La’el Collins - Pro Football Rumors

AFC Notes: Wilkerson, Geno, Collins, Browns

May 2nd, 2015 at 10:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

With newly drafted defensive lineman Leonard Williams in the fold, Muhammad Wilkerson‘s time with the Jets could be running out, writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Despite being one of the Jets’ best players, Wilkerson is without a contract beyond next season and, per Mehta, the team isn’t eager to give him a new deal. Mehta argues that it doesn’t make financial sense to dole out big bucks to Wilkerson, especially with fellow lineman Sheldon Richardson under team control through 2017 and cornerback Darrelle Revis signed to a long-term mega-deal.

While the Jets might not be able to go forward with all three as anchors of their defense, Mehta believes they could slap the franchise tag on Wilkerson next offseason and trade him for a first-round pick. For now, rookie Jets coach Todd Bowles will enjoy having Wilkerson as a key cog in what should be a dominant D-line, but it doesn’t seem as if the four-year veteran will be a part of it beyond the 2015 campaign.

Here’s more on the Jets and some of their fellow AFC teams:

Despite adding Ryan Fitzpatrick via trade and Bryce Petty via the draft, the Jets will enter training camp with Geno Smith atop the quarterback depth chart, Fitzpatrick as his main backup, and Petty and Matt Simms fighting for third-string duties, Bowles tells Brian Costello of the New York Post (Twitter link).
The Chargers did “as much as work as [they] could” in researching La’el Collins, but they simply couldn’t take the risk due to lack of information, general manager Tom Telesco tells Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union Tribune (via Twitter). Broncos GM John Elway said the same thing (Twitter link via Lindsay Jones of USA Today), and I imagine nearly every team’s front office felt the same way.
The Browns didn’t end up drafting a quarterback, but GM Ray Farmer says that wasn’t by design. Farmer adds that the club’s grades simply didn’t match up with availability (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).

Connor Byrne contributed to this post.

La’el Collins Plans To Sign Soon

May 2nd, 2015 at 6:28pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Though some believed he could be drafted today, former LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins did ultimately go undrafted as he waits to speak with investigators next week regarding his involvement an ongoing murder case. However, Collins does intend to sign a contract once he is cleared, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, although that won’t come until Monday at the earliest, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

Collins is scheduled to speak with police on Monday, so interested teams obviously want to wait until that meeting is concluded before they move forward. Collins isn’t regarded as a suspect in the case, but it’s understandable that teams don’t want to take the risk until the matter is resolved. Though reports indicated that Collins wouldn’t sign with a contract unless he was drafted on Day Two, that could have just been posturing as Collins tried to force clubs to choose him yesterday.

Despite his attempt to be removed from this year’s draft, Collins wasn’t allowed to enter the supplemental draft, and though he may have aimed to enter the 2016 draft, we learned earlier today that that won’t be allowed either. No matter the outcome, the events of that past ffew days will have terrible consequences: either Collins was involved in a horrific incident, or he is innocent and lost millions of dollars due to unfortunate timing.

According to Connor Orr of NFL.com, the Giants were among the teams “thinking” about Collins during the draft, but scouting director Marc Ross says New York wasn’t going to take that type of risk. Additionally, the Bills GM Doug Whaley says his club won’t consider Collins as a UDFA, calling the entire situation “too cloudy” right now (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW).

As an undrafted free agent, Collins won’t be able earn the type of money he would have as a first-rounder, but as Florio writes in the piece above, Collins’ financial future may not be entirely dire. There are a number of benefits to signing a UDFA contract, including a shorter length of deal (three years as opposed to four), and the ability to renegotiate after just two years. Plus, even if RFA tender levels continue to rise at only their current five percent rate, Collins could end up making a significant amount of cash.

Eagles Notes: Mathis, Lions, Collins

May 2nd, 2015 at 4:17pm CST by Rob DiRe

Before the draft, many fans and pundits expected the Eagles to be aggressive in moving up to try to get Marcus Mariota and other players in order to strengthen the roster, putting current players and future draft picks on the trading block in order to create packages to go after prospects they valued highly.

They did trade up once in the early rounds to select Eric Rowe, but actually leave the weekend without trading any players and actually managed to come away with an extra 2016 third-round pick after trading their fourth-round pick to the Lions.

Here are a few notes surrounding the Chip Kelly and the Eagles on trades and the NFL Draft:

Evan Mathis is one player who has been rumored to be available, but he remains an Eagle even if he has a strenuous relationship with his head coach. Kelly said that Mathis has been available for two years now, and no team has made an offer for him yet, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (via Twitter).
No offer may have been on the table, but Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that the Lions had some interest in Mathis before acquiring two guards in the first round (Laken Tomlinson at No. 28, and Manny Ramirez via trade from the Broncos).
Kelly also confirmed that controversial prospect La’el Collins was removed from the team’s draft board following his recent legal issues, despite his first-round talent, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).

Latest On La’el Collins

May 2nd, 2015 at 11:27am CST by Ben Levine

11:27am: According to Schefter (on Twitter), a team that had been “strongly considering” Collins will actually pass on the lineman. The writer notes that anything could now happen, perhaps indicating that Collins may go undrafted after all.

