La’El Collins - Pro Football Rumors

Bills, Dolphins Meeting With La’el Collins

May 4th, 2015 at 9:34pm CST by Zachary Links

9:34pm: The Dolphins also have a meeting scheduled with Collins, according to Ben Wallace of The Advocate. Collins is represented by Priority Sports, which is the firm that current Dolphins football operations czar Mike Tannenbaum previously worked for.

8:59pm: Bills coach Rex Ryan met with former LSU tackle La’el Collins Monday night in Baton Rouge, Chad Sabadie of WVUE-Fox 8 tweets. The meeting was not cleared through Collins’ reps, as Adam Schefter and Mike Rodak of ESPN.com write.

Collins, of course, is facing a very uncertain future after his situation caused him to slide out of the first round and the draft altogether. Just days ago, Bills GM Doug Whaley said his club wouldn’t consider Collins as a UDFA, calling the entire situation “too cloudy” right now. Now, it appears that there has been a change in thinking in the Bills’ front office. Or, it’s possible that Ryan is thinking about signing Collins and hoping to convince the rest of Buffalo’s braintrust.

Prior to his murky predicament coming to light, Collins was widely viewed as a player who would come off the board within the top 15 picks. The fact that Collins proceeded to go undrafted on day two is an indicator that teams are wary of taking on character or potential legal risks in the new NFL. Collins might have been taken as a flier on day three, but Collins’ agent threatened a holdout if a team were to do that.

Collins’ camp was hoping to either enter the tackle in this year’ supplemental draft or next year’s NFL draft, but the former request was denied and the latter will not be permitted either.

AFC Links: Collins, Dorsett, Timmons

May 3rd, 2015 at 10:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

One of the highest-regarded undrafted free agents in history, La’el Collins figures to be a premier topic in May as he attempts to begin a now-unorthodox career.

The Titans, however, won’t be among the teams pursuing the ex-LSU lineman that was a surefire first-round pick as recently as earlier this week, according to The Tennesseean’s Jim Wyatt on Twitter. The team remains in need of a right tackle but did add two interior linemen in the draft — guard Jeremiah Poutasi and center Andy Gallik in the third and sixth rounds, respectively.

Here is some additional news from around the AFC.

The Colts‘ draft puzzled Indianapolis Star columnist Gregg Doyel, with the team adding players in key spots that may not be able to contribute much this season — one with immense expectations. Doyel argues the team did not address needs of defensive tackle and safety early enough, with one of each added on Day 3. Indianapolis ranked 18th in run defense last season. Part-time players last year, Josh Chapman and Montori Hughes, are the Colts’ top two nose tackle options.
The crux of Doyel’s argument, first-round pick Phillip Dorsett, could also find himself a key player in the Colts’ offense from the start, writes the Indianapolis Star’s Stephen Holder. Dorsett, CFL import Duron Carter and former All-Pro Andre Johnson add to a loaded wideout corps that was at times slowed by descending veterans Reggie Wayne and Hakeem Nicks last year. Holder wonders if the 34-year-old Johnson will give way to Dorsett in some three-wide sets or when the Colts deploy the two-tight end look they often do.
One of now four linebackers with first-round pedigrees in Pittsburgh, Lawrence Timmons is in line for a contract extension come 2016, reports Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The Steelers’ second-highest-paid player and NFL’s best-compensated inside linebacker’s current deal that pays him $12.6MM this season and $11.8MM next year runs through ’16.
With just two starters locked in for this season up front, the Broncos are positioning their offensive line youngsters less than three days after acquiring them. Second-round choice Ty Sambrailo will open his career at right tackle, where the Broncos have a glaring need after using three players there last year, while versatile fourth-rounder Max Garcia will begin work behind Louis Vasquez at right guard, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Last year’s third-rounder, Michael Schofield, didn’t suit up for a game as a rookie despite the Broncos’ right tackle issues and is now playing behind Ryan Clady at left tackle.
Mel Kiper Jr. envisions Ravens second-round pick Maxx Williams as an offensive rookie of the year candidate, writes Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The ESPN draft veteran also opined Breshad Perriman will be a better player than Torrey Smith.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Pats, Gaffney, Collins

May 3rd, 2015 at 3:52pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Draft grades are often controversial — some love them, but others think it’s foolhardy to judge draft picks mere hours after they are selected. While we won’t know the true effect of prospects in the NFL for at least a couple of years, Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN (Insider subscription required) has provided his rapid reaction to the weekend’s events. One of his favorite draft classes is that of the Jets, whom Kiper handed a “A-” after they came away with Leonard Williams, Devon Smith, Bryce Petty, and others. And, as Kiper adds, New York brought in veteran receiver Brandon Marshall using a fifth-round pick, so their crop of additions looks even better after factoring him in.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the AFC East:

