EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – It didn’t take long for people to start calling out the Giants for their decision to let three-time Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins test the free-agent market without any restrictions.

Collins' tweet came less than three hours before the NFL deadline for teams to put a franchise tag on an unrestricted free agent. The tag would have cost the Giants $11.15 million against their 2019 salary cap and general manager Dave Gettleman gave indications at the NFL combine last week that the price was steep.

ESPN’s Dan Graziano called it a “brutally bad decision.”

 The remaining Giants safeties are not playmakers like Collins. Veteran Michael Thomas and Sean Chandler are the top guys at the position, so the team may look to sign a free agent or draft a safety.

The 25-year-old Collins started 59 games with the Giants and had 437 tackles, four sacks and eight interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. He was also a leader in the locker room.