La’el Collins

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Giants, Pryor, Cards

October 14th, 2015 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys are making a quarterback change for Week 7, giving the nod to Matt Cassel, and that’s not the only starting lineup move they’re considering on offense. As Ed Werder of ESPN.com reported this morning (via Twitter), Dallas may also start recently acquired running back Christine Michael over Joseph Randle, and rookie guard La’el Collins over Ronald Leary.

Head coach Jason Garrett has since confirmed that Collins will indeed start at left guard in place of Leary, though it’s not clear yet what the team’s running back rotation will look like. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears from a Cowboys source that the team definitely plans on using Michael more, though Randle may still get the start.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

The Giants are the latest team to work out at Terrelle Pryor as a wide receiver, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). While several clubs that have auditioned Pryor are likely just seeing what the former quarterback looks like in his new position, New York might require some additional depth at WR, with Odell Beckham Jr. and Rueben Randle banged up, and Victor Cruz‘s availability going forward still up in the air. The Giants also tried out wideouts T.J. Graham and A.J. Jenkins, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
Former Buccaneers defensive lineman Da’Quan Bowers is among the players working out for the Cowboys this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
Free agent cornerback Robert McClain has been busy over the last month and a half, working out for a handful of teams — Wilson tweets that McClain auditioned for the Cardinals this week, the veteran’s fifth tryout since the start of September.
In an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (SoundCloud link), Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians explained his team’s decision to sign veteran pass rusher Dwight Freeney, suggesting that the club had been in touch with Freeney multiple times since June.

Cole’s Latest: Dez, Thomas, Houston, Collins

July 15th, 2015 at 9:42am CST by Luke Adams

Jason Cole of Bleacher Report has been busy today, providing several updates on franchised players who are seeking new contracts, as well as publishing a Q&A with rookie Cowboys offensive lineman La’el Collins. Let’s dive right in and check out the highlights from Cole so far today….

Cole gets the sense that, while Dez Bryant badly wants to get an extension done with the Cowboys, neither the team nor agent Tom Condon is eager to do a deal — presumably because the two sides don’t want to budge significantly from their current proposals (Twitter link).
Echoing something that Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk said earlier this week, Cole suggests that the Cowboys want to be able to escape a long-term contract for Bryant if the receiver gets into any off-field trouble (video link). As Florio writes in a new PFT piece, the Cowboys have included those sort of clauses in other recent deals, including cornerback Byron Jones‘ rookie contract. Jones’ deal features language that would void his guarantees if he’s arrested or even detained by police, or if he’s fined under the league’s substance abuse or personal conduct policies.
Don’t expect the Broncos to budge much from their current offer to Demaryius Thomas, which is for about $13MM per year, says Cole (video link). While the star wideout is seeking Calvin Johnson money, Denver almost certainly won’t go that high.
The Chiefs and Justin Houston are “still talking” about a multiyear extension, but Cole has no sense of where the two sides will land by the end of the day (Twitter link). Reports this week have suggested that Houston has the best chance of the four unsigned franchised players to come to terms on a long-term deal.
Cole’s Q&A with Collins features plenty of details on the lineman’s draft experience — or lack thereof. The Cowboys rookie tells Cole he lost 10 pounds during the week of the draft due to stress and being unable to eat.

