Former Giants DB Mark Collins says the Giants could be a playoff team

Mark Collins thinks that the New York Giants have potential this offseason, especially after spending some major dinero in free agency.

As last year’s worst-ranked total defense in the entire league, over $200 million was spent by the Giants and general manager Jerry Reese to upgrade the unit. This meant big names (and big contracts) ranging from defensive tackle Damon Harrison to cornerback Janoris Jenkins and edge rusher Olivier Vernon. The unit should be better if not vastly improved.

And in the eyes of former Giants defensive backCollins, this could lead the team to the playoffs for the first time since the 2011 season. His concerns are the protection of the quarterback Eli Manning, who is coming off of another Pro Bowl season.

“I hope so, I think right now, the soft spot is probably the offensive line,” Collins said in a recent interview with Michael Minervini of NFL Draft Bible and NUC Sports.

“Eli, I think he’ll do fantastic. I think Eli probably has three to five years left in him. Defensively, of course, they bolstered the secondary, could probably use another linebacker. I think they’ll do pretty well.”

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A former defensive back with the Giants, Collins had a 13-year career in the NFL that began with seven seasons with the Giants organization.

Only one thing about the Giants’ offseason that Collins wasn’t a fan of was the way that the organization handled the exodus of former head coach Tom Coughlin. After four seasons without a playoff appearance, the popular and successful Coughlin was let go by the team.

Collins wishes that the man who won two Super Bowls with the Giants was allowed one more shot to leave as a winner.

“One thing I didn’t like with what happened with Tom, how it played out with Tom,” Collins said. “You want him to go out on his own terms and not be pushed out.”