The Bengals kicked former Cowboys reject La'el Collins to the curb earlier this week in an effort to clear cap space for next season. If Dallas let Collins go before, why bring him back this year?
The short and simple answer is to boost their offensive line depth. The 30-year-old right tackle was just released by Cincy from the PUP list and dangles above NFL teams as a tantalizing free agent. Collins suffered a torn ACL last December and underwent knee surgery in January; the Bengals placed him on PUP to start the season, so clearly he's not completely healthy.
While the Bengals' front office may be lamenting the money they flushed down the drain on a once highly touted blue-chip talent, other teams could see Collins' release as a perfect opportunity to buy low.
Collins has played 15 games or more in four of his last six seasons and could return to the field late in the year to give a team extra depth in the trenches during a pivotal stretch of the year. In Dallas, Collins would hop in as a backup right tackle, sitting behind the reason he got cut in the first place: Terence Steele.
Cowboys: La'el Collins may be worth taking a second chance on
Now, Collins is in no position to usurp the trustworthy Steele. He posted a 44.2 pass-block grade per Pro Football Focus last year, and given his age and performance level, he's not getting his starting job back. Still, his years-long familiarity with the O-line unit and potentially cheap cost could make the Cowboys interested enough to bring back an old friend.
"Friend" may be too nice of a word to describe Collins' relationship with the Cowboys after Dallas hinted at his maturity issues just two years ago. But why can't burned bridges be rebuilt? Everything that happened in the past -- Collins' substance abuse violation, weight issues, lack of accountability -- is in the past.
If Collins wants to redeem himself in Dallas, the Cowboys should let him have that chance -- albeit on a dirt-cheap one-year deal. At worst, Collins may revert to old habits and serve as a disappointing reminder as to why the Cowboys offloaded him ahead of the 2022 season.
But at best, Collins would plug in as quality backup as needed, maintain a respectable standard of play, and improve the team's overall chemistry. In his seven seasons in Dallas, Collins had gotten quite close to quarterback Dak Prescott, among other players, and could help Prescott take the next step in his career.
If Dak doesn't convince him to join the Cowboys, Zeke might lure him over to New England instead:
The Cowboys took a chance on Collins years ago when he was an undrafted free agent out of LSU. The circumstances are a little different now, and Collins' relationship with the team has been slightly fractured, but there's no reason why the two sides can't work out a mutually beneficial deal in 2023.