The Patriots did express interest in Eagles guard Evan Mathis, reports Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald (Twitter link), but the fact that Mathis hasn’t been traded yet means he’ll probably stay in Philadelphia. Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said yesterday that he’s yet to receive a formal offer for Mathis.
Though they didn’t select a running back over the weekend, the Patriots are likely to add a veteran in the coming weeks, says Howe (via Twitter), who suggests that Ahmad Bradshaw and Pierre Thomas are among the backs who could intrigue New England.
One player who could contribute to the Patriots backfield this season is second-year pro Tyler Gaffney, whom New England claimed off waivers from the Panthers last year. Though Gaffney spent all of 2014 on injured reserve, Pats head coach Bill Belichick reportedly “loves him” (per Howe on Twitter), so he could be in line for snaps in 2015.
La’el Collins is represented by Priority Sports, which Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link) confirms is the firm that current Dolphins football operations czar Mike Tannenbaum previously worked for. The connection could end up being inconsequential, but it’s fair to wonder if Miami could have up a leg up in signing the LSU product.
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com praises rookie Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan for his first draft, noting that Maccagnan used a best player available strategy, but also wasn’t afraid to move up and down the draft board, picking up assets (Devier Posey and Zac Stacy) in the process.

Sunday Roundup: Collins, AFC North, Pats

May 3rd, 2015 at 12:56pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at a few notes from around the league on this post-draft Sunday:

The La’el Collins saga will be one of the more fascinating storylines to watch over the coming days. Gil Brandt of NFL.com tweets that if Collins is cleared of any wrongdoing after his meeting with Louisiana police tomorrow, he will sign as an undrafted free agent. Brandt adds that there will be a great deal of interest in Collins’ services if he is, in fact, cleared.
Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com looks at what Collins could make as an undrafted free agent,
It appears that Browns ownership is “digging in” and committing to the Ray Farmer–Mike Pettine regime, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com.
Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer passes along Farmer’s and Pettine’s responses to questions as to why the Browns did not select a quarterback in this year’s draft. The GM and head coach simply reaffirmed their faith in the team’s current signal-callers while acknowledging that the group does not include an elite talent. However, Pettine simply stated, “We’re not going to over-prioritize the quarterback position.”
The Ravens have invited Maryland DE Andre Monroe to rookie mini-camp on a tryout basis, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun.
Paul Dehner, Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer describes how the Bengals passed on the “acrobatic athletes and track stars” in this weekend’s draft and instead focused on powerful linemen and strong tight ends.
The Eagles may regret not selecting an offensive lineman in the draft, writes Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. As we learned earlier today, however, four of the team’s 16 undrafted free agents are offensive linemen.
Although they did not address their cornerback need in the draft, Karen Guregian of The Boston Herald believes the Patriots strengthened the secondary simply by adding some punch to the team’s pass rush.
The Patriots passed on drafting a receiver for the second consecutive year, meaning that third-year wideout Aaron Dobson will still have a good chance to live up to his considerable potential, writes Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com.
With a draft class that most analysts agree is a strong one, and after an active free agency period, Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union says the Jaguars are finally adding depth to their roster and creating some much-needed competition.
Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune says the Saints‘ draft class, which does not include a single wide receiver or tight end, reaffirms their faith in Drew Brees, Sean Payton, and the offense as a whole.

AFC Notes: Wilkerson, Geno, Collins, Browns

May 2nd, 2015 at 10:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

With newly drafted defensive lineman Leonard Williams in the fold, Muhammad Wilkerson‘s time with the Jets could be running out, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Despite being one of the Jets’ best players, Wilkerson is without a contract beyond next season and, per Mehta, the team isn’t eager to give him a new deal. Mehta argues that it doesn’t make financial sense to dole out big bucks to Wilkerson, especially with fellow lineman Sheldon Richardson under team control through 2017 and cornerback Darrelle Revis signed to a long-term mega-deal.

While the Jets might not be able to go forward with all three as anchors of their defense, Mehta believes they could slap the franchise tag on Wilkerson next offseason and trade him for a first-round pick. For now, rookie Jets coach Todd Bowles will enjoy having Wilkerson as a key cog in what should be a dominant D-line, but it doesn’t seem as if the four-year veteran will be a part of it beyond the 2015 campaign.

