In a roster change, the eight-year NFL veteran La’el Collins will rejoin the Dallas Cowboys as an offensive tackle. Collins was a member of the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2022 season, however he has been available for free agency since mid-September 2023.
When NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport initially revealed on January 2 that the player and team were meeting, heads turned. He followed up with the news that Collins is joining the Cowboys practice squad around six hours later.
“La’El Collins is joining the #Cowboys practice squad, as @TomPelissero and I have learned. Back at the beginning,” Rapoport wrote on X.
Collins was placed on the Bengals’ PUP list at the beginning of the 2023 season, however on September 12 he was released. Even though his visit to Dallas obviously went well, he hasn’t visited or signed with any organizations since.
Collins was among the Cowboys’ highest-paid players at one point in time. However, he was benched and subsequently released due to diminishing performance, a suspension, and the emergence of current starting tackle Terrence Steele.
The Cowboys obviously don’t anticipate Collins to be a key member of the practice squad. However, he serves as vital insurance in the event that Dallas has unlucky accident mishaps.
After graduating from LSU, Collins was regarded as a first-round prospect. But as a result of police interrogations during a murder probe, his draft stock decreased. Then, if teams tried to select him in the fourth round or later, his agents threatened to have him miss the entire 2015 season.
He signed a fully guaranteed UDFA contract with the Cowboys after not being drafted. Collins was swiftly promoted to a starting position due to an injury. As a left guard, he started 11 games and showed right away that he was prepared to move to the point of attack.
After a serious injury ended his second season in 2016, he was moved and given the starting right tackle position in 2017. He started 47 of 48 games that he might have in the following three seasons.
Collins missed the whole 2020 NFL season due to a terrible vehicle accident. After Week 1 of 2021, he was suspended by the NFL for failing a drug test.Collins filed an appeal with the court, but was not successful, and his suspension was extended to five games.
He played on both sides of the line and started ten games during his final season in Dallas. However, he was benched in favor of Steele at the conclusion of the season, and the following offseason, he was placed up for trade. The Cowboys were forced to cut him from his $50 million contract because he showed little interest in a deal.
The Cowboys are still paying for that contract as of 2023. Dallas lost to Collins’ dead-cap hits from that transaction.
