[NFL] Giants are going to release Collins

[Steffan]

I don't agree with this. The Giants should keep Collins around so Manning can learn from Collins.

Collins refuses to renegotiate in order to stay

NEW YORK -- With Eli Manning in town, Kerry Collins is ready to leave.

Collins, who took the New York Giants to the 2001 Super Bowl, said his goodbyes Monday after five years with the team. While the quarterback wasn't officially released, Collins and the Giants said that would almost surely happen in the next few days.

General manager Ernie Accorsi confirmed to ESPN's Chris Mortensen that he had met on Monday morning with Collins, the Giants' quarterback for the last five seasons. Accorsi did not rule out releasing Collins, 31, but maintained in his interview with Mortensen that Collins was not told he'd be cut within the week, which is being reported by Newsday.

Collins' future with the team came into question after the Giants acquired the rights for Manning in a trade with the Chargers, who made the Mississippi quarterback the first pick in last weekend's draft.

Manning's salary makes it almost impossible for the team to have cap room for two highly paid quarterbacks. Collins will earn $7 million next season but will cost $8.95 million of the $80.6 million salary cap.

Collins attended a meeting and the team's offseason conditioning program Monday morning, at which time he was asked to meet with Accorsi in his office. Collins said he would not renegotiate his contract, and then left Giants Stadium around 10 a.m., according to Newsday's report.

"I figured there was no reason to hang around," Collins told The Associated Press.

Accorsi said there were two reasons the Giants had yet to make the release official. He hadn't discussed it with new coach Tom Coughlin and the team's owners, and there was always the possibility another team would seek to trade for Collins. But he conceded making a deal was remote because of Collins' high salary.

Accorsi also denied he suggested the quarterback take a pay cut, as Collins asserted.

"He may have misunderstood," Accorsi said, adding that the restructuring would have involved turning some of the salary into a signing bonus and adding "voidable years" that Collins would almost surely opt out of.

Another factor: Collins' impression that new coach Tom Coughlin seemed ready to make Manning the starter almost immediately.

"Ernie told me that he felt Eli was one of the three or four best college quarterbacks he's seen in the last 20 years," Collins said. "Someone like Elway or Marino. Someone like that."

Collins was the first draft pick ever of the Carolina Panthers in 1995 and quarterbacked them to the NFC championship game in their second season in the league.

But two years later, plagued by problems with alcohol, he walked into the office of coach Dom Capers and said he had to quit. The Panthers released him and he was picked up for the rest of the season by New Orleans.

The Giants signed him in 1999, and they helped rehabilitate his life and career. He started seven games that season. The next, Collins led them to the NFC championship, throwing for 381 yards and five touchdowns in a 41-0 win over Minnesota in the conference title game.

In the Super Bowl two weeks later, he was 15-of-39 for 112 yards with four interceptions in a 34-7 loss to Baltimore. That contrast typifies Collins -- he is among the best in the game when protected, but limited by a lack of mobility and vulnerable to pressure.

Still, he started 67 straight games before spraining his ankle last season, when the Giants' horrible offensive line was the main factor in their 4-12 finish.

That finish put them in position to have a shot at Manning because it gave them the fourth overall pick in the draft. That position allowed them to put together a package to get the latest member of football's first family of quarterbacks. Manning had been taken first by San Diego, a team for which he had said he would not play.

"I feel it personally because I invested a lot in bringing Kerry here," Accorsi said. "But that's football. It's a business and ultimately you have to make decisions that can be painful."

Collins said he realized being released this late would make it difficult for him to land a starting job elsewhere.

"Most teams have their quarterbacks in place by this spot," he said.

One possibility could be Baltimore where Jim Fassel, the Giants coach during Collins' tenure in New York, is a consultant working with quarterbacks. Second-year man Kyle Boller has been designated as the Ravens' starter, but there is no one on the roster with anything close to Collins' starting experience.

Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1790040

[Toxikk Veteran]

I don't agree with this.  The Giants should keep Collins around so Manning can learn from Collins.

Collins refuses to renegotiate in order to stay

pfft.

that makes no sense. maybe they want to, but it says right there in bold that he doesnt want to stay.

i mean hell... the giants must have some nice drugs to think that this kid is going to come in and own everything.

i hope he breaks his leg off and cant play.

just to laugh at the giants for getting rid of so much for him.

collins does seem pretty negative though.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

in a strange way i dont really think you can blame collins though, i mean it is somewhat a slap in the face more or less...

however i do agree Toxikk, the giants must indeed have some good ass drugs to think this manning kid is going to make a difference right away...

i was listening to mike and the mad dog today on the fan (yeah i listen to am radio LOL) and when they went over all of the numbers for first year quarterbacks (such as payton manning (only 3 wins for season), elway, marino, etc.). it was amazing what the stats were. the odds truly are not in eli's favor that he will have any impact at all this year, and more than likely the next 3 to 4 years...

however being a lifelong fan on the giants, i cant help but feel they did need some kind of drastic change, so who knows what will happen as a result of this acquisition...

