The Giants have two picks in the first round of the draft this week and many are wondering if the team will take a quarterback with one of
those selections.There’s less uncertainty about where else they might be
looking. The Giants defense wasn’t good enough last season and they’ve parted
ways with safety Landon Collins and defensive end/outside linebacker Olivier
Vernon since the 5-11 campaign came to an end.General Manager Dave Gettleman
made it clear last week that the team is looking for upgrades across the
board.“I have always been a big believer that if you look at the great
defenses
Youth Phil McConkey Jerseys , they have a lead dog in every level,” Gettleman said, via NJ.com. “A legitimate playmaker at every level of their defense. I
said it at the postseason presser and I will say it again, we need some
defensive playmakers.”Gettleman named linebacker Alec Ogletree and new safeties
Antoine Bethea and Jabrill Peppers as current Giants who are lead dogs. Others
may not share that view, but Gettleman’s made it clear he’s not interested in
such opinions as he tries to reverse the trajectory of a team that’s won eight
of their last 32 games. ASHBURN
Phil McConkey Jerseys Stitched , Va. (AP) — Landon Collins wore No. 21 in honor of Sean Taylor. Now he’ll don the same burgundy and gold as his idol.Collins on
Monday agreed to sign a six-year, $84 million deal with the Washington Redskins
that includes $45 million guaranteed. After the New York Giants let Collins walk
rather than pay him $11.2 million with the franchise tag, he’ll make an average
of $14 million per season as one of the highest-paid safeties in football.A
person with knowledge of the agreement confirmed the deal to The Associated
Press on condition of anonymity Monday because it can’t become official until
free agency opens Wednesday. It’s the latest big move by the Redskins after they
agreed last week to acquire quarterback Case Keenum from the Denver
Broncos.Swapping 2020 sixth- and seventh-round picks with Denver to get Keenum
is a low-risk trade to fill the void left by Alex Smith’s career-threatening
injury. Signing Collins is another expensive splash for an organization that has
a reputation for spending big in free agency .Before New York selected him 33rd
overall in the 2015 draft, Collins said he always wanted to play for the
Redskins because of Taylor, the hard-hitting safety who died after being shot at
his home in Florida in 2007.The 25-year-old Collins led the Giants with 96
tackles last season
Youth Mark Bavaro Jerseys , and his 437 since entering the NFL in 2015 are the most among safeties in that time. In 59 career games, Collins had eight interceptions
but none last season.“He is a complete safety,” retired safety Will Blackmon
said on Twitter. “He is a leader, he’s smart, he can cover man or
zone
Mark Bavaro Jerseys Stitched , he has great ball skills, he has really good instincts and most importantly he can tackle extremely well.”Getting Collins fills one of
Washington’s biggest needs on a defense that ranked 17th in the league last
season. The team acquired safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix from Green Bay at the 2018
trade deadline, but he is set to be a free agent. D.J. Swearinger was released
late in the season after repeatedly questioning the coaching staff and was
claimed off waivers by Arizona.There’s also uncertainty about safety Montae
Nicholson, who was arrested in December for assault and battery and missed the
final two games of last season.Collins’ situation is reminiscent of when the
Carolina Panthers let cornerback Josh Norman go by rescinding the franchise tag
after his All-Pro season in 2015. The Redskins then signed him to a $75 million,
five-year contract.Giants general manager Dave Gettleman was then GM of the
Panthers
Color Rush Darius Slayton Jersey , which led Norman on Monday to tweet , “In ‘Gettleman’ WE Trust (All-DBs) securing the” money.The irony is that Norman is
among the players who could be released to save salary-cap space. Releasing
Norman would save the Redskins $8.5 million after three seasons with the
team.
