Before choosing to sign with the Cowboys, offensive lineman La’el Collins whittled down his list of suitors from 16, to eight, to six. That list of finalists included the the Bucs, Chargers, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants, and, of course, the Cowboys, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes.
In total, agent Deryk Gilmore of Priority Sports estimates that he was contacted by at least 25 interested teams. Gilmore also estimates that Collins going undrafted cost his client at least $14MM, because that’s the amount that offensive lineman Ereck Flowers got from the Giants on a four-year deal. The agent feels that Collins would not have slipped past the Giants at No. 9, but that should probably be taken with a grain of salt since many mock drafts had the LSU product going later in the first round.
Here’s more out of the NFC East:
- Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (on Twitter) could see the Giants moving on from pending free agent wide receiver Rueben Randle this offseason. He feels that Victor Cruz, on the other hand, could be back with the team on a reduced deal. Graziano (on Twitter) also opines that Jason Pierre-Paul is more likely to stay with the club than he was a few weeks ago because of the way he has carried himself since his return. Things were rather contentious between JPP and the Giants this offseason, but everything seems to have mellowed and the defensive end has been productive.
- Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones told SiriusXM NFL Radio (Twitter link) that the competition committee was “unanimous” in its decision to OK the trading of compensatory picks. The new rule “creates new opportunities” for teams looking to trade, he added.
- Earlier tonight we ran down a few items on the Cowboys, including an op-ed from a leading NFLPA official regarding Greg Hardy.
The Giants can move on from Randle fairly safely, given the room for improvement at the position by tabbing a successor in the draft or in free agency. The fourth-year player’s shown flashes, but not enough for what would be a notable raise and long-term commitment.
I would have liked to see Collins sign with Atlanta — I think the Falcons’ line has been among the best in the league this year (even better than the Cowboys), and Collins would have only added to that.