La’el Collins‘ time with the Bengals came to an unceremonious end, and a late-season Cowboys deal did not result in any playing time. Attempting to restart his career, the veteran offensive lineman took a contract with the Bills in free agency, something he recently reflected on. 
Collins noted (via Jonathan Acosta of WGRZ2) the Bills’ dominant showing in the run game against the Cowboys last season caught his attention. That game helped convince him to sign in Buffalo and in doing so join a team which made a concerted effort to excel on the ground following the transition from Ken Dorsey to Joe Brady as offensive coordinator. The 30-year-old will look to carve out a role as a backup tackle or a guard option with his new team.
After serving as a full-time right tackle starter throughout much of his Cowboys tenure and his 2022 Bengals campaign, Collins’ career was interrupted by ACL and MCL tears. That led to a stint on the PUP list and his eventual release. Between that point and the deal which landed him on Dallas’ practice squad, the former UDFA was unsure if his NFL career would continue.
“That’s a tough picture to put yourself in,” Collins said. “To deal with an injury that’s as traumatic as tearing your knee, it’s something you can’t really explain. I felt like last year, I maybe could’ve put myself in a position to play some football, but I knew mentally that the tank was empty.
“That was tough days,” he continued. “That was days where you have 70,000 thoughts in your head running crazy, telling you you might not be good enough. You might not come back.”
A season at full health will be the goal in Collins’ case as he begins his Bills tenure. The LSU alum will find himself behind Spencer Brown on the depth chart for the right tackle spot, but he could provide an experienced backup option at that position. Plenty of time has passed since he last played guard, but he could serve in a second-team capacity along the interior for Buffalo. Strong play – should he find himself in the lineup – would help his free agent stock considerably.
Collins noted he is still in the process of returning to 100% with respect to his knee, and the progress he makes on that front will be key once training camp opens. If he winds up seeing offensive playing time, though, Buffalo could prove to be a suitable environment for his career to get back on track.