With Zack Martin finally locked up as the highest-paid guard in the NFL with a $93 million contract, the Cowboys can rest easy that their three first-round picks on the offensive line are now all locked up until at least 2023. Tyron Smith and Travis Frederick signed extensions in 2014 and 2016 respectively and Zack Martin is around until at least 2024 with his new deal.
Newcomer Connor Williams has a deal that can keep him here until at least 2021 so the Cowboys have secured the future of the most important position group.T he one player who doesn’t have a long-term future at the moment is the right tackle, La’el Collins.
Collins’ uncertain future with the Cowboys has nothing to do with his character or his performance.
Collins has always been a unique case ever since he arrived in the NFL in 2015.
A sure-fire first-round pick coming out of LSU, Collins found himself in the middle of a police investigation in the days leading up to the draft. A former girlfriend was found shot dead in her apartment and on the eve of the draft, Collins had to fly home to meet with the police.
Of course, this made him nearly undraftable because of the ongoing police investigation and Collins’ career looked to be over before it began.
Collins, who professed innocence all along, was never named as a suspect and was cleared during the draft, but it was too late. The first few rounds had already concluded, and Collins had lost out on millions.
He and his agent made a gamble to let teams know he wanted to make it to UDFA status. And it worked.
This strange turn of events landed Collins in the unlikely locale of Dallas. A team that already had three first-round picks got a pseudo fourth first-round pick when Collins signed has an undrafted free agent.
After two years, the minimum years of service for an undrafted free agent, the Cowboys made good on their promise to take care of Collins and made up for all the money he lost in the draft process; he signed a three-year deal leading up to the 2017 season worth close to $12 million, similar to what he would’ve received had he been drafted in the first round like he should’ve been.
While Collins’ service is guaranteed for the next two years, the Cowboys will find themselves having to make a tough decision very soon.
They already have close to $300 million invested in their offensive line and after 2018, players such as Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott will be eligible for a new contract.
There is only so much money that can go around in the salary cap era and Collins may be the odd man out of the group when it comes for his first real pay day?
Collins battled through injury and played every game at right tackle in 2017 and looks to have that spot locked up again heading into 2018.
Leading into the draft, Dallas floated the Best 5 concept which could’ve resulted in a move back to left guard where he played his first two years. The selection of Williams to play guard secured Collins home on the right edge, leaving off-season free-agent signing Cam Fleming as the swing tackle.
If Collins can string together another strong season, Pro Bowls and All Pro honors could be in Collins’ future; he does play on the most recognizable offensive line in the NFL after all.
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