Banged-up Pro Bowler Collins says he won’t sit out
EAST RUTHERFORD » Landon Collins has started all 46 games of his pro football career, a feat only more impressive when you consider he has been dealing with a nagging ankle sprain since Week 5.
The Giants’ already have 18 players on injured reserve, thirdmost in the league. Collins understands why there is talk of him joining that list with two games left in the Giants’ disastrous 2-11 season, but he doesn’t agree.
“That’s the correct answer, but that’s not going to be my answer,” Collins said Wednesday. “That’s not built in me. I’m definitely going to give my other guys some reps at the position, but I’m definitely not in the mindset to shut it down.”
Collins, who was voted this week as a starting strong safety in the Pro Bowl for the second straight year, admitted he “wasn’t 100 percent at all” in Sunday’s 34-29 loss to the Eagles. Listed as doubtful for the game, Collins started but departed during the second quarter and did not return.
Collins also aggravated the injury during the fourth quarter of the Giants’ Week 14 game against the Cowboys.
“Just know my limitations. Know how far I can push it,” he said. “I think last week my only thing was I couldn’t put too much pressure on it, I couldn’t hold the line of scrimmage if I got a blocked, I couldn’t hold him off. That’s one of my limitations I have to know so I can be able to get off a block and make a play. And doing so with that, just knowing my limitations and giving my ankle and my body a rest and giving my other guys a chance to go out there and play.”
Collins was officially listed as a non-participant in Wednesday’s practice, but for now, the Giants are letting him play through his health issues.
“He’s still hopeful,” interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “We’ll see. We got to be careful.”
The third-year player out of Alabama leads the Giants with 77 total tackles. He also has one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and six passes defended through 14 games.
Collins will be the only Giant represented at the Pro Bowl. Damon Harrison was listed as the fourth “alternate” defensive tackle, despite the reigning firstteam All-Pro leading all interior linemen in tackles and continuing to be one of the league’s top run stuffers.
“I just think he’s one of the premier inside, interior linemen in this league,” Spagnuolo said. “I don’t get my eyes on all of the other d-linemen, so I don’t want to pass judgement on that because I’m certainly looking at more offenses than I am defense. But I’d be hard pressed to say that there’s many that do as many things as he does for us.”
INCREASED REPS FOR WEBB
As of now, rookie quarterback Davis Webb won’t be active for either of the Giants’ two remaining games this season (at Arizona, vs. Washington), Spagnuolo said.
But the interim coach said Webb received six of the eight reps during Wednesday’s team period featuring the firstteam offense versus the first-team defense. Eli Manning normally takes all of those snaps.
“We’re amping him up a little bit,” Spagnuolo said. “He’s always preparing like he’s going to be (the backup) or maybe even play in the games. So the preparation is the same, but we just wanted to make sure we got him some reps on the field.”
Pressed if there is a chance Webb could finally be active next Sunday, Spagnuolo said, “We’ll see. We’ll see. There’s always a chance.”
GETTLEMAN INTERVIEWS FOR GM JOB
Dave Gettleman, who was the Giants’ pro personnel director from 1999-2011, interviewed Wednesday for the team’s general manager position.
According to a team release, Gettleman met with team president John Mara, chairman Steve Tisch and former GM/consultant Ernie Accorsi.
Gettleman, 66, was Carolina’s GM from 2013-17. The Panthers went 40-23-1, won three consecutive NFC South titles and advanced to Super Bowl 50 during that time.
On Monday, vice president of player evaluation Marc Ross was the first candidate interviewed.
Kevin Abrams has been the Giants’ interim GM since the team fired Jerry Reese on Dec. 4 after 11 seasons.