Nick Collins Situation

[pbmax]

Picks from losing a RFA are applied to this year's upcoming draft, correct?

Yes.

[RashanGary]

Collins was 2nd team all pro this year and a probowler again. Of the top safeties, Collins is the youngest.

I still think he's top 5. Physically, he's top 1 or 2. Playmaking, he's top 2 or 3. Consistency is where he lacks so he drops out of that elite discussion (Reed, Polamalu). He's in that next tier down from elite. Legit starting probowl, 2nd team all pro. That's top 5. Only a handful of others played at that level the last 2 years and Collins is still on the rise.

I'd say you underrate Collins.

[red]

Collins was 2nd team all pro this year and a probowler again. Of the top safeties, Collins is the youngest.

I still think he's top 5. Physically, he's top 1 or 2. Playmaking, he's top 2 or 3. Consistency is where he lacks so he drops out of that elite discussion (Reed, Polamalu). He's in that next tier down from elite. Legit starting probowl, 2nd team all pro. That's top 5. Only a handful of others played at that level the last 2 years and Collins is still on the rise.

I'd say you underrate Collins.

disagree, i'd say top 10 but no higher

last year he finally started to pick the ball off, and he has a great ability to run back every int for a td

other then the td's, imo, he isn't anything special. he's not bad at anything (like sharper is) but he's not special either

if someone gives up a first and third, i'd be happy and hope we get a decent safety someplace else.

if nobody else wants him and we keep him, i'd be happy too

[The Leaper]

Unlike the draft order, these high round tenders sure do create a huge advantage for the good teams in the league.

Yeah...but aren't the highest finishing teams from last year limited on signing free agents? This year, it's kind of moot.

[red]

Unlike the draft order, these high round tenders sure do create a huge advantage for the good teams in the league.

Yeah...but aren't the highest finishing teams from last year limited on signing free agents? This year, it's kind of moot.

i think that just counts for unrestricted free agents, not restricted FA's

[RashanGary]

Wow, 10th best. . Doesn't even belong in the probowl, let alone starting or 2nd team all pro. Players and coahces, and media members have him vastly overrated.

[red]

Wow, 10th best. . Doesn't even belong in the probowl, let alone starting or 2nd team all pro. Players and coahces, and media members have him vastly overrated.

yes, IMO

flashy int's returned for TD's = highlights

highlights = pro bowls

other then the td's what does he do that makes him special?

darren sharper made the pro bowl too, and he just did what he always does. make the big play 5% of the time and be a below average safety the rest of the time. thats exactly why it was time for him to leave green bay, thats why the queens dumped him, and if i'm not mistaken its why the saints just let him walk

now i don't think collins is as bad as sharper, but take away the big returns and you're left with a pretty decent safety, but not special

[Brandon494]

but he does makes those INT which makes him a special player.

Please name five FS you rank above Nick Collins

[Bretsky]

I think I'd put Collins in the 4-7 range; honestly there are not a tremendous number of great safeties right now. It's hard to name five that are better.

The argument to be made if you say top ten.....is that Collins should be bunched in and considered about even with about the second tier of safeties....or a group of 5-8.

But it'd be hard to name five you'd rather have then Collins.

[Gunakor]

other then the td's what does he do that makes him special?

13 INT's over the past 2 seasons. 2nd amongst safeties in INT's both years (tied for 2nd overall in 2008). That's not a fluke, that's a trend. I'd say that makes him special. Maybe not HOF quality, but special nonetheless.

[Bretsky]

Wow, 10th best. . Doesn't even belong in the probowl, let alone starting or 2nd team all pro. Players and coahces, and media members have him vastly overrated.

yes, IMO

flashy int's returned for TD's = highlights

highlights = pro bowls

other then the td's what does he do that makes him special?

darren sharper made the pro bowl too, and he just did what he always does. make the big play 5% of the time and be a below average safety the rest of the time. thats exactly why it was time for him to leave green bay, thats why the queens dumped him, and if i'm not mistaken its why the saints just let him walk

now i don't think collins is as bad as sharper, but take away the big returns and you're left with a pretty decent safety, but not special

Sharper, overall, is a SOLID safety !! You got your FFL draft scouts giving you safety info ?

Maybe Watching Collins play next to Atari's game has cause me to have an inflated view of Collins but I still find it hard to name five that are better

[Gunakor]

I can't think of 5 better free safeties than Collins either. Brian Dawkins is comparable, Kerry Rhodes, Michael Griffin and Brandon Meriweather are a shade below. Ed Reed is certainly better, but it seems like he's always injured nowadays. Beyond that I can't think of any other FS worth having this discussion about.

[steve823]

I can't think of 5 better free safeties than Collins either. Brian Dawkins is comparable, Kerry Rhodes, Michael Griffin and Brandon Meriweather are a shade below. Ed Reed is certainly better, but it seems like he's always injured nowadays. Beyond that I can't think of any other FS worth having this discussion about.

Antoine Bethea and Mike Griffin are both good free safeties too, but I agree with your point. Not many safeties can compare with Collins. He may not be an elite player, but he is still one of the top safeties.

[RashanGary]

Sharper, overall, is a SOLID safety !! You got your FFL draft scouts giving you safety info ?

Agreed. Especially the years he had in Minnesota. He left here, seemed to get himself in the best shape of his career and hand 3 or 4 outstanding years for them.

The number of interceptions he got, how long he played, the SB ring. . . He's had an outstanding NFL career.

His career is just about over, but it's been a great one. I don't think he's as good as Reed or Polamalu but all we see of Reed and Polamalu are highlights anyway. Maybe we watch a few games. I think the standard that safeties never get beat is just as foolish as CB's never getting beat or QB's never making bad throws. These guys are on the best stage. The way we're judging our safeties around here, especially Collins and Sharper, shit, it just seems down-right ridiculous.

[RashanGary]

As far as Collins goes, he's one of the best ball hawks in the NFL. He's the fastest safety in the NFL. He's one of the surest tacklers.


Ed Reed - 32
Dawkins - 36
Sharper - 34

Troy Polamalu - 28
Adrian Wilson - 30
Brandon Merriweather - 26
Nick Collins - 26
Antrel Rolle - 27
Bob Sanders - 27
Antoine Bethea - 25
Chris Hope -29


Polamalu is the gold standard right now. Reed was, but is getting older. I guess you could make the case for Collins anywhere between 3 and 10. He's not as accomplished as some of the older players but he's been more effective the last two years than any of them, including Polamalu.

Because of his young age, incredible athleticism, elite tackling ability, health and nose for the ball, I feel comfortable putting him in the top 5. I can see, if you're a hater and want to show up for the free agency period (the one time of year when the Thompson haters have over 2% of the Packer posting volume, so think they are making sense to anyone but themselves), it would be easy to dismiss what Collins does on top of all the other good things that are happening in Green Bay.