Landon Collins' departure from the New York Giants became all but official earlier this week, when the team told the three-time Pro Bowler it would not place the franchise tag on him, leading Collins to post a farewell message to teammates, coaches, and fans on social media the following morning.

Come March 11, when teams are allowed to begin negotiating contracts with free-agent targets, no one would be surprised if Collins is one of the first big names to sign elsewhere this offseason. According to one plugged-in NFL analyst, though, the Giants had a golden opportunity to trade Collins last season rather than let him walk in free agency.

On a recent episode of the Stick to Football podcast, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller noted that at least one team offered a first-round pick in exchange for Collins before the 2018 trade deadline. This news come as a surprise given prior reporting indicated interested teams didn't meet the asking price of Giants general manager Dave Gettleman, which was apparently a 2019 second-round pick and future later-round selection. New York made Collins available last season in the midst of trading standout defensive tackle Damon Harrison and cornerback Eli Apple, a 2016 first-rounder, as the team stumbled to a 1-7 record out of the gate.

Collins, 25, is arguably the top available safety on the board. The position is stacked with experienced, available talent in free agency, including former Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas, former Baltimore Ravens safety Eric Weddle, and former Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu.