I meant that it won’t in adversely affect it, but that might be a fair assessment as well. Though, I fully expect Ballard to draft DL & EDGE at 26 and 34 regardless of what happens in UFA.

So, looking down a list of "best free agents" available in 2019, I was struck by how many young, quality safeties are hitting free agency:

Landon Collins, NYG, 25
Adrian Amos, CHI, 26
Earl Thomas, SEA, 30
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, 26
Lamarcus Joyner, LAR, 28
Clayton Geathers, IND, 27
Tre Boston, ARI, 27

That is Water Football's rankings of the top seven safeties on the open market (with Mike Mitchell at #11 and Matthias Farley at #12 as an RFA). His rankings are not out of line with other rankings that I have seen.

Other that Thomas, all are under 30 and all are talented. If Collins wants too much, I have little doubt that one of the others will be in our price range.

Hooker, Free Agent, Geathers and Farley along with a lower round draft pick (of the ball hawking variety) is a good looking safety position group.

I hope that free agent is Collins but I would be happy with about anyone on that list.

Walk Worthy,

FA safeties have not been getting paid the last few years. I don't know why that position has been devalued but the top 5 highest-paid safeties right now (by annual salary) are

Eric Berry - KC - $13M/year
Reshad Jones - MIA - $12M/year
Kam Chancellor - SEA - $12M/year
Harrison Smith - MIN - $10M/year
Devin McCourty - NE - $9.5M/year

The Colts can afford that type of salary easily. The question is just whether or not they want to.

Yep. I think Collins negotiations start at 5/60/30, with something like 5/65/33 getting it done. I don't know if Ballard wants to go that high, but it does sound like Collins is a good fit culture-wise and in the locker room. This will be an interesting test case to see if Ballard goes harder for certain exceptions.

I have no issue bringing in Collins if Ballard thinks he is an upgrade. Safety isn’t a top need like Puck thinks.n

@RapSheet
The #Giants have now informed S Landon Collins that he won’t be franchise tagged, putting a top player on the free agent market, sources say.

He’s hitting the open market!

If the Colts don’t get him it’ll be because Ballard didn’t want him.

Ebron appears to agree with me:

https://twitter.com/ebron85/status/1...992795138?s=21

when you say not a top need, are you assuming farley and geathers will be back?

One thing to keep in mind is that Eberflus was in the same division as Collins in 2016-2017. Even though Eberflus is scheming against offenses, you have to think he would have a good impression of Collins and whether or not he would be a good fit with what he wants to do.

I disagree with the bold. Collins will be a key target for many teams. Money will be roughly equivalent for several offers, meaning that Collins can pick location, team, and scheme.

He's from Louisiana, so maybe he would prefer a team in the southeast? Maybe he'd like to be in a more attacking-oriented scheme?