NFC Links: Saints, Seahawks, Lions

June 27th, 2015 at 10:45am CST by Ben Levine

Let’s take a look at some notes from around the NFC on this Saturday morning…

Taking a payout is never easy, especially for a 31-year-old veteran. However, Saints offensive lineman Jahri Evans understands that it’s part of the business, and he has no animosity over having to accept less money for this upcoming season. “It worked out in the end. You know, it’s part of the business, obviously. And I’m glad to be here,” Evans told ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett.
Seahawks rookie Frank Clark recognized that his team was criticized for selecting him in the second round of this past year’s draft. A domestic violence arrest ended his career at the University of Michigan, but the organization was apparently satisfied with the defensive end’s character. Despite the backlash, Clark said he wasn’t affected by the negative press. “It didn’t affect me in no kind of way, because after the Seahawks drafted me I dedicated my game to them,” Clark told Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. “I dedicate everything I did as far as on that field to them because I owe them a lot because No. 1, some people say they took a risk, I say they just gave me an opportunity to show what I can showcase and they had faith in me the whole time.”
Undrafted offensive tackle La’el Collins ultimately signed with the Cowboys, but the rookie told Birkett (in a separate story) that he seriously considered signing with the Lions. “I talked to coach Caldwell briefly, like, a day after the draft,” Collins said. “First of all, he just wanted me to know he was here for me and that if I needed anything, I could talk to him or if I needed to talk to him, things like that…And honestly, I went on a visit to Detroit and I had a great talk with coach Caldwell while I was there, I had a great meeting with them. We connected in a big way. It was nothing but love and respect for him. I think he’s a great coach; I think they’re going to be a great team.”

Lions Notes: Collins, Mays, Ngata

June 26th, 2015 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

The offensive line was an area of focus during the draft for the Lions, who used their first-round selection on guard Laken Tomlinson. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, the team nearly added another talented rookie lineman following the draft, with LSU’s La’el Collins ultimately opting to sign with the Cowboys rather than the Lions. Here’s more on Collins, along with a couple more items out of Detroit:

Lions head coach Jim Caldwell called Collins the day after the draft, and the young lineman gave “a lot” of consideration to joining the team, as he tells Birkett. “I went on a visit to Detroit and I had a great talk with coach Caldwell while I was there, I had a great meeting with them,” Collins said. “We connected in a big way. It was nothing but love and respect for him. I think he’s a great coach; I think they’re going to be a great team.”
The one-year contract that safety Taylor Mays signed with the Lions is a minimum salary benefit deal that features no signing bonus or guaranteed money, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
Jenny Vrentas of TheMMQB.com spoke to defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who will be faced with unenviable task of replacing Ndamukong Suh in Detroit, about his transition to the Lions from the Ravens. Asked if he suspected he might be traded heading into the offseason, Ngata admitted that the possibility wasn’t initially on his radar, but as free agency neared, he thought it might happen and wasn’t surprised when it did.

AFC Notes: Broncos, Idzik, Jags, S. Smith

May 28th, 2015 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

In a Wednesday mailbag, a reader asked Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post why the Broncos didn’t make more of a push to sign La’el Collins. According to Renck, the lack of a resolution for Collins’ potential criminal case gave Denver pause during the draft — the team shied away from him in the seventh round more because of that uncertainty, not because of the lineman’s vow that he wouldn’t report if he was drafted on Day 3.

Once Collins became a free agent, he narrowed his choices rather quickly to teams with proven quarterbacks, coaches and line coaches. Denver offered all of those things, but Collins didn’t want to play in cold weather and wanted a team close to home, leading him to the Cowboys.

Of course, given today’s news on Ryan Clady‘s torn ACL, the Broncos may be regretting not rolling the dice on Collins with one of their seventh-round picks.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Former Jets general manager John Idzik, hired back in February as a consultant by the Jaguars, has been named to a full-time position of special assistant to the general manager, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. “He’ll do a little bit of everything,” GM Dave Caldwell said of Idzik. “He’s a great cultural fit for us. He has a great understanding of the salary cap and the different ways to do a contract.” As O’Halloran writes, the Jags also promoted Chris Polian to director of player personnel and Chris Driggers to director of pro personnel.
Ravens wideout Steve Smith said he didn’t really contemplate retiring after last season, but he knows he won’t play forever, or even until he’s 40, like Jerry Rice (Twitter links via Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun). Smith turned 36 earlier this month.
Browns third-round running back Duke Johnson wasn’t in attendance when the team’s OTAs got underway this week. However, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, it’s because of a personal matter rather than anything contract-related. Johnson is the only one of Cleveland’s 12 draftees who remains unsigned.
Titans running back Bishop Sankey was a bit of a disappointment in his rookie season, but the Titans are betting he’ll be better following some offseason strength training, Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean writes.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Collins, J. Smith, Giants, Davis

May 15th, 2015 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

In a piece for TheMMQB.com, Robert Klemko details La’el Collins‘ unusual draft journey, from the death of his former romantic partner Brittany Mills to his decision to sign with the Cowboys. Klemko’s story is full of interesting details, including a reveal that, despite telling teams their client would refuse to sign and would re-enter the 2016 draft if he was selected on Day 3, Collins’ agents were probably bluffing.

