Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive
POMONA, N.Y. - Landon Collins spent the first four years of his NFL career in Giants blue, dreaming of staying in that uniform forever.
Less than three months after joining the Redskins, though, all those warm, fuzzy feelings for the Giants are gone.
"Honestly, I feel more of a Redskin now after going through OTAs, being there for a while, hanging out with them and having a great time," Collins said. "I feel like I'm at home.
"So yeah, I don't feel like I bleed blue anymore."
That's something the 25-year-old Collins never thought he'd say, but that's his new reality after the Giants declined to offer him a contract and he signed a six-year, $84 million contract with the Redskins instead. He said his appearance Saturday night at the third and probably final, Landon Collins Celebrity Softball Classic at Palisades Credit Union Park felt like a chance to say goodbye to Giants fans.
But his heart already said goodbye to the Giants - so much so that he long ago circled his two games against the Giants (Sept. 29 in New York and Dec. 22 in Washington) on his calendar.
"You saw the bulls-eye shirt that Joe (Ruback, a.k.a. License Plate Guy) made me," Collins said. "It's just like that. For the next six years. Yes. It's just like that."
There's no doubt Collins has painted a target on the Giants' back, though most of his ire in recent weeks has been directed at GM Dave Gettleman - the man who made the decision to let Collins walk away. Collins made it clear that he feels no ill will towards his teammates or most others in the organization.
That includes Giants co-owner John Mara, who made sure to call Collins after he signed his Redskins deal.
"The first thing he said was 'I wish things had worked out. I wish you the best,'" Collins said. "He's happy for me and he congratulated me. It was all love."
That, though, is where the Giants love ends. Collins is happy being on the other end of what promises to be a very intense rivalry in future years. The Redskins have several ex-Giants on their roster, including tackle Ereck Flowers and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. They also have quarterback Dwayne Haskins, who many thought the Giants were going to draft before they instead used the sixth overall pick on Daniel Jones.
"Oh man, it's going to be crazy," Collins said. "We got guys that they let go. They didn't draft the guy that everyone wanted them to draft. It happens. They felt like their way is a different way and the best way for them. So more power to them. But I can say from the get-go, I appreciate Daniel Jones coming out here [to Collins' softball game], but I feel like we got the best quarterback in the draft."
Collins also believes the Redskins got one of the best safeties in the league when they signed him, and he believes he has a chance to prove it because of the way the Redskins plan to use him.
"I feel like they know my value and how they'll use me in their defense," he said. "I don't feel like I was used correctly within the defense that I was in. They're letting me do what (former Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo) did - basically letting me roam and do my thing."