11:06am: While some members of the media expected talented offensive lineman La’el Collins to be selected on Friday evening, the LSU product since hasn’t heard his name called. That may change today, as ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter reports (via Twitter) that Collins is “likely” to be picked at some point this afternoon.

We learned yesterday that the player was considering not signing with a team if he wasn’t selected in the first three rounds. The logic behind this decision is simple; if Collins is drafted but doesn’t sign, he’d have the opportunity to enter the draft next season. If his stock improves, he could be selected earlier in 2016, and he would subsequently receive a significantly higher salary.

However, as NFL.com’s Albert Breer points out (on Twitter), Collins will not be allowed to re-enter the draft is he goes undrafted this weekend. Going undrafted seems to be the worst-case scenario for the guard, as the bonuses for undrafted free agents don’t come close to the salaries for those actually drafted.

According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), Collins will meet with Baton Rouge investigators on Monday regarding the murder of his ex-girlfriend. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Albert Breer tweets that the player’s attorney contacted all 32 NFL teams yesterday to “explain Collins’ situation.”

NFC Quotes: Payton, Thompson, Kelly, Jones

May 2nd, 2015 at 9:42am CST by Ben Levine

It’s been a busy past few days in NFL front offices, and some of the draft selections by the league’s front offices have left pundits befuddled. The league’s reporters made sure to follow through with those curious selections, and we have some of the more notable responses below…

Saints coach Sean Payton, who opined yesterday that La’el Collins would be drafted in the second or third round, on why his team passed on the embattled lineman (via ESPN.com’s Mike Triplett):

“I don’t know that we would consider that right now until we had more clarity. And it seems like there’s a rush for everyone. And one of the things I said this morning was, ‘Man, we’re right down the road. Are we able to get some information the other teams don’t have yet?’ And so I haven’t had that or gotten that information yet to answer that as a yes.”

Packers general manager Ted Thompson on his team not selecting an inside linebacker (via Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com):

“It’s a simple plan, but we wanted to make sure we got football players. And we think we got a couple more tonight…We’re going to address [inside linebacker] just like we address all other positions and try to make it as strong as we can.”

Eagles coach Chip Kelly on the team’s decision to select linebacker Jordan Hicks despite having greater needs (via Les Bowen of Philly.com):

“He was our highest-rated guy by far. We had him rated in the second round. We had great exposure to Jordan; he was the individual we saw the most this offseason.”

Kelly on how the Hicks selection could impact Mychal Kendricks‘ role on the Eagles (via Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com):

“We’re excited to get him back here. I know he spent the draft with his brother, which we understand. He said he should be back here next week, but I think you’re always gonna draft players, and when you bring ‘em in here, the one thing you want is you want competition at positions. We knew going in at the end of last year that with just Mychal and DeMeco that we really had to shore up the inside linebacker spot. “

Jerry Jones on the Cowboys selecting Randy Gregory with the No. 60 pick (via NFL.com’s Marc Sessler):

“I think it gives us enough confidence that we can work through some of the issues that have basically caused him to drop and maybe improve on that. That’s certainly the plan and have us a heck of a contribution to winning.”

NFC Notes: Eagles, Bennett, Collins, Boone

May 1st, 2015 at 11:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The latest from the NFC as Friday comes to a close:

Eagles coach and football czar Chip Kelly said he hasn’t received any calls regarding linebacker Mychal Kendricks, according to Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). The Eagles have been shopping the three-year veteran, as Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported earlier this week.
In other Eagles linebacker news, one scout called their selection of Texas’ Jordan Hicks in the third round (84th overall) a “stupid pick,” per Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com. However, the Bengals would’ve taken him with the next pick, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Further, Kelly says the Eagles had a second-round grade on Hicks and saw him more than any other prospect prior to the draft, reports the Inquirer’s Zach Berman (via Twitter).
Despite all the recent rumors surrounding his team, Kelly claims he hasn’t talked to anyone during the draft about trading players, according to Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter). What’s more, Kelly had to call multiple players recently to tell them that they weren’t trade bait, per USA Today’s Lindsay Jones (Twitter link). Mosher reports (Twitter link) that Kendricks and cornerback Brandon Boykin did not receive calls, while defensive end Vinny Curry did.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace says tight end Martellus Bennett has not requested a trade, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). However, Biggs notes that Bennett might want more money. Bennett, who amassed 90 catches and six touchdowns in 2014, has two years left on his contract, but no guaranteed money left. He was said earlier this week to be on the trade block.
Saints head coach Sean Payton says the team hasn’t taken LSU offensive tackle La’el Collins off its board, per Sean Fazende of Fox 8 (Twitter link). On the possibility of using a seventh-round pick on Collins, Payton went on to state, “I don’t know that we would consider that right now until we get more clarity.” Collins, whom Baton Rouge police wish to question regarding the murder of his ex-girlfriend, has seen his draft stock drop precipitously in recent days, and may not sign with a team that drafts him tomorrow.
General manager Trent Baalke says the 49ers haven’t spoken with guard Alex Boone or his agent, tweets Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle. Boone, who is entering the final year of his contract, will skip all voluntary offseason activities. Baalke referred to that as a “non-issue.”
Before the Rams swung a deal Friday to swap second-round picks with the Panthers (going from 41st to 57th) and acquire a pair of other selections, St. Louis had discussions with five other teams, per Howard Balzer (Twitter link), who says the team was willing to move down so far in the second round in order to pick up a third-round pick. Coach Jeff Fisher said the Rams were comfortable moving down because they felt they’d still be able to get one of the offensive linemen they liked, according to ESPN’s Nick Wagoner (Twitter link). That proved true, as they ultimately took Wisconsin offensive tackle Rob Havenstein.
Trading up could be a possibility Saturday for the Cardinals. Their general manager, Steve Keim, mentioned the possibility twice Friday, reports Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic (Twitter link).
The Cowboys would be comfortable taking a running back in the fourth round, tweets Rapoport.