Here’s more on the Jets and some of their fellow AFC teams:

Despite adding Ryan Fitzpatrick via trade and Bryce Petty via the draft, the Jets will enter training camp with Geno Smith atop the quarterback depth chart, Fitzpatrick as his main backup, and Petty and Matt Simms fighting for third-string duties, Bowles tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link).
The Chargers did “as much as work as [they] could” in researching La’el Collins, but they simply couldn’t take the risk due to lack of information, general manager Tom Telesco tells Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union Tribune (via Twitter). Broncos GM John Elway said the same thing (Twitter link via Lindsay Jones of USA Today), and I imagine nearly every team’s front office felt the same way.
The Browns didn’t end up drafting a quarterback, but GM Ray Farmer says that wasn’t by design. Farmer adds that the club’s grades simply didn’t match up with availability (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

La’el Collins Plans To Sign Soon

May 2nd, 2015 at 6:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Though some believed he could be drafted today, former LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins did ultimately go undrafted as he waits to speak with investigators next week regarding his involvement an ongoing murder case. However, Collins does intend to sign a contract once he is cleared, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, although that won’t come until Monday at the earliest, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Collins is scheduled to speak with police on Monday, so interested teams obviously want to wait until that meeting is concluded before they move forward. Collins isn’t regarded as a suspect in the case, but it’s understandable that teams don’t want to take the risk until the matter is resolved. Though reports indicated that Collins wouldn’t sign with a contract unless he was drafted on Day Two, that could have just been posturing as Collins tried to force clubs to choose him yesterday.

Despite his attempt to be removed from this year’s draft, Collins wasn’t allowed to enter the supplemental draft, and though he may have aimed to enter the 2016 draft, we learned earlier today that that won’t be allowed either. No matter the outcome, the events of that past ffew days will have terrible consequences: either Collins was involved in a horrific incident, or he is innocent and lost millions of dollars due to unfortunate timing.

According to Connor Orr of NFL.com, the Giants were among the teams “thinking” about Collins during the draft, but scouting director Marc Ross says New York wasn’t going to take that type of risk. Additionally, the Bills GM Doug Whaley says his club won’t consider Collins as a UDFA, calling the entire situation “too cloudy” right now (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW).

As an undrafted free agent, Collins won’t be able earn the type of money he would have as a first-rounder, but as Florio writes in the piece above, Collins’ financial future may not be entirely dire. There are a number of benefits to signing a UDFA contract, including a shorter length of deal (three years as opposed to four), and the ability to renegotiate after just two years. Plus, even if RFA tender levels continue to rise at only their current five percent rate, Collins could end up making a significant amount of cash.

Eagles Notes: Mathis, Lions, Collins

May 2nd, 2015 at 4:17pm CST by Rob DiRe

Before the draft, many fans and pundits expected the Eagles to be aggressive in moving up to try to get Marcus Mariota and other players in order to strengthen the roster, putting current players and future draft picks on the trading block in order to create packages to go after prospects they valued highly.

They did trade up once in the early rounds to select Eric Rowe, but actually leave the weekend without trading any players and actually managed to come away with an extra 2016 third-round pick after trading their fourth-round pick to the Lions.

Here are a few notes surrounding the Chip Kelly and the Eagles on trades and the NFL Draft:

Evan Mathis is one player who has been rumored to be available, but he remains an Eagle even if he has a strenuous relationship with his head coach. Kelly said that Mathis has been available for two years now, and no team has made an offer for him yet, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (via Twitter).
No offer may have been on the table, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Lions had some interest in Mathis before acquiring two guards in the first round (Laken Tomlinson at No. 28, and Manny Ramirez via trade from the Broncos).
Kelly also confirmed that controversial prospect La’el Collins was removed from the team’s draft board following his recent legal issues, despite his first-round talent, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).

Latest On La’el Collins

May 2nd, 2015 at 11:27am CST by Ben Levine

11:27am: According to Schefter (on Twitter), a team that had been “strongly considering” Collins will actually pass on the lineman. The writer notes that anything could now happen, perhaps indicating that Collins may go undrafted after all.

11:06am: While some members of the media expected talented offensive lineman La’el Collins to be selected on Friday evening, the LSU product since hasn’t heard his name called. That may change today, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Collins is “likely” to be picked at some point this afternoon.

We learned yesterday that the player was considering not signing with a team if he wasn’t selected in the first three rounds. The logic behind this decision is simple; if Collins is drafted but doesn’t sign, he’d have the opportunity to enter the draft next season. If his stock improves, he could be selected earlier in 2016, and he would subsequently receive a significantly higher salary.

However, as NFL.com’s Albert Breer points out (on Twitter), Collins will not be allowed to re-enter the draft is he goes undrafted this weekend. Going undrafted seems to be the worst-case scenario for the guard, as the bonuses for undrafted free agents don’t come close to the salaries for those actually drafted.

According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), Collins will meet with Baton Rouge investigators on Monday regarding the murder of his ex-girlfriend. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Albert Breer tweets that the player’s attorney contacted all 32 NFL teams yesterday to “explain Collins’ situation.”

