The Dallas Cowboys signed former LSU star tackle La’El Collins, arguably the most coveted undrafted free agent in NFL history, to a three-year, $1.65 million fully-guaranteed contract on Thursday.
Collins received interest from almost every team in the league since the conclusion of the draft.
He also had dinner with Bills coach Rex Ryan and several Dolphins players who played with Collins in college did their best to woo him. Bucs new quarterback Jameis Winston, the No. 1 pick in the draft, also aggressively recruited Collins, but he ultimately chose to take his talents to Dallas.
“I got a call from [Cowboys owner Jerry] Jones a couple nights ago and we had a long talk … First time I thought someone had seen me for who I am,” Collins said, via David Helman of the team’s official website. “I had the opportunity to choose, from 32 teams, where I wanted to be. I wanted to be a Dallas Cowboy.”
That decision came as a surprise to some, since Dallas had the consensus best offensive line in the NFL last season and all five of the team’s starting offensive linemen are returning in 2015. But Collins is confident he’ll see the field and have an impact on what he deems to be the greatest offensive line the NFL has ever seen.
“This is going to be the best offensive line in NFL history. Mark my words,” Collins said.
While there are other historic units that could claim that title, like the offensive lines that helped the Redskins and Broncos both win back-to-back Super Bowls in the ’80s, a case could also be made for Dallas after the addition of Collins.
Head coach Jason Garrett said Collins can play both guard and tackle, adding that the team would sort out its best five players in the coming months. Garrett also called Collins mature and tough “beyond his years.”
The #Cowboys monitored La’El Collins’ situation from the beginning, doing endless homework. They nearly drafted him a few times.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 7, 2015
If Collins ends up a Week 1 starter, he’ll probably line up at left guard, despite his preference to play tackle. Before the addition of Collins, the Cowboys’ starting OL lineup read like this: Tyron Smith (left tackle), Ronald Leary (left guard), Travis Frederick (center), Zach Martin (right guard) and Doug Free (right tackle).
Collins: "I just know the guys in that room last night are going to pull the best out of me. I can't sell myself short of of that."
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) May 7, 2015
Collins, of course, was fully expected to be a first round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, but that all changed a couple of days before the draft when he left Chicago to try to clear his name in the murder of his ex-girlfriend.
The 6-foot-5, 305-pound lineman was never a suspect in the case, fully cooperated with investigators and isn’t even a “person of interest” after passing a paternity test and polygraph test.
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