Cowboys create mountain of cap space by cutting La’el Collins
By Mark Powell
The Dallas Cowboys released offensive lineman La’el Collins, creating a ton of cap space in the process. Collins was expected to be cut or traded.
One of the best tackles in the game is hitting the open market, mainly because the Cowboys couldn’t afford his services with their current cap predicament. Dallas has been working all offseason to get under the salary cap, even trading Dak Prescott’s favorite weapon, Amari Cooper, to the Cleveland Browns for financial benefit.
By releasing Collins and designating him a pre-June 1 cut, the Cowboys save $10 million in cap space. Collins shouldn’t have much of a problem finding a new home.
The Cowboys will release La'el Collins today, per source. Expected to be a post-June 1 cut, saves $10 million. No trade but Collins will have a good market once he's free to sign.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) March 17, 2022
Collins drew trade interest from the Patriots and Dolphins, but expect more teams to join that mix now that he won’t cost any draft capital.
La’el Collins free agent destinations
Where will Collins wind up? The Landry Hat, FanSided’s Dallas Cowboys site, theorized five potential destinations — the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens, for starters.
Any team that can afford Collins’ price tag will rightly be interested. The seven-year pro was a staple on Dallas’ offensive line, which made its mark as one of the best in the NFL.
Collins was less dependable over the last two seasons, as he missed 21 of 33 games due to injury or suspension. He underwent hip surgery in 2020, and started 10 of 12 possible games in 2021.
Collins had the best season of his career in 2019, but that was two years ago. Since, Collins has been unable to build upon a career-best campaign, and clearly the Cowboys don’t think he’s worth the price tag.
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