NFL Rumors: 3 teams that should bring La’el Collins in immediately
La'el Collins, a former undrafted free agent who signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 2015, is back on the market. The 30-year-old spent six seasons with the Cowboys before joining the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency last season. He started 15 games for the Bengals but tore his ACL and MCL late in the campaign. Cincy cut him from the PUP list before the season.
Now, he's healthy. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound offensive lineman passed his physical and he is expected to sign in the near future. Roughly a dozen teams have reached out to Collins, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, so the veteran should have plenty of desirable locales to choose from.
As recently as last season, Collins was a sturdy and reliable starter at right tackle. He has switched between tackle positions in his career and he even started as a left guard for Dallas, so he offers some theoretical versatility on the front line. Several NFL teams are in plain need of assistance in Collins' area of expertise. These three in particular should be begging him to sign.
No. 3 NFL team to sign La'el Collins: Chicago Bears
Justin Fields has taken 13 sacks across three weeks after leading the NFL in sacks (55) last season. A large chunk of blame falls on Fields, who simply takes way too long to make his reads, but the Chicago Bears' O-line is a mess. Partly due to injury, and partly due to a lack of experienced talent.
Chicago moved heaven and earth to select Tennessee offensive lineman Darnell Wright with the No. 10 pick in April's NFL Draft. There's an understanding in the front office that the line needs work. Most folks' belief in Fields is beyond the point of wavering, but he's a 24-year-old QB in his third season. If the Bears want to give him a real chance to prove his mettle, it will require a half-decent protection apparatus on the front line.
The Bears are fast approaching another year of rebuilding. The summer's main veteran acquisitions, such as D.J. Moore and Chase Claypool, have fallen embarrassingly flat. There is no juice to the Bears' offense and at 0-3, the season is rapidly approaching disaster status.
Collins can only do so much — and he is, crucially, coming off a major knee injury — but the Bears need to search for help wherever it's available. Last time we saw him, Collins was a good enough player to address Chicago's primary area of weakness.