La’el Collins Won’t Sign If Drafted On Day 3

May 1st, 2015 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

As we wait to see whether a team decides to take a chance on LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports that Collins and his camp are formulating a plan to salvage his value. According to Schefter (Twitter link), if Collins isn’t selected tonight, he’ll decline to sign a contract and will resubmit his name next year for the 2016 draft.

If Collins were to be selected on Saturday in the sixth round, for instance, the idea is that he wouldn’t sign his rookie contract with that team. Based on my reading on the CBA, Collins would then have the opportunity to be drafted in 2016 by any team except the club that drafted him in 2015.

It’s not clear yet if Collins and his reps will go through with this plan, or if it’s an effort to create leverage, but it makes some sense if the offensive lineman’s camp is confident he’ll be cleared in the ongoing police investigation in Baton Rouge. Collins is currently scheduled to speak to police in Louisiana on Monday.

If teams were to head into next year’s draft confident in Collins’ character, it could restore his value, making him an early pick and landing him a larger contract. Still, it would be a risky play to sit out an entire season, particularly since concerns about his character could persist throughout the year.

Latest On La’el Collins

May 1st, 2015 at 2:10pm CST by Ben Levine

It was only two weeks ago that La’el Collins was expected to be selected in the first round. Plenty has changed since then, as Baton Rouge police would like to speak to the former LSU offensive lineman regarding the murder of his ex-girlfriend. The vicarious involvement in the case has resulted in the guard’s stock plummeting, even though he hasn’t been named a suspect.

According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter), Collins will meet with investigators on Monday, and teams are hoping to have “reports from security directors” by this evening. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Albert Breer tweets that the player’s attorney contacted all 32 NFL teams to “explain Collins’ situation.”

Draft Rumors: Williams, Gurley, Collins

May 1st, 2015 at 11:24am CST by Zachary Links

Some of the latest fallout from the first round..

Some promising news for Jets fans and Rams fans: teams had USC defensive end Leonard Williams as their top-rated defensive player and at least three had Todd Gurley as their top-ranked offensive player, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
The view on Williams’ shoulder problem is that it’s not a long-term issue and is only a problem that might slow his development a bit, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Jets nabbed the USC star with the No. 6 overall pick last night.
Several scouts and execs tell John Middlekauff of 95.7 The Game (on Twitter) that they feel Randy Gregory is the best player left on the board.
La’el Collins’ attorney reached out to the security directors for all 32 teams to try to provide clarity on his situation, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. Breer (link) feels that it’s unlikely that the LSU offensive lineman will hear his name called tonight, but he could be drafted tomorrow.

Draft Rumors: Collins, Gregory, DGB, Spain

April 30th, 2015 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s “some suspicion” that LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins may go undrafted all three days this weekend, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). Even though Collins is not considered a suspect in a Louisiana police investigation, the case involves a shooting death and NFL investigators haven’t been able to uncover much info on it, so teams figure to play it safe until they know more. In an effort to buy time to clear his name, Collins asked for permission to withdraw from his draft and be eligible for the supplemental draft instead, but the league denied that request.

Here’s more on the draft:

A personnel man whose team has a top-10 pick tells Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link) that his team is preparing to draft Nebraska edge rusher Randy Gregory tonight. “We’re not going to let him get past us,” Getlin’s source said. That sounds like it could be a smoke screen, given all the negative reports swirling around Gregory this week. Still, according to Getlin, this personnel man believes Gregory may be the most talented player in the draft, likening him to Derrick Brooks and Jason Taylor (Twitter links).
A source close to Dorial Green-Beckham‘s camp tells Danny Parkins of 610 AM in Kansas City (Twitter link) that the Chiefs, Cowboys, Bengals, Texans, and 49ers have shown “a lot” of interest in the young wideout within the last 36 hours.
West Virginia offensive lineman Quinton Spain, who received a fourth-round grade from some teams, worked out for the Jets, Steelers, Bengals, Titans, Falcons, and Buccaneers, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
Albert Breer of the NFL Network identifies six teams he believes can control this year’s draft.