The Dallas Cowboys may be bringing back a player who even pre-dates Dak Prescott’s time with the team.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that veteran offensive lineman La’el Collins is arriving in Dallas for a workout this week with the Cowboys. Rapoport adds that the Cowboys could sign Collins to their practice squad as he works his way back into football shape.
The 30-year-old Collins signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent out of LSU in 2015 and spent the first seven seasons of his career with them. He developed into a stud in Dallas (particularly as a run blocker), making 71 total starts for the team and helping anchor one of the best offensive lines in all of football. On top of his impressive pancake highlights, Collins gave the Cowboys important versatility by shifting sides to become a full-time right tackle from 2017 onward.
Collins’ star did fade in recent years though. After a big drug suspension spectacle in 2021, the Cowboys gave Collins permission to seek a trade (though they eventually released him with three years left on his contract). Collins then signed with the Cincinnati Bengals and spent the 2022 season with them. But he suffered a torn ACL and MCL late that year and hasn’t played in a game since.
These days, the 11-5 Cowboys are gearing up for another playoff push and have the opportunity to beat out the Philadelphia Eagles for the division title. Collins, if healthy, might be able to provide Dallas with some decent reps, especially with LG Tyler Smith recently suffering a torn plantar fascia.
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The Dallas Cowboys have lost two starting offensive linemen in two days. Earlier on Monday, reports surfaced that offensive guard Rob Jones broke a bone in his neck during Sunday’s practice at the River Ridge Fields in Oxnard, California. Jones is expected to miss two to three months and could leave the team leaning on rookie Tyler Booker to protect quarterback Dak Prescott in Week 1 when they play the Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas Cowboys OL Tyler Guyton suffered an injury On Monday, starting left tackle Tyler Guyton exited practice with an injury. “Cowboys LT Tyler Guyton went down during training camp and, after being on the ground for a couple of minutes, gingerly walked to the locker room with some help,” posted Ari Meirov of the 33rd Team. Guyton, 24, was the Cowboys’ 2024 first-round pick out of Oklahoma. He appeared in 15 games last season and started in 11. As of this publishing, it’s unclear how serious the injury is to the six-foot-eight, 322-pound athlete. Per OurLads, Asim Richard is listed as Dallas’ backup LT on the depth chart. The Cowboys drafted Richards in the fifth round in 2023. He’s appeared in 21 games and started one. The injuries are starting to mount for the Cowboys’ offensive line, and that’s a concern for an offense that needs to protect Prescott, coming off a season-ending injury in 2024.
The New York Yankees have been busy making moves as the trade deadline looms, and it doesn’t look like they’re slowing down anytime soon. Fresh off the addition of Ryan McMahon to bolster their lineup, the Yankees are shaking things up once again. This time, it’s not about who they’ve brought in, but rather who they’ve decided to part ways with, and it involves a familiar name who spent just a single season in pinstripes. Jack Curry reported on the trade on X saying, “The Yankees have traded Carlos Carrasco to the Braves for a PTBNL [player to be named later] or cash.” Given that the trade took place a few days before the deadline and just hours before a series opener at home against the division rival Tampa Bay Rays, fans had a lot to say. One fan said, "HAL WASNT LYING! THEYRE EXTREMELY ACTIVE." Another fan added, "CASH CONSIDERATIONS IS ON FIRE THIS TRADE DEADLINE!!!!" "CASHMAN YOU BEAST," said a fan. Another fan commented, "Gonna be the new Jessie Chavez" "Weird trade," said a fan not convinced with the move. Another fan said, "what does this look like? a NURSING HOME?! bffr." The Yankees picked up Carrasco on a minor-league deal back in February, and thanks to early injuries to Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil, he found himself in the Opening Day rotation. Unfortunately, things didn’t go smoothly. Carrasco struggled in his eight appearances (six starts) with New York, posting a 5.91 ERA and recording 25 strikeouts over 32 innings. He was designated for assignment on May 6 and sent to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre two days later. He got a brief recall on June 1 but was quickly designated again on June 3, staying in the organization since then. In Triple-A, though, he turned things around, putting up a solid 3.27 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) over 52 1/3 innings. While the Yankees are still in the hunt for veteran pitching, Carrasco wasn’t viewed as a big-league option for them. Instead, he now heads to Atlanta, where he’ll have a real shot at earning a rotation spot. Across his MLB career with the Cleveland Guardians, New York Mets and Yankees, Carrasco has a 4.18 ERA in 332 games (283 starts).
The Boston Red Sox got some bad news in the infield. Rookie infielder Marcelo Mayer has gotten a lot of time at second base and third base. Since Alex Bregman returned, Mayer has gotten most of his action at second base while also filling in as the Red Sox worked Bregman back slowly. Unfortunately, he's on the Injured List, though, due to a wrist sprain. MassLive.com's Christopher Smith shared the lastest update on Mayer from Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Saturday noted that he's "not gonna play soon." "No new updates on Marcelo Mayer's wrist sprain, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said," Smith shared. "'Just waiting for results and see specialists and all that stuff,' Cora added. 'He's not gonna play soon. So have to make sure where we're at and what the course of action is going to be.'" Losing Mayer is tough. Defense has been a question mark for Boston once again this season but Mayer has helped in that area. With Mayer out, Ceddanne Rafaela is expected to get a lot of action at second base. That helps to alleviate the logjam in the outfield, but also removes arguably the best defensive center fielder in the game. Boston isn't at full strength and Cora noting he's "not gonna play soon" certainly doesn't sound positive. Before going down, Mayer was slashing .228/.272/.402 with four homers, 10 RBIs, and eight doubles. Will the Red Sox add another piece ahead of the trade deadline? It absolutely makes sense at this point.
Stuart Skinner’s place with the Edmonton Oilers is perhaps less certain than it’s ever been. The expectation seems to be that he will start the season for the team, but in a recent post, The Athletic columnist Allan Mitchell wrote, “Skinner could be involved in a trade for a goalie upgrade. He would be part of the ask.” Given Skinner’s role in back-to-back Stanley Cup Final runs and his team-friendly $2.6 million cap hit, it’s not going to be easy to part with an effective netminder at a low cap hit for a bigger swing. But with new GM Stan Bowman openly evaluating the goaltending depth chart, the Oilers seem willing to explore every option in their all-in pursuit of a Cup. Skinner, 25, has logged 50 playoff games over the past three seasons and proven capable of carrying a heavy load. Yet his playoff inconsistency has left some wondering if the Oilers need a more dependable presence in net. But, it’s not as simple as moving out the backup, keeping Skinner, and getting a clear upgrade. More likely, any team giving Edmonton a true No. 1 is going to want Skinner back as part of the trade. For example, there’s no way the New York Islanders are moving Ilya Sorokin without another plan between the pipes. Jeremy Swayman isn’t coming from Boston unless the Bruins know they have a starter in place for when Swayman is gone. If the Sabres were to trade Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, they’d need a goalie to replace him. This is not to say any of these teams are looking to trade their starters or that serious conversations have been had with the Oilers, but you get the point. There’s risk in moving a young, affordable starter, but if Bowman believes a goaltending upgrade is the missing piece, Skinner’s inclusion could be what seals a blockbuster.
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