La’El Collins - Pro Football Rumors

La’el Collins Won’t Sign If Drafted On Day 3

May 1st, 2015 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

As we wait to see whether a team decides to take a chance on LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that Collins and his camp are formulating a plan to salvage his value. According to Schefter (Twitter link), if Collins isn’t selected tonight, he’ll decline to sign a contract and will resubmit his name next year for the 2016 draft.

If Collins were to be selected on Saturday in the sixth round, for instance, the idea is that he wouldn’t sign his rookie contract with that team. Based on my reading on the CBA, Collins would then have the opportunity to be drafted in 2016 by any team except the club that drafted him in 2015.

It’s not clear yet if Collins and his reps will go through with this plan, or if it’s an effort to create leverage, but it makes some sense if the offensive lineman’s camp is confident he’ll be cleared in the ongoing police investigation in Baton Rouge. Collins is currently scheduled to speak to police in Louisiana on Monday.

If teams were to head into next year’s draft confident in Collins’ character, it could restore his value, making him an early pick and landing him a larger contract. Still, it would be a risky play to sit out an entire season, particularly since concerns about his character could persist throughout the year.

Latest On La’el Collins

May 1st, 2015 at 2:10pm CST by Ben Levine

It was only two weeks ago that La’el Collins was expected to be selected in the first round. Plenty has changed since then, as Baton Rouge police would like to speak to the former LSU offensive lineman regarding the murder of his ex-girlfriend. The vicarious involvement in the case has resulted in the guard’s stock plummeting, even though he hasn’t been named a suspect.

According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), Collins will meet with investigators on Monday, and teams are hoping to have “reports from security directors” by this evening. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Albert Breer tweets that the player’s attorney contacted all 32 NFL teams to “explain Collins’ situation.”

Draft Rumors: Williams, Gurley, Collins

May 1st, 2015 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

Some of the latest fallout from the first round..

Some promising news for Jets fans and Rams fans: teams had USC defensive end Leonard Williams as their top-rated defensive player and at least three had Todd Gurley as their top-ranked offensive player, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The view on Williams’ shoulder problem is that it’s not a long-term issue and is only a problem that might slow his development a bit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Jets nabbed the USC star with the No. 6 overall pick last night.
Several scouts and execs tell John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (on Twitter) that they feel Randy Gregory is the best player left on the board.
La’el Collins’ attorney reached out to the security directors for all 32 teams to try to provide clarity on his situation, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. Breer (link) feels that it’s unlikely that the LSU offensive lineman will hear his name called tonight, but he could be drafted tomorrow.

Draft Rumors: Collins, Gregory, DGB, Spain

April 30th, 2015 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s “some suspicion” that LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins may go undrafted all three days this weekend, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Even though Collins is not considered a suspect in a Louisiana police investigation, the case involves a shooting death and NFL investigators haven’t been able to uncover much info on it, so teams figure to play it safe until they know more. In an effort to buy time to clear his name, Collins asked for permission to withdraw from his draft and be eligible for the supplemental draft instead, but the league denied that request.

Here’s more on the draft:

A personnel man whose team has a top-10 pick tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that his team is preparing to draft Nebraska edge rusher Randy Gregory tonight. “We’re not going to let him get past us,” Getlin’s source said. That sounds like it could be a smoke screen, given all the negative reports swirling around Gregory this week. Still, according to Getlin, this personnel man believes Gregory may be the most talented player in the draft, likening him to Derrick Brooks and Jason Taylor (Twitter links).
A source close to Dorial Green-Beckham‘s camp tells Danny Parkins of 610 AM in Kansas City (Twitter link) that the Chiefs, Cowboys, Bengals, Texans, and 49ers have shown “a lot” of interest in the young wideout within the last 36 hours.
West Virginia offensive lineman Quinton Spain, who received a fourth-round grade from some teams, worked out for the Jets, Steelers, Bengals, Titans, Falcons, and Buccaneers, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
Albert Breer of the NFL Network identifies six teams he believes can control this year’s draft.

La’el Collins Not Allowed To Enter Supplemental Draft

April 30th, 2015 at 3:44pm CST by Zachary Links

3:44pm: The NFL has rejected Collins’ request to withdraw from tonight’s draft and be eligible for the supplemental draft, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

3:10pm: Both Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports and Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter links) are hearing that the league is unlikely to allow Collins to withdraw and enter the supplemental draft.

