Can Collins be better than Leary in 2014?

[CowboyRoy]

If Collins can be better than Leary was in 2014, this offensive line is going to roll, with the only possible downside being Doug Free who probably won't be better than he was in 2014.

2014 was Leary's 3rd year in the league, but he didn't start a single game in his rookie year, I'm not even sure if he played a single snap in 2012.

So the question becomes does Leary's 3 offseasons coming into the league as someone who was thought of as a 3rd round pick minus the knee condition and extremely nfl ready trump La'el collins who many had in the top 10 or 15 of the draft minus the legal questions.

I have a lot of confidence in Collins and I'm hearing good things from his teammates about his evolution. I think he could even be better than Zack Martin, which is saying a lot.

I think the combo with him and Smith could be the envy of the entire NFL.

Uh oh....................you only got one like. I think you might have went too far over on the rant when you talked about him being better than Martin. Martin made the pro bowl his first two years and was an all pro his second season. You simply cant get better than that.

You had me before you went too far.

 

[Galian Beast]

Uh oh....................you only got one like. I think you might have went too far over on the rant when you talked about him being better than Martin. Martin made the pro bowl his first two years and was an all pro his second season. You simply cant get better than that.

You had me before you went too far.

Reading is crucial. I didn't say he was better than Martin, I said he could be better. I think he has the physical tools to be a better player than Martin, if he can put it all together, I think he will be. Does that make him a better player today or even tomorrow? Certainly it doesn't and I didn't claim otherwise.

 

[Risen Star]

So this was a serious thread?

 

[erod]

Leary did not start off playing well last year because he suffered a groin injury in camp and tried to play through it. Collins definitely wasn't perfect, but Leary's injury struggles allowed Collins to take his spot. Collins did make plenty of mistakes, but he was better overall than Leary last year.

Collins wasn't nearly as good last year as Leary was in 2014.

Collins was anointed. Now he has to live up to it. I suspect he will.

 

[gimmesix]

Collins wasn't nearly as good last year as Leary was in 2014.

Didn't say he was. Collins was better than Leary last year, probably because Leary tried to play through injury. (We didn't see the real Leary until the last game of the season.) That's why Collins was elevated to the starting role. If Leary had been healthy from the start, it's possible that Collins would not have started until late in the season or that he would have only seen spot duty.

Leary's injury opened the door and Collins showed enough for Dallas to feel assured that he's the future at the position, especially with Leary's knee always being a question mark. Frankly, that also has to be the reason we haven't gotten a decent offer for Leary. He proved that he's a quality starter in 2014.