[Toxikk Veteran]

but still... 3 draft picks and rivers!

talk about good hallucinogens.

[....]

pfft.

that makes no sense. maybe they want to, but it says right there in bold that he doesnt want to stay.

i mean hell... the giants must have some nice drugs to think that this kid is going to come in and own everything.

i hope he breaks his leg off and cant play.

just to laugh at the giants for getting rid of so much for him.

collins does seem pretty negative though.

No kidding. Putting a rookie as starting QB in New York with no mentor? Eli's going to have to depend on his mediocre skills and he will surely fail.

I love it.

[The Prodigal Father]

they're giving up Kerry Collins for the name on the back of Eli's jersey, archie set it up, but i also thing that san diego got a good end of the deal. either way, kerry collins should find a new home pretty soon.l

[....]

they're giving up Kerry Collins for the name on the back of Eli's jersey, archie set it up, but i also thing that san diego got a good end of the deal. either way, kerry collins should find a new home pretty soon.l

San Diego got the better part of this deal. They raped the Giants. :laugh:

[BroChaos Veteran]

No kidding. Putting a rookie as starting QB in New York with no mentor? Eli's going to have to depend on his mediocre skills and he will surely fail.

I love it.

haha, yes, i agree with you guys. manning will suck. i hope he breaks a leg too, i'd laugh my ass off.

manning did a mediocre job with a mediocre team. never impressed me that much.

what about that guy who is the bachelor? doens't he still play for the giants?

[TheFlusher]

San Diego got the better part of this deal. They raped the Giants. :laugh:

at least san diego this coming new season probably do well than giants if their new players do well and help their team through? haha we'll see :shifty:

[-=SD=-]

Never liked Collins, he'll probably end up with the Ravens or something..

Hope Eli does some good in the coming years, would be cool to see both brothers playing against each other.

[Toxikk Veteran]

i just hope that something happens to make the giants realize that we leave in the real world and not some dream land, where... a rookie qb, which i dont even think was the number 1 qb, could help a team that has so many problems.

obviously, you leave collins there until they start to get better, then you drop him, and move the youngster in.

dumbass giants.

[-=SD=-]

But do you really think Collins is that much better than Eli? Sure it's not going to be a winning season for maybe 2 years but last year they were 4 and 12... I think even a rookie could get 4 wins.

[Toxikk Veteran]

But do you really think Collins is that much better than Eli? Sure it's not going to be a winning season for maybe 2 years but last year they were 4 and 12... I think even a rookie could get 4 wins.

there is no i in team.

i do not blame collins for that at all.

poor coaching, fumbling running backs, etc... i really disagree with this decision though.

watch him go to the bengals.

[-=SD=-]

Yeah, it wasn't all his fault at all, I'm just saying Collins isn't that great of a QB to begin with ;)

But that's the beauty of football, we will never know til the first snap of the season :D

Even though it's sooooo long away :cry:

[fishie]

collins is a big drunk who cares (:

[Toxikk Veteran]

Yeah, it wasn't all his fault at all, I'm just saying Collins isn't that great of a QB to begin with ;)

But that's the beauty of football, we will never know til the first snap of the season :D

Even though it's sooooo long away  :cry:

i know. luckily there is still hockey playoffs and the nba finals.

then all we get is nascar and base :sleep: ball...

come ooon football season!

[BroChaos Veteran]

what about that bachelor guy though? i thought he was a giants qb?

[-=SD=-]

what about that bachelor guy though? i thought he was a giants qb?

I think he's still with them..

But their roster list is old so I don't know, he'll likely be the back-up.

[Toxikk Veteran]

i ono, i heard palmer was gonna be outta there too.

[Toxikk Veteran]

ROFL.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1791117

that Jared Lorenzen is HUGE! wtf.

[....]

ROFL.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=1791117

that Jared Lorenzen is HUGE! wtf.

Hoe won't last through the offseason...They guy is a truckload of blubber. DE's will be salivating just to play against him.

[BroChaos Veteran]

omg, he got signed??? i hope not to play qb. he is one big boy.

[Laughing-Man]

Look what team Eli Manning will be playing in his first season game. :D This should be a good introduction to the NFL. The giants are fools, they need a vetran QB like Collins to show Manning the ropes. Manning will be raped his first game, one Dawplex and he will be wishing he signed with the Chargers.

Edited April 30, 2004 by jmole

[Toxikk Veteran]

word is that they are talking to neil o'donnell to come to the team to teach eli. they could just not afford to pay eli and collins.

eli gets paid more than collins did i think. wtf.

[Laughing-Man]

eli gets paid more than collins did i think. wtf.

I hope he does horribly and the Giants realize their mistake.