Free Agency 2019: Safeties

February 12, 2019

by Steve Thomas

It’s only week two of the long offseason, but never fear: we have lots of neat-o things coming up and tons of sweet, wonderful football to talk about for the next several months.  As I said last week when I reviewed the 2019 class of free agent tight ends (read it here), as currently configured the Redskins will have about $20M in free cap space.  That’s not a ton of dough to spend, but it is enough for the team to bring in some quality players, particularly if the front office decides to create more space by making a few key cuts.  It’s therefore worthwhile to take a look at all of the free agents who will be available once signing season starts in a few weeks.

This week, for no particular reason other than the luck of a hypothetical role of the dice and a quick glance at the Redskins’ list of needs, we’re going to study the safety group.  The Redskins’ current list of true, real safeties who are on the roster, available, and healthy is as follows: Deshazor Everett. Troy Apke is also still here, but he’s coming off injured reserve, so who knows how healthy he is; plus, while he may end up being a quality player, he still has a ways to go before he should get on the field in a non-special teams situation.  Not that a few of the corners couldn’t play safety in a pinch, but as far as guys who actually have “(S)” behind their names, that’s it.  Montae Nicholson is a safety, but his status was put into serious doubt by his decision to drunkenly beat down some other drunken lout in the middle of the night on the mean streets of Ashburn back in December.  The team immediately thereafter placed Nicholson on the Reserve/Non-Football Injury list while he awaits an almost sure to come suspension from the NFL’s front office.  We don’t know either how long it will take the NFL to finish its investigation of the incident, or how many games he’ll get, but it’s a safe bet that he’ll spend more than one on the bench.  Therefore, the safety group is at a pretty critical shortage right now, which makes it highly likely that Washington will invest some of that valuable cap space in a veteran safety or two.  As was also the case last week, I have automatically eliminated every player age 30 or older because I don’t believe that a team in the Redskins’ position – meaning, a mediocre team that theoretically wants to build into a contender – should be signing players that age.  They probably will, but they shouldn’t.  The good news is that this is an outstanding crop of young players, so let’s get on with the analysis.

The top of the heap

1.  Landon Collins, 6’0” / 218, Giants, age 25. If you’re getting excited about this possibility, stop. Collins, a strong safety who was first pick of round two of the 2015 draft by the Giants out of Alabama, was a first team All-Pro selection in 2016 and is a three-time Pro Bowler.  He’s been the most important player on the Giants defense.  Collins is certainly one of the very top free agents entering the market despite tearing his labrum late in the 2018 season (he is expected to be ready for training camp).  He’s been a tackling machine since his entry into the NFL, with 428 total tackles, including 321 solo tackles.  He’s never had less than 96 tackles in a season in his career.  If by some miracle Collins should become a Redskin, he’d instantly become the best safety – whether free or strong – since Sean Taylor, and the most accomplished defensive player on the roster not named Ryan Kerrigan.  He’d dramatically change Washington’s entire defensive capability, and the front office should definitely make every effort to bring him to DC.  However, the Giants are no doubt desperate to keep Collins, and it’s entirely possible, even likely, that they use the franchise tag on him if they don’t reach an agreement on a long-term contract extension.  Should qthe Giants be foolish and let Collins get to free agency, he’s probably going to command a contract that makes him the highest-paid safety in the game with more than $30M guaranteed dollars and a total value in the $65M range over 5 years.  But, again, it’s almost inconceivable to think that the Giants let him leave New York, so don’t get your hopes up.

The second tier

2. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix / 6’1”, 208, Redskins, age 26. Some of you may think this is crazy, but assuming Collins (a strong safety) doesn’t reach the open market, Clinton-Dix (a free safety) is probably the next best option for the Redskins. Clinton-Dix was a 2014 first round pick of the Green Bay Packers from the University of Alabama.  He was 2016 Pro Bowl selection.  Clinton-Dix had a total of 93 tackles last year between his time with the Packers and the Redskins.  There’s no doubt that he took a fairly significant amount of time to get acclimated in Washington after his trade on October 30, but the truth is that he was playing fairly well by the end of the season.  More importantly, he knows the Redskins and was certainly the most talented safety on the roster last year.  As I said, the Redskins are desperate for safeties right now, and he’s the best realistic option.  My guess is that Clinton-Dix’s starting point for contract talks will be in the 5 year, $60M range and that he’ll end up getting less than that.  There will likely be competition for his services, so at a minimum, if the Redskins sign him, it’s going to take far more than the 3 year, $13.5M contract the Redskins gave noted headcase D.J. Swearinger, who was run out of three previous stops and is objectively less accomplished than Clinton-Dix.

3. Lamarcus Joyner, 5’8” / 190, Rams age 28. Joyner, a versatile if undersized player, was a 2014 second round pick by the Rams from Florida St. He’s spent his entire career with the Rams and is coming off a one year, $11.287M franchise tag season. Joyner has been a productive, valuable member of the Rams’ teams, with 305 total tackles in his career, culminating with 78 tackles during the run to the Super Bowl last year.  The Rams almost certainly want to keep Joyner in Los Angeles, but if he reaches the open market, there’ll be plenty of competition for his services.  His asking price is going to be in the same general neighborhood as Clinton-Dix, if not more.

