La’El Collins - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys Notes: Collins, Leary, Jones

May 8th, 2015 at 8:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

La’el Collins decided to choose the Cowboys because of what he hopes will be a more lucrative second contract, reports Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

Cole describes Collins’ mindset of attempting to catch on with the league’s best offensive line in hopes of inflating his value in the process. Collins, who Cole expects to start at left guard in place of Ronald Leary this season, can renegotiate his deal after two years, something the LSU product hopes to do after the circumstances that conspired to keep him out of the draft depreciated his value considerably.

Here is some more news coming out of Dallas on Friday night …

Collins’ arrival doesn’t necessarily mean potential competitors up front are trade bait, Jerry Jones tells Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Leary is perceived to be the weak link on a formidable front, but the 26-year-old guard improved his play considerably last season, finishing as the 19th-best guard in football on Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Davison does list Collins among his locks to start up front — either at left guard or right tackle — along with Tyron Smith at left tackle, Zack Martin at right guard and Travis Frederick at center. Right tackle Doug Free signed a three-year extension in March.
Jones has been busy not just adding three players with first-round talent but discussing it. Calling into a Dallas radio station KRLD, the Cowboys owner said he’d be open to trading the team’s 2016 first-round pick for help now, writes David Helman of Fox Sports Southwest. The question posed to Jones centered on running back or defensive help, to which the owner replied: “I’d be reluctant to, but certainly if the right situation came along that could improve us now, with where we are with (Tony) Romo, his career and where we are with what we’ve put together, it’s a good time to go for it,” Jones said. So the Adrian Peterson-to-Dallas rumors may still be clinging to life. Jones has traded first-rounders for talent in the past with sketchy results, sending the Lions three picks for Roy Williams in 2008 and exchanging two first-rounders with the Seahawks for Joey Galloway in 2000.
Appearing on KESN in Dallas, TheMMQB.com’s Peter King likened the Cowboys’ acquisition of Collins to a “stealth bombing,” allowing Dallas to procure three top-20 players on its draft board. “I bet the average salary of those two guys this year is going to be a million dollars,” King told the radio station. “If that. And so to me, the Cowboys caught a tremendous break in some ways.” They’ll likely total more than $1MM together next year, but a tremendous bargain nonetheless, should these gambles result in consistent on-field availability.
The Cowboys owner offered extensive praise for Collins in an interview with KRLD. Summarized by the Dallas Morning News, the conversation featured Jones preferring Collins’ versatility and desiring a young line that could stay together for as many as 10 years.

NFC Notes: Hardy, Kalil, Bucs

May 7th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The arbitrator assigned to Greg Hardy‘ suspension appeal backed the NFL in the Adrian Peterson case, Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports writes. That could be bad news for the Cowboys star as he looks to cut down his 10-game suspension. Hardy’s deal, signed in March, gives him a base value of $11.3MM for 2015, though much of it is tied into per-game roster bonuses. More out of the NFC..

Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees this offseason, two people with knowledge of the procedures told Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports. Kalil had his 2016 option exercised on Monday despite a frustrating 2014 campaign.
The Vikings “tried hard” to land LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets, but he rightly notes that most of the NFL did as well. Earlier today, Collins signed with the Cowboys. Collins wasn’t expected to make a decision on his NFL future for some time, but owner Jerry Jones clearly won him over.
Buccaneers center Evan Dietrich-Smith has legally changed his name to Evan Smith, which is what he went by until he went to college, Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com tweets.
The Buccaneers have fired pro scouting director Scott Cohen, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

La’el Collins Rumors: Thursday

May 7th, 2015 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

NFL teams can’t make visits to Baton Rouge to meet with LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins until the school’s final exams conclude later this week, but clubs are finding ways around that rule, making informal recruiting pitches and bringing Collins to them rather than going to him. A report last night indicated that the undrafted free agent was visiting the Cowboys in Dallas, and we have more details on that meeting, as well as Thursday’s other updates on Collins:

The Colts are trying to set up a meeting with Collins, and the Falcons are also in the running to sign him, tweets Michael Cauble of WBRZ in Baton Rouge. In total, Collins has five teams on his radar, and is weighing each situation, considering playing time and other factors, according to Cauble (Twitter link).
Per Cauble (Twitter link), Collins is scheduled to fly to Miami for a more formal meeting with the Dolphins within the next 24 hours.