2:20pm: Collins has major obstacles to overcome in his bid to get out of tonight’s draft and into the supplemental draft, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. For starters, he’s a senior and automatically draft eligible. Beyond that, he’s seeking the help of the NFLPA and since he’s not in the league yet, the NFLPA doesn’t represent him yet.

1:43pm: La’el Collins is seeking to have his name pulled from the draft, allowing him time to clear his name and then enter the supplemental draft, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

The police want to talk to Collins to ascertain information relating to the murder of a pregnant woman. Collins is not a suspect in the killing, but it’s not 100% clear what his level of involvement is (if any), and that has scared off many NFL teams. The authorities have said that they will not talk to Collins until after the conclusion of the draft, leaving his situation far too murky and uncomfortable for interested clubs.

The NFL supplemental draft takes place in the summer and is designed to give players a second chance to get drafted when they miss the boat for the main draft in the spring. Typically, players enter the supplemental draft because of academic or disciplinary matters that affected their eligibility. A quick scan of the supplemental draft’s history shows that there is no precedent for a case like Collins’.

In the final version of his mock draft, PFR’s Rob DiRe projected Collins to go No. 14 to the Dolphins. Talent-wise, Collins has been universally regarded as a first round caliber player. His increasingly murky legal situation, however, makes the top half of the first round seem less and less likely.

Extra Points: Brees, Saints, Bucs, Collins

April 30th, 2015 at 2:56pm CST by Zachary Links

Saints GM Mickey Loomis says he may take a quarterback in this year’s draft, but he doesn’t see the end of the line for Drew Brees anytime soon either, ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett writes. “That’s a good question,” Loomis said. “I think you’re always looking to get a young quarterback in the program. We’ve got one in Ryan Griffin that we like. And if an opportunity presents itself, hey, we may take another one here. But I don’t see the end for Drew Brees on the short-term horizon. At least I certainly hope not. But it does take time for these quarterbacks to develop. And we’re conscious of that. We evaluate the quarterbacks. And obviously if an opportunity presents itself to take one at the right time, we’re not afraid to do that.” More on that and other news from the NFL..

If the Saints draft Bryce Petty, it’ll be a clear indication that Jeff Ireland is already calling the shots there, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets.
Ed Werder of ESPN (via Rob Demovsky on Twitter) says the Buccaneers may be looking to move up into the bottom of the first round. The Bucs currently pick at No. 34 and Demovsky wonders if the Packers at No. 30 could be a match.
Multiple teams have removed LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins from their draft boards, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
Bills GM Doug Whaley called Kentucky defensive end Za’Darius Smith a “perfect fit” for the type of scheme they run, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW tweets.
Army running back Raymond Maples has been granted administrative leave to attend team activities if he’s drafted or signed, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets.
With so few quality safeties available, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that James Sample (Louisville) and Damarious Randall (ASU) will go higher than most people think.

Latest On La’el Collins

April 30th, 2015 at 11:00am CST by Zachary Links

The police will not interview LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins until after the draft for information relating to the murder of a pregnant woman, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. There has been no date or time set for the interview yet.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (link) hears that the police are not done with their investigation and they are not yet ready to talk to Collins. The lack of closure on Collins’ situation is hurting his stock now and several teams have told Breer (link) that they won’t touch him as a result.

In the final version of his mock draft, PFR’s Rob DiRe projected Collins to go No. 14 to the Dolphins. Talent-wise, Collins has been universally regarded as a first round caliber player. His somewhat murky legal situation, however, has thrown everything into flux. Peter King of TheMMQB.com reported yesterday that one team interested in drafting a tackle in the first round was debating whether or not to keep Collins on its board.

La’el Collins Returning To Louisiana

April 29th, 2015 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

Having traveled to Chicago this week, LSU guard La’el Collins was set to be one of 27 prospects that would be in attendance at the 2015 draft. Instead, Collins had opted to leave Chicago to return to Louisiana in order to meet with police in an effort to clear his name, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

As we learned yesterday, Louisiana police are looking to question Collins following the shooting death of a pregnant woman last week. The woman, Brittany Mills, is believed by police to be a former girlfriend of Collins, though the LSU offensive lineman isn’t considered a suspect in the case. Jim Boren, the attorney for Collins, told Schefter that he has been in constant contact with the lead detective in the case, and spoke to the district attorney yesterday.

“We took the investigation seriously,” Boren said on Tuesday. “We’ve tried to rule him out as a suspect. We’re going to provide that information to the police, and ultimately [Collins] will sit down and talk to them. But the timing is poor.”

