Following the NFL Draft and free agency, the rather new position Buffalo Nickel remains a need for the Washington Commanders. The role hasn’t particularly been addressed since the team released veteran safety Landon Collins with a post-June 1 designation.
As he remains available in free agency, momentum has brewed from fans wishfully thinking of Collins returning to the Commanders.
It’s now possible that Collins is also thinking of a reunion. Recently Collins shared a very intriguing post to his Instagram story that may hint to his consideration of playing for the Burgundy and Gold again.
The Commanders expressed its interest to keep Collins after he thrived in 2021 in the linebacker/safety hybrid Buffalo nickel role. However, Washington needed Collins to agree to a contract restructure following the trade for quarterback Carson Wentz and his $28.2 million salary cap hit for 2022.
At the time Collins declined the restructure which essentially would have been a momentary pay cut for the veteran safety. That prompted his post-June 1 release.
But the market for Collins has been quiet. Now there are rumblings that two sides are mutually interested in a reunion between the team and player.
As it stands, linebacker Khakle Hudson and this year’s fourth-round draft pick safety Percy Butler are a pair of candidates to replace Collins in the Buffalo nickel role. The role would be a huge increase for Hudson. Meanwhile, Butler is projected to be more of a special teams contributor this early in his pro career.
It’s safe to assume neither could quite duplicate the success Collins had in the role. He registered 81 tackles, 3.0 sacks, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in 13 games last season. Even if he didn’t like playing it, Collins cannot deny the success he had playing downhill.
Commanders head coach Ron Rivera appears to be under some level of pressure to get the ball rolling in his third year in Washington. If Collins agrees to return on a much cheaper deal, then it may be ideal for both sides to reunite.