Earlier updates:

Collins received the “red carpet treatment” from Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who hosted the lineman at his private residence in Dallas, and was joined by Tony Romo and the team’s offensive line, writes Chad Sabadie of Fox 8 New Orleans. According to Sabadie’s source, Jones told Collins that the Cowboys “want to assemble the greatest offensive line ever.”
Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Twitter links), who also reported on Collins’ meeting with the Cowboys, writes that the rookie lineman is taking his time, weighing his options, and looking for the best fit.
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com examines what sort of money teams could offer to Collins, noting that clubs already committing a good chunk of bonus money to other undrafted free agents could be at a slight disadvantage, since they’d have little left to offer from their UDFA pools.

Latest On La’el Collins

May 6th, 2015 at 9:52pm CST by Zachary Links

9:52pm: Collins will visit with the Cowboys, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).

7:43pm: The results of La’el Collins‘ paternity test show that he is not the father of his now deceased ex-girlfriend’s child, reps for the tackle tell Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Collins also passed a polygraph test administered by an independent investigator in connection with the case, Anderson hears.

Of course, Collins was still known to have a relationship with Brittney Mills, the slain pregnant woman, and this news alone will probably not exonerate him of wrongdoing with law enforcement or with potentially interested NFL teams.

Meanwhile, a league insider told Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel (on Twitter) that teams are scared about Collins’ situation because he supposedly made threatening texts to the woman who was murdered. Kelly followed that tweet up (link) by saying that Collins should be considered innocent until proven guilty of any wrongdoing.

AFC East Notes: Wilkerson, Collins, Bills

May 6th, 2015 at 9:02pm CST by Zachary Links

Jets GM Mike Maccagnan told ESPN 98.7FM that he’d “like to keep” Muhammad Wilkerson in the organization and added that the drafting of Leonard Williams “doesn’t really impact Mo,” according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Maccagnan added that Wilkerson’s name “comes up periodically” in talks with other teams, but he’s not shopping him (link).
Bills coach Rex Ryan did his best to downplay his interaction with LSU tackle La’el Collins earlier this week, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets. “I did have dinner with him. That’s really the extent of it,” the normally verbose coach told reporters.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter) spoke to multiple players regarding the Wells Report and found that there’s a general indifference towards it because the Patriots won the Super Bowl and that’s not going to be stripped from them.
Alex Carrington‘s one-year deal with the Bills calls for him to earn a $745K base and an $80K signing bonus, according to Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter). He’ll count for $665K against the cap thanks to the minimum salary benefit.

Cardinals Notes: Dennard, Collins, Martin

May 6th, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Bruce Arians said the Cardinals were “extremely comfortable” at cornerback after the recent draft in which they took zero cornerbacks. However, today’s signing of Alfonzo Dennard shows they’re still on the look for upgrades, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes. Dennard, a seventh-round pick of the Patriots in 2012, started 20 games in three seasons with New England. The Cardinals are looking to keep a solid secondary following the departures of defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and cornerback Antonio Cromartie, both now with the Jets. Here’s more out of Arizona..

In an interview on SiriusXM, Cardinals GM Steve Keim called this year’s UDFA class the best that the team has ever signed, Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com tweets.
When asked about the possibility of signing La’el Collins, the Cardinals GM said it’s a “pretty tough decision” until there’s “some type of info you can hang your hat on,” Weinfuss tweets.
Keim says that the Cardinals will be moving defensive lineman Kareem Martin to outside linebacker in 2015, Pat Kirwan of CBSSports.com tweets. Martin would make for a very menacing linebacker at 6’6″ and 270 pounds.

Chargers GM On Gurley, Gordon, Collins

May 5th, 2015 at 8:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Some draft prognosticators had the Rams selecting Todd Gurley at No. 10, but Chargers GM Tom Telesco wasn’t expecting him to be the pick. Telesco told Alex Marvez of SiriusXM (audio link) that he thought St. Louis was set at the position with incumbent Tre Mason in the backfield. It turns out that the Gurley selection altered the Bolts’ draft plans at the last minute and forced them to make a move. Here’s more from Telesco’s chat with Marvez…

Telesco explained that after Gurley came off the board at No. 10, he started making calls to other teams. He didn’t expect the University of Georgia star to be available at No. 17, but he did feel compelled to move up in the draft to get a running back after he was taken. The Chargers, of course, moved from No. 17 to No. 15 in order to draft Melvin Gordon.
The GM said that the Chargers have kept in touch with La’el Collins‘ agent and they continue to “compile information” on his off-field situation. A number of teams are getting background information on the LSU tackle and individual players are working hard to recruit him.
Sixth-round pick Darius Philon could see action as an inside pass rusher in nickel packages, Telesco said. He also said that the team will find a role for inside linebacker Denzel Perryman, whom they drafted in the second round.

