Redskins news: Landon Collins agrees to deal with Washington

Landon Collins' first foray into free agency didn't last long. Barely more than halfway through the first-day suitors are permitted to negotiate with free agents, the former New York Giants safety has reportedly agreed to a record-breaking contract with one of his old team's biggest rivals.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Collins will sign a six-year, $84 million deal with the Washington Redskins.

Sources: Former #Giants star S Landon Collins is signing a 6-year deal for a whopping $84M with the rival #Redskins. Hard to imagine a box safety with this kind of deal after last year’s slow safety market. This moves the market dramatically.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2019

The #Redskins’ deal for Landon Collins is a 6-year deal worth $84M with $45M guaranteed and paid out over the first three years, source said. From the #Giants to their rival.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2019

Reports of Collins' imminent departure from the Giants first surfaced in late February, when he reportedly cleaned out his locker at the team's training facility.

He later posted a farewell message to New York on social media, confirming that the team elected against designating him with the franchise tag, making him a free agent.

The former second-round pick has struggled somewhat to live up to the promise he showed during his first seasons in the league, especially in 2016, when he was named First Team All-Pro as a sophomore.

Still, Collins was immensely productive for the Giants, and his youth, size, and versatility makes him a good fit in almost any defensive system, the Redskins' included. Collins had 96 tackles, five tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and four passes defended in 2018, being named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl.

This signing represents the biggest step toward Washington overhauling its secondary this offseason.

Collins, one of the most versatile players in football, figures to start at safety in one of the spots vacated by former University of Alabama teammate Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, also a free agent.