Bills head coach Rex Ryan had dinner with La’el Collins
Everyone now knows that former LSU star lineman La’el Collins is the most highly sought-after undrafted rookie and now Rex Ryan of the Bills wants a piece of him.
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As the rounds progressed during the 2015 NFL Draft, it was very clear that teams were steering clear of LSU standout lineman La’el Collins who was in the midst of being questioned for a murder. Now that the draft is over, and Collins’ name may be cleared soon, many teams are hoping to land the big offensive tackle, including the Buffalo Bills and head coach Rex Ryan.
On Monday night, according to Fox 8 Live in New Orleans, the Bills’ head coach met with La’el Collins as the two had dinner in Baton Rouge.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the situation, let’s get you caught up.
Collins was considered a first-round prospect at offensive tackle for the Tigers. He started his career with LSU as an offensive guard before moving over to tackle his junior year and then this past season he was named a second-team All-American.
The senior was expected to be a top target for many teams in the opening round of the draft before an April 24th incident denied that from happening.
On that night, a woman was gunned down outside of her apartment in Baton Rouge, shot in the torso multiple times. She turned out to be Collins’ ex-girlfriend and she happened to be eight months pregnant at the time of her death, and her unborn child was delivered after she was rushed to the hospital, but never made it.
Police brought Collins in for questioning, but was never labeled a suspect. However, it didn’t matter to many teams as they didn’t want to take a risk on a kid who might eventually turn into a suspect in a murder case.
Recently, Collins came out and said that he had a strong alibi for the night of the murder, claiming he was an hour away in New Orleans at the time of the shooting with some friends. He was in town for the New Orleans Pelicans vs. Golden State Warriors game and was nowhere near Baton Rouge.
Teams were still scared off by the possibility and therefore didn’t draft him.
Collins tried to apply to become eligible for the 2016 NFL Draft instead, but he was denied and forced to become an undrafted rookie free agent with a questionable situation looming.
On Monday night, however, Ryan became the latest coach to openly show he was interested in the rookie tackle by having dinner with him.
The list of interested teams grows longer by the day and once his name is cleared, Collins will be a huge get for any NFL team.
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