Kansas City Chiefs: Safeties to target in free agency
By Chris Clark
Landon Collins
The New York Giants chose not to place the franchise tag on Landon Collins last week. This could be good news for Kansas City as he can now be pursued without having to work out some kind of trade. Kansas City now looks to be one of the top landing spots for Collins since his best years in New York were while playing for then-Giants and now-Chiefs defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo.
Collins is one of the better tacklers in the league and would be a dependable piece for Spagnuolo as he establishes himself in Kansas City. The addition of Collins may present some challenges to the group as both he and Eric Berry fit the position in a similar fashion. If he is brought in, the Chiefs may look to make Berry the free safety.
Justin Houston released from #Chiefs. Should free up around $15M in cap space...which could let the team go after Landon Collins.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 10, 2019
One area of caution for Kansas City is that Collins is coming off of an injury-shortened season. A shoulder injury cut last season short for him. Hopefully, the offseason will give him enough time to fully recover from the surgically repaired torn labrum.
The big advantage of signing Collins is that he is young (25) as well as talented. This would give the Chiefs a little bit of time with the former Pro Bowler before his career begins to wind down. With Berry already hitting that part of his career, he may be the best mentor for Collins if the Chiefs are fortunate enough to sign him.