It sounds like La’el Collins‘ stint with the Cowboys has effectively come to an end. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the organization has given the right tackle permission to seek a trade. If the team can’t find a trade partner, they’ll likely release the offensive lineman.
While the team would only save $1.3M on their 2022 books by releasing or trading Collins, they could save $10M if they designate him as a post-June 1 cut, per ESPN’s Dan Graziano. The front office will have to weigh the financial advantages of waiting against any enticing offers they may receive.
Due to off-field allegations and threats of a holdout from his agent, Collins went undrafted during the 2015 draft. However, after catching on with the Cowboys, it didn’t take the lineman all that long to emerge as a dependable starter. While he had issues staying on the field during his first two seasons in the NFL, Collins started all but one game for Dallas between 2017 and 2019.
However, Collins didn’t appear to be a favorite of the Mike McCarthy-led staff. As ESPN’s Todd Archer notes, the new Cowboys staff never “seemed to be a fan of Collins,” and it could have been attributed to a missed season in 2020 due to injury and a suspension in 2021. Upon returning to the team, Collins didn’t immediately get his starting gig back, although he did end up starting 10 of his 12 games last season.
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