La’el Collins is set to join one of the NFL’s top offensive lines.
Collins, the LSU standout who went undrafted last week, has signed with the Cowboys, Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Thursday.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Collins’s three-year contract is guaranteed, with Albert Breer of NFL Media reporting the deal is worth about $1.7 million.
Once widely expected to be a first-round pick, Collins instead went undrafted after Baton Rouge (La.) police said they wanted to talk to him in connection with the investigation of the murder of his ex-girlfriend and the subsequent death of her baby boy. Given the uncertainty regarding Collins’s status, NFL teams passed on selecting him in any of the seven rounds.
However, Baton Rouge police have repeatedly said Collins is not a suspect in the case. Moreover, police have said a paternity test found Collins was not the father of the deceased child, according to published reports.
Where Collins fits on a loaded Dallas offensive line remains to be seen, though right tackle and left guard seem to be the most logical spots. The Cowboys also have the luxury of not rushing Collins, and it’s quite possible he could just be a swing tackle in Year One.