“We can put it on the record now: We were never going back in the draft,” Rick Smith of Priority Sports said of waiting for the 2016 draft. “If someone had drafted him, we would’ve had a long, long discussion about it, but at the end of the day you can’t go back in the draft. He could get injured, gain weight, or 10 great tackles could come out. Too many risks.”

Smith also revealed that a team – one that had already drafted four offensive lineman – told Collins’ camp it planned to select him in the seventh round, but ultimately decided against it after being informed again by Smith that it would be a waste of a pick. As Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk notes, the only team that drafted four offensive linemen was the Rams.

Here’s more on Collins, along with a few more items from around the NFC:

Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) has the specific details on Collins’ three-year, $1.599MM contract with the Cowboys, which includes a $21K signing bonus.
Speaking on Thursday to Pro Football Talk, 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said he should have “more of a feel” for defensive end Justin Smith‘s future today, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Smith has been mulling either returning for another season or retiring, and is expected to make his decision soon.
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com passes along signing bonus and salary info for the Giants‘ undrafted free agent class. The team’s biggest UDFA investment was Tulane offensive lineman Sean Donnelly, who received $15K in guaranteed salary, along with a $15K signing bonus.
Asked again about his contract negotiations with the Panthers, linebacker Thomas Davis referred to those talks as “a work in progress,” though he expressed optimism that “it’ll eventually get done.” Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer has the full quotes and details.
Defensive tackle Josh Brent has decided to end his playing career, but that doesn’t mean his ties to the Cowboys will be severed, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, who writes that owner Jerry Jones plans to continue to support Brent in different ways.

Draft Notes: Vikings, Rams, Patriots, Bears

May 10th, 2015 at 12:21pm CST by Ben Levine

The Vikings could have an exciting offense next season, and that’s because the front office dedicated last year’s draft picks to improving their team on that side of the ball. Although the organization had acquired some foundational players, including quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, head coach Mike Zimmer said his team was still considering offensive weapons in the first round of this year’s draft. Via Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune…

“The Teddy thing was huge because that was really the number one priority of the organization. We had to get a quarterback we thought could take us to the next level. Honestly, we didn’t go into this draft saying this was going to be a defensive draft. We went in and we had offensive guys targeted, but they might have gotten picked before we could pick them.

When we picked Trae Waynes, there were three or four guys there we thought we would be happy with, but part of it with Trae was the position he plays. Typically when you draft those corners, you draft pretty high. Once it gets down lower, to the second round, they don’t produce like the higher picks. Knock on wood — we hope we’re drafting a little lower next year.”

Let’s take a look at some more draft notes from around the NFL…

The Rams were involved in the bidding for undrafted free agent La’el Collins, head coach Jeff Fisher told ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner. “Yeah, we were involved in it,” Fisher said. “There were some things, we still had some unanswered questions at the time in which he made his decision but we were involved. We were told by them that we were in the final four, which is not necessarily a consolation but we were involved, yes.”
Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston and Colts quarterback Andrew Luck contacted Collins to recruit him to their respective teams, tweets Fox Sports’ Alex Marvez. The reporter adds that the lineman seriously considered the Dolphins‘ pitch.
Mike Reiss of ESPN.com believes the Patriots would have willingly traded their first-rounder if an inquiring team had sweetened their offer. Ideally, the Patriots would have preferred an early second-round pick and a third-round pick in return. Reiss clarifies that the team is still please with their selection of Malcom Brown.
The Bears had been eyeing quarterback Shane Carden during the draft, and ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson writes that the team was thrilled about the opportunity to sign the player as an undrafted free agent. “He was actually a guy that we had good grades on, a guy that could have potentially been a draft pick,” Bears coach John Fox told Dickerson. “Our scouts, obviously, saw a lot more of him than the coaching staff. But he was productive, smart. He has good moxie, being able to execute in a pass offense that throws the ball quite a bit and was very productive.”

