Getty Landon Collins has been mentioned as a good fit for the Bears.
The Chicago Bears seem set at safety, particularly after drafting rookie Jaquan Brisker out of Penn State in the second round.
With the goal for Brisker to play down in the box, the Bears’ other starting safety, Eddie Jackson, will be allowed to return to roam at free safety, where he thrived during his All-Pro campaign in 2018.
Behind Jackson and Brisker, the Bears added free agent Dane Cruikshank and re-signed veteran DeAndre Houston-Carson to a one-year contract. There’s also rookie Elijah Hicks, A.J Thomas and Michael Joseph battling for a spot on the roster, so safety is currently one of the deeper positions for Chicago.
That’s not stopping one analyst from naming the Bears a top fit for Landon Collins, one of the top remaining free agents still available.
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Collins Would Give Bears 3-Safety Option
Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report thinks adding Collins could give the Bears, who will be switching to a 4-3 defense under new head coach Matt Eberflus, an opportunity to play with three safeties, which is becoming more popular in the NFL.
Versatile safeties can play underneath zones while also jamming the run like linebackers, and Wharton thinks Collins would be an ideal third option to play that role in Chicago, naming the Bears a top fit.
“Collins is at his best as a downhill safety who operates more like a linebacker,” Wharton wrote on June 24. “He’s not good in man coverage, but as the NFL has embraced three-safety looks more, Collins has enjoyed a resurgence in potential value over the last two years. There aren’t many roster openings left, so he may need to be a super-sub-package weapon.”
Wharton doesn’t think the Bears being in a rebuilding year matters, either.
“Only 28 years old, Collins should draw interest from a number of franchises. Rebuilding teams could get one of his finest seasons yet in 2022 and retain him. Playoff contenders could surely use his upside in a depth role,” he wrote.
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Would Collins Be a Good Fit for Chicago?
Collins is coming off a solid year with the Washington Commanders in which he started 13 games, racking up 81 total tackles (seven for loss), two QB hits, two interceptions, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and 3.0 sacks (stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference).
A three-time Pro Bowler, the 6-foot, 218-pound safety was drafted 33rd overall by the New York Giants in 2015. A first-team All-Pro selection in 2016, Collins has spent the last three years in Washington, where injuries hampered him a bit.
His injury history is a tad concerning. He fractured his forearm in Week 16 of the 2017 season and suffered a partially torn rotator cuff against the Bears Week 13 in 2018. After remaining healthy in 2019, he tore his Achilles seven games into the 2020 season, and he also spent some time on injured reserve last year with a foot injury, missing four games. The Commanders chose to eat $8 million in dead cap space after paying him $31 million guaranteed and move on, as their defense is getting younger.
Would Chicago be a realistic landing spot for Collins? Not after the addition of Brisker, and Houston-Carson, who will be entering his seventh year with the Bears, is the same age as Collins but far cheaper. DHC isn’t as good as Collins, but he’s an underrated role player who can step in and be a starter if needed. Considering Chicago’s needs elsewhere (O-line, LB, wideout), there’s no reason to add another safety to the mix — even one with the pedigree of Collins.
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Bears Named Best Landing Spot for All-Pro Defender