4. Adrian Amos, 6’0” / 214, Bears, age 25. Amos is a 2015 fifth round pick from Penn St. Known as a free safety, he was a day one starter for the Bears, having played in 60 games in four seasons, starting 56, with 269 total tackles, including 230 solo.  He had a productive 2018, with 73 total tackles.  The Bears are believed to want to keep Amos around but are less than enthralled with his contract demands.  Amos is a step down from Clinton-Dix and Joyner, for sure, but nonetheless is a solid starter who would be a quality addition to the Redskins’ defense.  The rumor is that Amos’ starting point for contract negotiations is in the 4 year, $40M range.

5. Tyrann Mathieu, 5’9” / 190, Texans, age 26. Mathieu was 2013 third round pick by the Cardinals out of LSU. Mathieu had a troubled career at LSU as a result of a serious drug problem that resulted in his being kicked out of the program (snarky aside: does everyone realize how much wrong you have to do in order to get kicked out of a morality-deficient program like LSU?).  At the time, I was pretty convinced that Mathieu’s drug addiction would result in an aborted NFL career.  To his immense credit, he beat his drug problems, turned his life around and largely fulfilled his potential.  I’m glad I was wrong about him.  From an on-the-field perspective, Mathieu was a 1st Team All Pro and Pro Bowler in 2015.  He’s played 82 of 96 games in his 6 year career, starting 73.  He’s had 394 total tackles, including 351 solo, with 89 combined tackles in 2018.  Mathieu signed a 5 year, $62.5M contract with the Cardinals prior to the 2016 season but was released prior to the 2018 season after he refused to restructure his contract.  He then took a one year contract with the Texans worth $7M.  Mathieu has publicly sung the praises of the Texans organization, commenting on how much the organization embraced him.  He definitely wants to return, and the Texans apparently want him back, so it’s unlikely that he hits free agency.  There’s no doubt that given his past Mathieu is the type who needs a quality support system around him, so if the Redskins think they can provide that, he’d be a good option.  Given his production, Mathieu is worth a multi-year deal in the range of $8M – $10M per year.

Other potential prospects  

6. Adrian Phillips, 5’11’’ / 210, Chargers, age 26. 2014 UDFA out of the University of Texas. Spent his entire career with the Chargers. Played 57 games, starting 19. Broke out in 2018, earning First team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors despite only starting 7 games. 94 tackles in 2018.  Doesn’t have the history of performance to command the same level of contract as Clinton-Dix, Joiner, and the others, but is a solid player who will be get offers.

7. Kenny Vaccaro, 6’0” / 214, Titans, age 28 on Feb 15. 2013 first round pick by the Saints from the University of Texas. Day one starter who played 81 gams in his 6 year career.  Played 2018 on a one year, $1.5M deal, making 58 tackles, including 41 solo. Drug of abuse suspension in 2016.  Saints let him walk after playing 2017 on the fifth year option.

8. Curtis Riley, 6’0” / 190, Giants, age 26. 2015 UDFA signed by the Giants out of Fresno St. Played 27 games, starting 16 after he became the starting free safety opposite All-World Landon Collins.  75 combined tackles, including 63 solo, in 2018. Signing Riley to a modest multi-year deal would simultaneously hurt the Giants and bring in a young player on the rise.

9. Tre Boston, 6’1” / 205, Cardinals, age 26. 4th round pick in 2014 by the Panthers out of North Carolina. Played in 72 games, starting 44, with 262 career tackles. Spent 2018 as the Cardinals’ starting strong safety, with 79 tackles.

10. Clayton Geathers, 6’2” / 220, Colts, age 26. 4th round pick in 2015 by the Colts from Central Florida. Played in 41 games, starting 24, including 12 of 12 games played in 2018 as strong safety.  183 career tackles with 137 solo tackles.

11. Anthony Harris, 6’1” / 202, Vikings, age 27. 2015 UDFA out of the University of Virginia. Played 51 games in 4 years for the Vikings, starting 17, with 108 career tackles. Played 15 games with 9 starts in 2018.

12. George Iloka, 6’4” / 225, Vikings, age 28. A 5th round pick in 2012 out of Boise St. by the Bengals. Played 2018 on a min salary one year deal after being released by Cincinnati in training camp. Played 99 games, starting 79, with 362 career tackles, but only started 3 games and made just 16 tackles in Minnesota in 2018.

13. Briean Boddy-Calhoun, 5’9” / 193, Browns, age 26. 2016 UDFA signed by the Jaguars out of the University of Minnesota. Waived by the Jaguars at the start of the 2016 season and was picked up by the Browns, where he has stayed ever since.  Played 22 games, starting 3, with 132 tackles. Had a productive 2018, with 56 tackles.

This list is just the starting point – there are a slew of other, less well-known safeties who will also be free agents (or RFA / ERFAs) this offseason.  The safety market was stagnant last year, with essentially no safeties getting big long-term deals.  This will very likely change this offseason given some of the talent that is available.  Landon Collins is probably nothing more than a pipe dream for the Redskins, but they desperately need to sign a starting-quality safety, and they probably need to draft one as well.  It may surprise some, but given the list of available players, Clinton-Dix makes the most sense as long as his contract demands aren’t totally outrageous.

Do you have any thoughts on what the Redskins should do with their safety group?  Let me know in the comment section.