Rams Notes: Collins, Barksdale, Rodriguez

May 9th, 2015 at 4:42pm CST by Rob DiRe

Although he signed with the Cowboys, the Rams expressed interest in La’el Collins after not being selected in the 2015 NFL Draft. Head coach Jeff Fisher said the team was “involved” in talks, and that Collins told him they were among the four finalists for his services, according to Howard Balzer of LockerDome.com (via Twitter).

Balzer adds that Fisher said the Rams might have pursued Collins harder had the team not been so successful during the draft (via Twitter).

Here are some other notes surround the Rams during the post-draft portion of the offseason:

Fisher also addressed the ongoing talks with offensive tackle Joe Barksdale, who has not yet been re-signed by the team and is currently a free agent, although there was not much to update on, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN (via Twitter). “We’ve been talking to Joe,” said Fisher. “We’ve had some conversations.”
One of the players the Rams have brought in for a tryout is 5’8″ receiver Daniel Rodriguez, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 27-year-old Rodriguez, who walked on the football team at Clemson, served with the U.S. Army between 2006 and 2010, in both Afghanistan and Iraq, earning a Purple Heart during his service. He now is trying to make the Rams, as an unlikely undrafted free agent.
Rookie orientation for the Rams has come to an end, but the team will keep the rookies at Rams Park until late June, writes Thomas (via Twitter). The team will mix them in with the veterans starting on Thursday.

Cowboys Sign La’el Collins

May 9th, 2015 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

3:22pm: La’el Collins’ contract with the Cowboys has been altered, reports Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). The total value of the contract has been reduced by $50,000 because of the 25-percent rule, which limits the year-to-year raises allowed for rookie contracts.

Collins’ deal will remained fully guaranteed with no offset, according to Pro Football Talk.

SATURDAY, 8:24am: The NFL has “disapproved” Collins’ fully guaranteed contract, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). However, there’s no need to panic if you’re a Cowboys fan; Wilson notes that the two sides will “tweak” the language before refiling the contract next week.

THURSDAY, 3:38pm: The Cowboys formally introduced Collins today at a press conference, as Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News tweets.

1:02pm: Collins’ deal with the Cowboys doesn’t include offsets, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSports.com (Twitter links). La Canfora adds that about 25 teams expressed some level of interest in Collins, who will have a chance to start at left guard this year in Dallas. That suggests that Leary’s days in Dallas could be numbered.

12:34pm: After paying a visit to Dallas yesterday to meet with Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, La’el Collins is signing with the team, according to Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Collins had reportedly been scheduled to fly to Miami to meet with the Dolphins, and had other teams trying to set up visits, but the former LSU lineman has instead decided to join one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.

The news comes as a bit of a surprise, since Collins wasn’t expected to make a decision on his NFL destination until at least this weekend, and it’s not clear if he’s been officially exonerated yet by Baton Rouge police in an investigation into the death of Brittney Mills. Mills, believed to be an ex-girlfriend of Collins’, was shot and killed on April 24. She was pregnant at the time of her death, and while the child initially survived the incident, he also passed away earlier this week.

Baton Rouge police have maintained all along that Collins is not considered a suspect in the case, and a paternity test proved that he was not the father of the child. However, after all 32 teams repeatedly passed on Collins during last week’s draft, it appeared that those clubs would wait for a formal exoneration before proceeding on the undrafted free agent.

Still, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), the Cowboys monitored Collins’ situation closely from the beginning, doing “endless homework” on him, and nearly drafting him a few times. So presumably the organization is confident in the former LSU lineman’s character. According to multiple reports, Dallas rolled the red carpet out for Collins during his visit, with Jones, Tony Romo, and several of the team’s offensive linemen in attendance. The Cowboys owner reportedly told Collins that the club wants to assemble “the greatest offensive line ever.”

