Why I think Collins replaces Free

[Bullflop]

He'll be tried at both LG and RT to maximize his capabilities at both those positions. It's being noted frequently that he's on the staff's mind to compete with Leary to possibly start there sometime this year. Whether that materializes or not remains to be seen. If Free doesn't recover from his foot woes satisfactorily with the passage of time, it's certainly not inconceivable to think he'd be a candidate to take over there as well. Nice option to have . . .

 

[JohnsKey19]

If(big IF) they intend for him to start this season, I believe it will be at RT given that's where he's practicing now. Can't believe they will move him from LG to RT, or vice-versa, this summer and expect him to start at either as a rookie.

Chaz Green's progress also plays a role in this to a degree.

 

[The Quest for Six]

If(big IF) they intend for him to start this season, I believe it will be at RT given that's where he's practicing now. Can't believe they will move him from LG to RT, or vice-versa, this summer and expect him to start at either as a rookie.

Chaz Green's progress also plays a role in this to a degree.

Collins is now practicing at left guard today..

 

[JohnsKey19]

Collins is now practicing at left guard today..

Precisely

LOL

 

[CowboyRoy]

Leary is a restricted free agent next season and will cost about half as much to keep as Free.

Leary is here for at least one more year. You would assume given his upside you would want to keep him starting. Free is the odd man out. And that isn't to suggest he can't be veteran depth this year, but my guess is he is going to be released next year.

In my opinion you are undervaluing Free. He is a solid RT in this league. And he is signed for two years at a reasonable contract.

So if you were coaching, what would you do? Dump Free next year and have to pay some of his bonus or salary for nothing? Then do what with Leary? Are you going to dump both guys next year? Leary and Free?

Leary is young and on the best line in football. He will get over paid. Much easier just to let Free play out his contract for 2 years and put Collins at Guard. Then you can move Collins out to Tackle if you think he can do more good there once he has a few years under his belt. But by that time our 3rd round pick might develop there.

Sounds like you simply hate Free and want to rush Collins onto the field. And then what do you do with our 3rd round pick tackle from Florida? Is that a wasted pick now? He didnt grade out to be a guard, projected to be a tackle.

Either way the proof will be in the pudding. I am more than confident, that barring an injury to Free, that Guard will be where Collins plays, at least until Free is out of Dallas.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Leary is a restricted free agent next season and will cost about half as much to keep as Free.

Free is signed for two years pal. You gonna eat his salary and bonus? Leary has a degenerative knee problem. Why would they take the risk on him? Smart play is to let Free play out his contract for two more years. Decent contract. Let Colllins take over at Guard this year or next. In two years when Frees contract is up, hopefully our 3rd round tackle we got in the draft will be ripe to take over.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Precisely

LOL

And there you have it.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Take this with a grain of salt.

Yesterday on the talking cowboys show or whatever one it was. Broaddus said he thought after watching some of the OTAs that Collins would be a better fit at OG because of his footwork at this point. Yes, I know, contrary to what some here would lead you to believe, Broaddus does say some negative things about players.

In this case he was basically saying it looked to him like Collins did not have the right footwork to be able to play OT right now.

Now we are hearing he is getting some time at OG.

On another note. I think were heard of Chaz Greens injury history in college. We heard he was hurt in some of the Rookie Camp and now we are hearing he is hurt some in the OTAs. No need to panic this early but it is hard to feel good about it.

 

[Galian Beast]

In my opinion you are undervaluing Free. He is a solid RT in this league. And he is signed for two years at a reasonable contract.

So if you were coaching, what would you do? Dump Free next year and have to pay some of his bonus or salary for nothing? Then do what with Leary? Are you going to dump both guys next year? Leary and Free?

Leary is young and on the best line in football. He will get over paid. Much easier just to let Free play out his contract for 2 years and put Collins at Guard. Then you can move Collins out to Tackle if you think he can do more good there once he has a few years under his belt. But by that time our 3rd round pick might develop there.

Sounds like you simply hate Free and want to rush Collins onto the field. And then what do you do with our 3rd round pick tackle from Florida? Is that a wasted pick now? He didnt grade out to be a guard, projected to be a tackle.

Either way the proof will be in the pudding. I am more than confident, that barring an injury to Free, that Guard will be where Collins plays, at least until Free is out of Dallas.

First Free is signed to 3 years.

Second, it's not just about coaching it is about cap management. There is another draft. Leary is an RFA so he is back next year as well. But we've already invested in Green as well. So it becomes mostly about what do you do at guard. But as I said there is another draft, we can draft a guard next year or the years after that. We could also slide collins in and start Green if Green develops.

I don't hate Free at all.

Not wasting Green at all.

 

[RS12]

Not that it means a thing but the concensus on Talkin Cowboys yesterday was Collins at LG.

 

[xwalker]

Free is signed for two years pal. You gonna eat his salary and bonus? Leary has a degenerative knee problem. Why would they take the risk on him? Smart play is to let Free play out his contract for two more years. Decent contract. Let Colllins take over at Guard this year or next. In two years when Frees contract is up, hopefully our 3rd round tackle we got in the draft will be ripe to take over.

