La’el Collins Wants To Stay With Cowboys

Cowboys offensive lineman La’el Collins is entering the final season of his contract, but if he has his way, he’ll remain with the club for the foreseeable future, according to Herbie Teope of the Advocate.

“I would love to stay in Dallas my entire career,” Collins said. “I love the Cowboys, I love Mr. (Jerry) Jones; I love the Jones family. I love everything about the whole organization and what they’ve done for me as a person and as a player. For me, it’s just all about going out there and taking it one day at a time, and proving myself, proving my worth, showing them that I want to be there by what I do and now what I say.”

A projected first-round pick in 2015, Collins went undrafted after reports indicated he was scheduled to talk with police about the murder of a pregnant woman with whom he was previously involved. Authorities determined Collins had no involvement in the woman’s death, but he wasn’t selected in the draft after his agents indicated he would sit out the season if he were picked after the third round.

The Cowboys eventually landed Collins as an undrafted free agent. The LSU product spent his first two NFL campaigns at left guard, but moved to right tackle in 2017 after longtime Cowboy Doug Free retired. Because he was undrafted, Collins was eligible for an extension after only two pro seasons, and inked a two-year, $15.4MM deal with Dallas in July 2017.

Collins has managed to stay healthy over the past two seasons, and he’s responded with solid production, ranking as the No. 31 tackle in the NFL last year, per Pro Football Focus. The Cowboys have shown a willingness to extend offensive linemen in the past, as left tackle Tyron Smith, center Travis Frederick, and right guard Zack Martin have all received hefty new deals in recent seasons.

However, Dallas also a number of other pending free agents — including quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver Amari Cooper, and cornerback Byron Jones — whom it may deem more crucial to the club’s success. If that’s the case, Collins could hit the open market next spring.