Cowboys lose Maliek Collins to broken foot at OTAs

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 26: Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) tries to pass the football downfield as Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Maliek Collins (96) tries to sack him during the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions on December 26, 2016 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. Dallas beats Detroit 42-21. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

The Dallas Cowboys will be without defensive tackle Maliek Collins for an undisclosed amount of time due to a broken foot.

If the Cowboys were hoping to get off to a fast start in their offseason program, they have to be shaking their collective heads. On Friday morning, word came out that defensive tackle Maliek Collins broke his foot and will be out for an uncertain amount of time.

On the positive side, Collins should have plenty of time to heal up and get back into shape for the start of the regular season. The Cowboys’ lineman also fractured his foot back in 2016 at this same point in the NFL calendar, suggesting that maybe he ought to just stay home until things become mandatory in June.

Entering his third year, Collins has carved out a nice role for himself. As a rookie in ’16, Collins notched five sacks before totaling half that number a year ago. If he can get back to disrupting the interior of the opponent’s offensive line, that would go a long way toward Dallas finding a way back toward the postseason.

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At 6-foot-2 and 308 pounds, the 23-year-old offers both size and quickness on the inside, creating some issues for larger, slow-footed guards. Hopefully the Nebraska product can get his foot right before the start of training camp, although the timetable for his return is unknown at this time.

Dallas opens up the regular season on Sept. 9 on the road against the Carolina Panthers before opening their home slate in primetime on Sunday Night Football against the New York Giants.