For La'el Collins, it was never about talent. It was, in the end when it came to the Dallas Cowboys, about professionalism.
Collins, a blue-chip offensive lineman when he entered the NFL, is getting an end-of-week workout with the Buffalo Bills, a league source tells CowboysSI.com
Collins, 30, has spent most of this season a free agent after his release from the Cincinnati Bengals. He has a chance to be a solid "off-the-couch'' addition for a Bills team trying to fight its way to the playoffs ... if he can recapture his peak of play during his time in Dallas. then he has the chance to join a team getting hot at just the right time.
An undrafted free agent out of LSU due to controversy about his background - he would've been a first-round pick otherwise - Collins spent the majority of his career with the Cowboys. He started 71 of the 74 games he played for "America's Team" and he demonstrated position flex while helping the offensive line become one of the best in the NFL throughout the mid-to-late 2010s.
But the Cowboys tired of some of his behavioral issues as he battled both issues with his fitness and conflicts inside his presence in the NFL's substance abuse program. After Dallas released him in 2022, Collins then signed a three-year deal with the Bengals worth $21 million.
He got off to a good beginning there as he started 15 games as a tackle, but suffered a torn ACL and MCL late in the season that set him back.
The Bills seem to have their starting offensive line largely intact. But Collins as a veteran helper? We're about to see if Buffalo believes he merits another shot.
More must-reads:
- Insider suggests four-time Pro Bowl option for Steelers if Aaron Rodgers doesn't sign
- 49ers sign star TE to four-year extension
- The 'No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft' quiz
- The best selection each NFL team made in the 2025 draft
- Packers Discussing Reconciliation With CB Jaire Alexander To Keep Him In 2025