La’el Collins Rumors: Tuesday

May 5th, 2015 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

2015’s most noteworthy undrafted free agent is generating plenty of headlines again today, as teams around the NFL consider making a play for him. Here’s the latest on former LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins:

The Giants continue to monitor Collins’ situation and remain “in the mix” for the LSU lineman, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
Another former LSU teammate of Collins, Panthers guard Trai Turner, is doing his best to recruit the rookie to Carolina, as David Newton of ESPN.com details. We noted below that a number of Dolphins players who used to play at LSU are also making an effort to woo Collins.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that NFL clubs are prohibited from visiting Collins at his campus or residence until final exams conclude at LSU. According to Florio, that will happen on May 9, which explains why Collins’ reps say no formal meetings are happening for now.

Earlier updates:

According to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, Collins’ agents are calling teams to let them know who’s in and who’s out in the race for their client. “This is a football decision and that is what we will focus on in helping La’el find the best team for him in the future,” a source in Collins’ camp tells Wilson.
On the other hand, an Associated Press report (via The Denver Post) cites agent Deryk Gilmore as saying that his client isn’t meeting with NFL teams about his pro football future at this time. That doesn’t necessarily contradict Wilson’s report — Gilmore, Collins, and co. may simply be narrowing down their options before making formal visits. Of course, Collins also met with many teams during the pre-draft process, so he may not need to make repeat trips to some cities.
While teams may not be officially meeting with Collins at this point, that hasn’t stopped individual players from recruiting him. According to Chad Sabadie of Fox 8 in New Orleans (Twitter link), current Dolphins – and Collins’ former LSU teammates – Jarvis Landry, Anthony Johnson, and Kelvin Sheppard are meeting with the lineman today.
Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston is “pushing hard” for Collins to come to Tampa Bay, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). Getlin writes that the No. 1 overall pick has reached out to Collins “multiple times” over the last 24 hours to sell him on the idea of joining the Bucs.
Earlier today, we heard that Washington isn’t expected to be a serious suitor for Collins.

NFC East Notes: Collins, Kendricks, McClain

May 5th, 2015 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

As teams finalize their undrafted free agent signings and create room on their rosters for their new players, let’s round up a few items from around the NFC East….

While virtually every team in the NFL has expressed at least some level of interest in undrafted LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins, many of those clubs are more realistic potential suitors than others. According to John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Washington is not among Collins’ likely destinations — Keim was told the club isn’t expected to pursue the lineman.
After initially not reporting to the Eagles‘ offseason workouts, linebacker Mychal Kendricks is in attendance for the second phase of the team’s program, as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes. I imagine Kendricks would still like some more long-term security, but the fact that Chip Kelly denied shopping him and other players during the draft seems to be enough for the time being.
Alabama prosecutors are dismissing charges against Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain, stemming from an incident that took place over two years ago (Associated Press report via ESPN.com). McClain was convicted on misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct in city court in 2014, and appealed to state court for another trial, which now won’t take place.
Jordan Raanan of NJ.com outlines how the Giants made a number of their decisions during last week’s draft.

Extra Points: Manziel, Collins, Jets

May 4th, 2015 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Coach Mike Pettine indicated to 92.3 The Fan that quarterback Josh McCown is the Browns‘ likely starter heading into training camp rather than Johnny Manziel, Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer writes. It’s not a guarantee that McCown opens the season as the starter, of course, but prior to the draft Pettine was reluctant to say much of anything regarding the battle. More from around the NFL..

La’el Collins met with police this morning, cooperated fully, and is still not considered a suspect, the Baton Rouge Police Department tells Jerit Roser of The Times-Picayune (on Twitter). Earlier tonight, we learned that Collins is meeting with Bills coach Rex Ryan in Louisiana.
Mike Rodak of ESPN.com (on Twitter) doesn’t expect the Bills to land Collins.
Meanwhile, one team personnel man told Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) that the entire NFL is monitoring the situation with Collins. “We are all watching this (La’el Collins) situation closely. Every team. If he’s cleared, every team wants him.”
The Jets have fired director of pro personnel Brendan Prophett, sources tell Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter). Prophett was with Gang Green for 14 years.
James Jones and Kevin Boothe are just the latest players to be purged from the Raiders‘ disappointing 2014 free agent class, Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com writes.