Monday Media Transcript: S Landon Collins

S Landon Collins -- December 31, 2018

Q: What do you feel about your (contract) situation moving forward? What are your hopes?
A: My hopes are to be here, honestly. That’s my hopes. Like I said from the beginning, I’ve been drafted here, I want to finish my career here. It’s a hope and it’s a dream of mine, and hopefully make it a reality.

Q: Have you spoken to any members of the front office yet? Has that process started?
A: No, the process has not begun yet. Hopefully it begins soon. (General Manager Dave) Gettleman announced it in the meeting today that guys that have contracts coming up, we’re going to talk about it when we have the chance to. So, it’s going to come down the line, and we’re going to have that discussion. I’m going to leave that up to my agency, and go from there.

Q: How much do you think your shoulder injury plays into that decision?
A: No, it doesn’t play into it at all. It would’ve played into it if I didn’t go through with the surgery. It would’ve played more of a factor, but now it’s not a main factor at all.

Q: When can you get back to football related activities or even lift weights again?
A: That’s a good question. Football activities are going to be probably the end of February, early March. That’s football activities, but other than getting back in the weight room, that’ll be sooner than I expect I think.

Q: If they franchise tagged you, some guys get pissed off, but would you play if the team decided to franchise tag you?
A: Would I play on it? I mean, I got no choice to play on it. It’s not a big concern of mine. I know what I’m capable of. I think we’ll work something out before that. If not, franchise it is. Just got to continue proving myself as my worth.

Q: We haven’t talked to you since you got hurt. How hard was it to sit out these last four games?
A: It was hard. I miss playing with them, my guys being on the field, the enthusiasm, just the accomplishments I can get with these guys. I missed the interceptions with my guy (FS Curtis Riley) “Boobie” when he caught it. I missed all of that. Just the opportunity to be around the guys, smiling with them, hugging them, taking pictures with them, I miss all of that. Just the opportunity to make plays. It’s hard.

Q: You had a lot of rookie kind of guys play on defense this season. What did you think of the way the young guys stepped in and handled the situation with you being out? Do you feel as if more of a veteran presence is needed?
A: Honestly, I think the rookies did a great job. They stepped up in positions. We always tell any and everybody, you’re play can be the next play. I went down, it’s now up to (S) Sean (Chandler), (CB) Grant (Haley), and Boobie, and all those guys to step up and take over. They did an awesome job. Talking about the veterans, that’s up to the people upstairs and see what they’re going to do. I can’t tell you what we need and how it goes. I’m not a GM (laughter).

Q: Given the role you were asked to do in this defense, do you feel as if you’ve grown as a player and shown the league you’re more than just a box safety?
A: Yeah, definitely. People consider me a box safety, but I can play all over the field. I proved myself within that aspect. It is what it is. I know what I can do. Guys know what I can do. My teammates know what I can do. Here, they know what I can do. So, it’s up to them.

Q: Would you like to continue to do, basically, everything?
A: Always – it puts more on my plate, but it shows that I can handle it and my character, and my ability to take it from the classroom to the field.

Q: Are you tired of losing?
A: Am I tired of losing? Yeah, hell yeah. I came from a winning organization. Definitely tired of losing, yeah.

Q: When you sit there and have to heal and are reflecting, how do you see you guys as an organzation, as a team snapping out of what's happened the last couple of years?
A: Honestly, we’re building – we’re taking steps closer and closer each and every time, every game and loss. Like Mr. Gettleman said, every game within the last 12 games was lost by less than a touchdown, besides the Eagles. Stuff like that, we’re just a touchdown away from being in the playoffs. We’re growing, and we’re a better team than we were last year, and we showcased that. I’m glad for the opportunity to show that.

Q: What about the culture? Do you guys feel as if you’ve grown away from that 3-13 culture?
A: Yeah, honestly going from last year to the focus and determination, the guys being accountable for what they’re doing, watching film, being in tune, and loving the game, enjoying every time we go out on the field. Regardless if we were 3-6, or whatever we were, guys were still coming in working, preparing themselves to be able to win the next game.

Q: After the injury and this defense, can you have another season like 2016 with all those sacks and picks?
A: Yeah, definitely. As we continue growing in this defense, it’s the first time we played in this defense, we had a lot of stuff to learn, and putting in different things. So yeah, once you work out the kinks, I can definitely have a year like I always have.

Q: Do you like the way you were used in this defense?
A: Yeah, I was used all over the field and that’s kind of how I like to be used, because I can kind of just do anything.

Q: What do you like about Coach Shurmur? What did he do this year that was different that maybe made the most impact on you guys?
A: He kept a lot of veterans in tune into this season, and that’s a hard thing to do. You can keep young guys because they don’t understand the business part of it yet. You can keep them in tune, but when you keep a lot of veteran guys – guys that’s been through it, guys that were on a losing team last year and came back, and now we’re going through it again, he kept us in tune and making sure that we were focused, and coming each and every day to work, and making sure that we win every game, trying to win.

Q: How did he do that?
A: Multiple ways, honestly. Just talking to us, captain meetings, having guys talk to each other, and letting us be honest with each other, with him, the guys next to us, the coaches, the whole coaching staff. We couldn’t hold our tongue as much.

Q: So, he welcomed any kind of criticism as leaders?
A: Correct – what we did within the doors, we kept between us.