Dolphins showing interest in Cowboys tackle Collins, who’s expected to be traded or cut
The Dolphins are among teams that have expressed interest in Cowboys offensive tackle La’el Collins, who’s being shopped in trade talks and could ultimately be released.
And the interest is mutual.
The Dolphins plan to pursue multiple players to upgrade their offensive line, and Collins is among those on their radar, with a few other teams also in the mix. Jacksonville is among other reported suitors.
Collins has received permission to seek a trade, and the Dolphins were on the list of teams planning to call Dallas, according to a Cowboys source.
There’s also a good possibility that Collins instead might be released, which would make him a free agent.
Collins has three years remaining on his contract and is due $10 million in 2022, with a $15.2 million cap hit for Dallas but a $10 million cap hit for any team trading for him. Dallas would save only $1.3 million against this year’s cap by trading him in the days ahead.
Releasing Collins and designating him a post-June 1 cut would save $10 million on this year’s Cowboys cap. But $6.5 million of Collins’ $10 million salary becomes fully guaranteed on March 22, so the Cowboys would be required to pay that if they designate him a post-June 1 cut.
If Collins is released, his cap hit with his new team would be his 2022 salary and a prorated signing bonus.
After missing the 2020 season with a hip injury, Collins started at right tackle last season – appearing in 12 games – and Pro Football Focus rated him the 15th best of 83 qualifying tackles.
What’s more, PFF rated Collins the third-best run blocking tackle in football. As a pass protector, he allowed two sacks.
Collins was suspended by the league for five games last year; Collins alleged the league suspended him for missing tests of a substance no longer covered by the new collective bargaining agreement (2020). ESPN reported he was suspended for trying to bribe the league’s drug-test collector, but Collins has vehemently denied that.
Collins took his case to the court system but a federal judge upheld the NFL’s penalty.
“Just for me, personally, I felt like I had to, just because it was kinda unfair, being a guy that didn’t fail any drug tests last year,” Collins said after the suspension, which was originally for two games. “The bigger picture was, I didn’t feel like I did anything wrong. I missed a few tests here and there, but to everything that came along with that, I just felt like it wasn’t fair.”
The web site rated Miami’s other tackles - left tackle Liam Eichenberg and right tackle Jesse Davis - 79th and 80th, respectively. Eichenberg allowed nine sacks and Davis 8.
Collins, if released, would join a tackle class including New Orleans’ Terron Armstead, New England’s Trent Brown, Seattle’s Orlando Brown, the Jets’ Morgan Moses and Indianapolis’ Eric Fisher.
Collins, 28, started at left guard in 2015 and 2016 but has played right tackle since. He has started 71 of 74 games over six seasons.
Miami also is expected to explore the guard and center market in the coming days.
THIS AND THAT
The Dolphins don’t plan to tender restricted free agent safety Sheldrick Redwine but there is mutual interest in him returning to the team, agent Drew Rosenhaus said. He appeared in four games for the Dolphins last season.
▪ If the Dolphins cannot agree to a new deal with Emmanuel Ogbah - another Rosenhaus client - then Miami will need to prioritize adding another edge player, either a natural defensive end or an outside linebacker if Jaelan Phillips moves from linebacker to defensive end.
On Pro Football Focus’ top 200 list of free agents, the web site ranks 10 edge players among the top 50: the Rams’ Von Miller (second), Arizona’s Chandler Jones (third), Cleveland’s Jadeveon Clowney (ninth), Dallas’ Randy Gregory (10th), Ogbah (16th), Kansas City’s Melvin Ingram (18th), Carolina’s Haason Reddick (25th), Baltimore’s Justin Houston (30th), Buffalo’s Jerry Hughes (32nd) and Philadelphia’s Derek Barnett (46th).
This story was originally published March 13, 2022 at 5:54 PM.