NFC Quotes: Payton, Thompson, Kelly, Jones

May 2nd, 2015 at 9:42am CST by Ben Levine

It’s been a busy past few days in NFL front offices, and some of the draft selections by the league’s front offices have left pundits befuddled. The league’s reporters made sure to follow through with those curious selections, and we have some of the more notable responses below…

Saints coach Sean Payton, who opined yesterday that La’el Collins would be drafted in the second or third round, on why his team passed on the embattled lineman (via ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett):

“I don’t know that we would consider that right now until we had more clarity. And it seems like there’s a rush for everyone. And one of the things I said this morning was, ‘Man, we’re right down the road. Are we able to get some information the other teams don’t have yet?’ And so I haven’t had that or gotten that information yet to answer that as a yes.”

Packers general manager Ted Thompson on his team not selecting an inside linebacker (via Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com):

“It’s a simple plan, but we wanted to make sure we got football players. And we think we got a couple more tonight…We’re going to address [inside linebacker] just like we address all other positions and try to make it as strong as we can.”

Eagles coach Chip Kelly on the team’s decision to select linebacker Jordan Hicks despite having greater needs (via Les Bowen of Philly.com):

“He was our highest-rated guy by far. We had him rated in the second round. We had great exposure to Jordan; he was the individual we saw the most this offseason.”

Kelly on how the Hicks selection could impact Mychal Kendricks‘ role on the Eagles (via Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com):

“We’re excited to get him back here. I know he spent the draft with his brother, which we understand. He said he should be back here next week, but I think you’re always gonna draft players, and when you bring ‘em in here, the one thing you want is you want competition at positions. We knew going in at the end of last year that with just Mychal and DeMeco that we really had to shore up the inside linebacker spot. “

Jerry Jones on the Cowboys selecting Randy Gregory with the No. 60 pick (via NFL.com’s Marc Sessler):

“I think it gives us enough confidence that we can work through some of the issues that have basically caused him to drop and maybe improve on that. That’s certainly the plan and have us a heck of a contribution to winning.”

NFC Notes: Eagles, Bennett, Collins, Boone

May 1st, 2015 at 11:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest from the NFC as Friday comes to a close:

Eagles coach and football czar Chip Kelly said he hasn’t received any calls regarding linebacker Mychal Kendricks, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The Eagles have been shopping the three-year veteran, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported earlier this week.
In other Eagles linebacker news, one scout called their selection of Texas’ Jordan Hicks in the third round (84th overall) a “stupid pick,” per Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. However, the Bengals would’ve taken him with the next pick, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Further, Kelly says the Eagles had a second-round grade on Hicks and saw him more than any other prospect prior to the draft, reports the Inquirer’s Zach Berman (via Twitter).
Despite all the recent rumors surrounding his team, Kelly claims he hasn’t talked to anyone during the draft about trading players, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter). What’s more, Kelly had to call multiple players recently to tell them that they weren’t trade bait, per USA Today’s Lindsay Jones (Twitter link). Mosher reports (Twitter link) that Kendricks and cornerback Brandon Boykin did not receive calls, while defensive end Vinny Curry did.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace says tight end Martellus Bennett has not requested a trade, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). However, Biggs notes that Bennett might want more money. Bennett, who amassed 90 catches and six touchdowns in 2014, has two years left on his contract, but no guaranteed money left. He was said earlier this week to be on the trade block.
Saints head coach Sean Payton says the team hasn’t taken LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins off its board, per Sean Fazende of Fox 8 (Twitter link). On the possibility of using a seventh-round pick on Collins, Payton went on to state, “I don’t know that we would consider that right now until we get more clarity.” Collins, whom Baton Rouge police wish to question regarding the murder of his ex-girlfriend, has seen his draft stock drop precipitously in recent days, and may not sign with a team that drafts him tomorrow.
General manager Trent Baalke says the 49ers haven’t spoken with guard Alex Boone or his agent, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Boone, who is entering the final year of his contract, will skip all voluntary offseason activities. Baalke referred to that as a “non-issue.”
Before the Rams swung a deal Friday to swap second-round picks with the Panthers (going from 41st to 57th) and acquire a pair of other selections, St. Louis had discussions with five other teams, per Howard Balzer (Twitter link), who says the team was willing to move down so far in the second round in order to pick up a third-round pick. Coach Jeff Fisher said the Rams were comfortable moving down because they felt they’d still be able to get one of the offensive linemen they liked, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (Twitter link). That proved true, as they ultimately took Wisconsin offensive tackle Rob Havenstein.
Trading up could be a possibility Saturday for the Cardinals. Their general manager, Steve Keim, mentioned the possibility twice Friday, reports Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
The Cowboys would be comfortable taking a running back in the fourth round, tweets Rapoport.