Having paved the way for the NFL’s leading rusher (DeMarco Murray) in 2014, that offensive line is already perhaps the league’s best, and it’s not clear if there will be room for Collins in the starting lineup in 2015. Left tackle Tyron Smith, center Travis Frederick, and right guard Zack Martin are all Pro Bowlers, while left guard Ronald Leary and right tackle Doug Free are solid veterans. Leary is heading into the final year of his rookie contract though, while Free doesn’t have guaranteed money on his deal beyond this season, so perhaps the Cowboys view Collins as a long-term replacement at one of those spots.

Collins had been viewed as a likely first-round pick before he was connected to a murder investigation. He and his camp had asked if he could enter the supplemental draft instead, but that request was turned down by the NFL. Multiple reports also suggested that Collins would sit out a year if he was selected on day three in the draft, opting to re-enter the draft pool in 2016, in the hopes of being picked much higher. Ultimately, since he went undrafted, Collins’ options were limited.

Because teams can only offer UDFAs minimum-salary contracts, Collins will be in line for a three-year deal worth about $1.65MM, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. That includes base salaries totaling $1.575MM, plus the team’s remaining bonus money for UDFAs. Collins’ contract will be fully guaranteed, per Rapoport (Twitter link), and he’ll be able to renegotiate it after two years.

The signing of Collins is the latest indication that the Cowboys aren’t afraid to take chances on players with off-field red flags. Already this offseason, the team has signed defensive end Greg Hardy – who now faces a 10-game suspension for a domestic violence incident – and used a second-round draft pick on Nebraska pass rusher Randy Gregory, who failed a drug test at the combine.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tony Romo Discusses Future, Organization, Collins

May 9th, 2015 at 10:53am CST by Ben Levine

Tony Romo isn’t getting any younger, and the Cowboys’ recent moves could be indication that the team is loading up for one final playoff run. Three of the team’s moves have received particular attention: the selection of defensive end Randy Gregory and the signings of defensive end Greg Hardy and offensive lineman La’el Collins.

Whether these moves are successful remains to be seen. Regardless, the team’s franchise quarterback is a particular fan of the transactions, and he indicated that some of the signings could actually help extend his career. Michael Florek of the Dallas Morning News caught up with Romo at the Emmitt Smith’s Charity Invitational Dinner, and the veteran discussed his reactions to the moves. We’ve compiled some of the more notables quotes below…

On the Cowboys’ window to compete for a Super Bowl:

“I just think the way Jason and Stephen and Jerry have built this team over the last three or four years has been from the inside out and you’re seeing the benefits of that. We’re still going. This wasn’t a one-year, two — we’re building this for the next five, six, seven years to sustain and any time you get an opportunity to get a guy like Collins you should take advantage of that.”

On how long he can continue playing in the NFL:

“When you have a good offensive line like we do the thought definitely crosses your mind to ensure you do everything possible to play longer than maybe what you had envisioned. We’ll reassess that in a few years. My wife will tell you, I’m talking a little more long term than I maybe had been. So we’ll see.”

On the Cowboys’ signing of La’el Collins, and the rookie’s journey:

“There are different paths to where you want to go. His was not ideal, nor was mine. His was different than mine, I don’t pretend, but I do know what it’s like not to get drafted when you know you have an opportunity to and I couldn’t imagine if you were a first-round guy who had to go from that weekend.

“This doesn’t happen 20 years ago, simply because of the internet and social media and what could happen and the way it could be perceived. I feel bad. That’s the one area you have to watch in life is just the attacks. In the court system it’s innocent until proven guilty but in the social world it’s really guilty until you’ve shown everybody you’re innocent. He’s a classic example of that. You hurt for guys like this that take a big hit.”

On Collins’ ability to pick his destination:

“Very few people are afforded that. I feel lucky and blessed now. If you’re going to be a player … there are benefits to picking your team. We all want to go in the first round but that doesn’t happen. You can look at it anyway you want but it still ended up being a very good thing for him.”

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