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Collins had originally intended to speak to police and submit to paternity tests following the draft. However, it’s clear that the situation requires urgent attention, so the first-round prospect will attempt to clear his name in Louisiana rather than walking across the stage to shake Roger Goodell’s hand in Chicago.

Peter King of TheMMQB.com reported today that one team interested in drafting a tackle in the first round was debating whether or not to keep Collins on its board.

King’s Latest: Bucs, Mariota, Cowboys, Pats

April 29th, 2015 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

Before answering readers’ questions in his weekly mailbag this week, Peter King of TheMMQB.com passed along a number of the latest draft rumors he’s hearing with the first round just one day away. Let’s dive in and round up the highlights….

The Buccaneers have yet to receive a trade offer that “would come close” to making them decide to move down from No. 1.
The Titans, Buccaneers, and Jaguars have all inquired with teams picking late in the first round about moving up from the second round, says King. The three teams have the first, second, and fourth picks, respectively, in round two.
One GM told King that while the Titans still look like the favorites to end up with Marcus Mariota, he wouldn’t be shocked if Cleveland “trades the farm” to land the Oregon quarterback. The thinking is that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is sick of the merry-go-round at the position, and would like to land a “squeaky-clean” signal-caller to lead the franchise.
The Cowboys would love to see running back Melvin Gordon fall to them at No. 27, but two other names to watch are linebackers Eric Kendricks (UCLA) and Benardrick McKinney (Mississippi State).
One team considering drafting a tackle in the first round is debating whether or not LSU’s La’el Collins will be on its draft board on Thursday night. While King acknowledges that this may be unfair, he explains the club’s thinking: “How can you draft a guy who’s being sought in connection with the death of a woman, even if police are saying now he isn’t a suspect? He needs to be exonerated by Thursday.”
The Patriots like USC wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who looks like a logical target for the club if he’s still available at No. 32.
With the 21st overall pick, the Bengals are considering Texas A&M tackle Cedric Ogbuehi, who had ACL surgery in January. King views this is a sign that teams are willing to wait on a prospect who wouldn’t be healthy enough to contribute immediately if they think he can be a premier player in the long term.

Draft Rumors: Collins, Bucs, Gurley, Titans

April 29th, 2015 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

We heard yesterday that police are looking to question La’el Collins following the shooting death of a pregnant woman last week, though the LSU offensive lineman isn’t considered a suspect. Jim Boren, the attorney for Collins, tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com that he has been in constant contact with the lead detective in the case, and spoke to the district attorney yesterday.

“We took the investigation seriously,” Boren said on Tuesday. “We’ve tried to rule him out as a suspect. We’re going to provide that information to the police, and ultimately [Collins] will sit down and talk to them. But the timing is poor.”

Indeed, even if Collins is officially ruled out as a suspect by police, which appears likely, it’s not clear if that will happen before the draft gets underway tomorrow night, and teams figure to approach the lineman with extra caution.

As we wait to see how the ongoing investigation affects Collins, let’s round up a few more Wednesday draft rumors from around the league….

According to Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht, trade inquiries involving the No. 1 overall pick are on the rise this week, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com. Still, I think Tampa Bay would have to be blown away to move out of that first overall spot.
One team has Georgia running back Todd Gurley at No. 1 overall on its draft board, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, adding that it’s safe to say that’s not the consensus around the NFL. In fact, scouts who have spoken to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report don’t believe Gurley will be a top-10 pick, as has been rumored.
Within Freeman’s piece, the BR scribe notes that the Jets are still very much in the hunt for Marcus Mariota, though he’s skeptical that New York will offer enough to move the Titans out of the No. 2 spot.
Speaking of those Titans, Jeff Darlington of the NFL Network (Twitter links) hears that Tennessee isn’t just taking trade calls — the club is making them as well. So far, things haven’t gotten serious, but trade talks involving that second overall pick could heat up today and tomorrow, says Darlington.
Amidst reports that Shane Ray could slide out of the first round, and perhaps much further than that, one NFL executive tells Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (Twitter link) that the Missouri pass rusher “isn’t going to fall very far” following his citation for marijuana possession.
Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian appears to be a popular target, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who writes that Siemian has received calls from 11 teams in the past two days. Those teams are the Broncos, Jets, Jaguars, Raiders, Vikings, Packers, Browns, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, and Dolphins.