Free signed a 3 year, 15M contract in March. That is an average of 5M per season.

If he is cut after this season he would have received 6M total.

Leary can be retained next season by giving him a 2nd round tender which is 2.2M.

 

[Bluestang]

Free will cost us $3M in dead money to cut next year, and he will account for $5.5M against the cap if he plays for the Cowboys next season. So we save $2.5M there if he's cut.

The 2015 tender for a second rounder now is $2.356M and it's slated to go up for 2016, than the Cowboys could use the cap savings from Free's dismissal and tender Leary with a 2nd round RFA tender.

Either way, you pay for Free being on or off the roster. $5.5M if he stays and you have to pay an extra $2.5Mish to keep Leary or $3M if he goes and with the savings you tender Leary.

 

[CowboyRoy]

First Free is signed to 3 years.

Second, it's not just about coaching it is about cap management. There is another draft. Leary is an RFA so he is back next year as well. But we've already invested in Green as well. So it becomes mostly about what do you do at guard. But as I said there is another draft, we can draft a guard next year or the years after that. We could also slide collins in and start Green if Green develops.

I don't hate Free at all.

Not wasting Green at all.

So if its 3 years, that only bolsters my stance. Free has been the starter at RT since 2010. He is one of the leaders of that line. And he is signed for 3 years. And he is a good RT in this league.

Leary contract is up next year, he is average at best, and he has a degenerative knee problem. Yet this is the guy you are going to keep and Free is the guy you are predicting rides the bench? Gets cut? Doesnt even make sense to be honest. Your going to keep the unsigned guy with a knee issue and replace the guy with a 3 year contract that is a leader and a proven veteran?

Not to mention that Collins is a rookie and him playing guard to start is more in tune with his skill set and lack of experience in the league.

I can say with utmost confidence that barring injury to free, the coaches will not travel down the path you are predicting. It makes little sense from where I am sitting. But I guess we shall see wont we?

 

[CowboyRoy]

Not that it means a thing but the concensus on Talkin Cowboys yesterday was Collins at LG.

The only people that have talked about him at RT is a few on here. Its really quite simple. Free is signed for 3 years and Leary's contract is up. On that info alone, its a no brainer. Why would you resign Leary when you can just put a first round pick in his place? No need to resign him. Free is better than Leary anyway. Oh yah, and he is signed to a very nice contract for 3 more years. Did I mention that?

 

[CowboyRoy]

Free signed a 3 year, 15M contract in March. That is an average of 5M per season.

If he is cut after this season he would have received 6M total.

Leary can be retained next season by giving him a 2nd round tender which is 2.2M.

Leary is going to get gobbled up. And the Cowboys would be hoping he gets gobbled up. So that they get a draft pick in compensation.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Free will cost us $3M in dead money to cut next year, and he will account for $5.5M against the cap if he plays for the Cowboys next season. So we save $2.5M there if he's cut.

The 2015 tender for a second rounder now is $2.356M and it's slated to go up for 2016, than the Cowboys could use the cap savings from Free's dismissal and tender Leary with a 2nd round RFA tender.

Either way, you pay for Free being on or off the roster. $5.5M if he stays and you have to pay an extra $2.5Mish to keep Leary or $3M if he goes and with the savings you tender Leary.

Someone will definitely pay Leary more than that to leave. Solid starting guard on the best line in football. He will be overvalued. Leary has been a stop gab, nothing more. With his degenerative knee issue, let someone else take a chance on him.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Free signed a 3 year, 15M contract in March. That is an average of 5M per season.

If he is cut after this season he would have received 6M total.

Leary can be retained next season by giving him a 2nd round tender which is 2.2M.

Leary will be one of the top guards in FA next year. He is outta here.

 

[Galian Beast]

So if its 3 years, that only bolsters my stance. Free has been the starter at RT since 2010. He is one of the leaders of that line. And he is signed for 3 years. And he is a good RT in this league.

Leary contract is up next year, he is average at best, and he has a degenerative knee problem. Yet this is the guy you are going to keep and Free is the guy you are predicting rides the bench? Gets cut? Doesnt even make sense to be honest. Your going to keep the unsigned guy with a knee issue and replace the guy with a 3 year contract that is a leader and a proven veteran?

Not to mention that Collins is a rookie and him playing guard to start is more in tune with his skill set and lack of experience in the league.

I can say with utmost confidence that barring injury to free, the coaches will not travel down the path you are predicting. It makes little sense from where I am sitting. But I guess we shall see wont we?

Leary is an RFA next year. So he basically has a two year contract and Free basically had a 3 year contract that can easily be voided after 1....

In terms of longevity, Leary will player longer than Free has left at this point.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

There is no way to know if Leary will play longer than free at this point other than just pure opinion and speculation.

There is no way to know who long Leary's knees will allow him to play since it is a degenerative condition that nobody has a firm time line on.

 

[Galian Beast]

There is no way to know if Leary will play longer than free at this point other than just pure opinion and speculation.

There is no way to know who long Leary's knees will allow him to play since it is a degenerative condition that nobody has a firm time line on.

How many more years do you think Free has left as a starter anyways?