kennard, another of his former teammates in New York.
Time for you to join ya boys in that Honolulu blue fam!
— DK (@DevonKennard)
March 5, 2019 Perhaps the most notable recruiter is Quandre Diggs, considering he and Collins play the same position. If that means a potential competition for playing time, Diggs doesn't care.
He's all-in on Collins to the Lions.
Let my brother walk on right to Detroit! You know who you are!
— Nino (@qdiggs6)
March 4, 2019 ---- https://t.co/agecxteWUE
— Nino (@qdiggs6)
March 5, 2019 Diggs even intervened on former Lions tight end Eric Ebron's attempt to recruit Collins to the Colts. Of course, Ebron had a reply -- one that might ruffle a few feathers in Detroit.
Man chill out he wearing Detroit blue! https://t.co/z29ZT0MQZE
— Nino (@qdiggs6)
March 5, 2019 Nobody wanna do that Patriot way bull- #COLTure ----
— Eric Ebron (@Ebron85)
March 5, 2019 Clearly, there's a strong appetite in the Lions locker room for the team to make a play on Collins in free agency, which formally begins March 13. (Teams can come to informal agreements with players as early as March 11.)
And the Lions figure to be pretty interested, with GM Bob Quinn in search of more playmakers on defense. In 59 career games, Collins has eight interceptions, 32 passes defended and well over 400 tackles. He's one of the hardest-hitting safeties in the NFL.
Then 25-year-old will likely command over $10 million per year, but the Lions have ample cap space to work with.
