Commanders Urged to Sign Former $50 Million Free Agent Offensive Tackle
The Washington Commanders have managed to win in 2024 without an established offensive line. It’s a group that has appeared to be somewhat patchwork at times with rotating starters protecting rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels‘ blind side at left offensive tackle with Cornelius Lucas and rookie Brandon Coleman.
Things haven’t been much better on the right side of the line, where right offensive tackle Andrew Wylie missed a Week 13 win over the Tennessee Titans with a concussion and it’s not clear whether or not he’ll be back for a stretch run that kicks off at the New Orleans Saints in Week 15.
That’s why Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder thinks the Commanders should at least explore signing free agent offensive tackle La’el Collins to add offensive line depth for a team that’s 8-5 and trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
“Andrew Wylie missed Week 13 with an injury and hasn’t been great this season,” Holder wrote. “So, Washington might want to look into signing another right tackle ahead of the playoffs in case of an emergency. Plus, Collins has experience playing on the interior too. It couldn’t hurt to at least bring him in for a workout and see what he has left.”
If the Commanders decide to bring in Collins for a workout, it shouldn’t be hard to tell if he’s still in playing shape — he hasn’t seen regular season action since starting 15 games for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2022.
Collins Viewed as First Round Pick Before Tragedy
Headed into the 2015 NFL draft, Collins was projected as a surefire first-round pick out of LSU before news broke he was questioned in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, 29-year-old Brittany Mills, who was 8 months pregnant when she was shot to death in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on April 24, 2015 — just 6 days before the draft.
While Collins eventually was ruled out as a suspect and a paternity test showed he was not the father of the child, he went undrafted and eventually signed with the Dallas Cowboys. Almost a decade later, Mills’ murder remains a cold case.
Collins started 11 games as a rookie and then started 32 consecutive games in 2017 and 2018 before the Cowboys signed him to a 5-year, $50 million contract extension before the 2019 season.
After sitting out the entire 2020 season due to injuries, Collins was suspended for 5 games in 2021 after violating the league’s substance abuse policy by missing drug tests and allegedly attempting to bribe the worker collecting the urine samples.
Collins Got Second Chance With Cincinnati
Collins asked for and was granted his released by the Cowboys following the 2021 season and signed a 3-year, $21 million contract with the Bengals, where he started 15 games before a devastating knee injury against the New England Patriots in Week 16 ended his season with a torn ACL and MCL.
Collins, who has $49.9 million in career earnings, was released by the Bengals in September 2023 and sat out all of last season recovering from his knee injury. He signed a 1-year, $1.75 million contract with the Buffalo Bills in April 2024 but was released as part of the team’s final training camp roster cuts in August 2024.
