November 05, 2015
Michael Ainsworth/AP
The Cowboys took a chance on La'el Collins, and that gamble is paying off for them so far.
We're not even halfway into the 2015 season and Philadelphia Eagles fans are already looking back at the 2015 NFL Draft and wondering what might have been with La'el Collins, who was one of the most publicized undrafted free agents in NFL history. In case you don't know the full story of Collins' issues leading up to the draft, you can go read Robert Klemko's piece on him at Sports Illustrated from back in May.
The gist of it is that Collins talked to police prior to the draft about the murder of a woman who may or may not have been carrying his baby. All 32 teams subsequently passed on drafting Collins, including the team that eventually signed him as an undrafted free agent, the Dallas Cowboys.
When asked what kind of interest the Eagles had in Collins, Kelly responded, "We didn't have any interest."
That feeling may have been mutual. Within the Klemko piece, Collins reportedly had no interest in playing in a cold climate, as pointed out by Tommy Lawlor at IgglesBlitz.com.
So there it is. The Giants, Jets and Eagles were eliminated from contention simply because of geography. They all reside in the northeast … where it is cold. It snows in the winter. It’s bitter cold and windy. Given the choice, Collins (a Louisiana native) didn’t want any of that.
Collins had a bit of a reputation of questionable character even before the murder case. For example, this was a note that was reportedly posted for NFL scouts outside the LSU weight room at one time:
RE: La'el Collins - This note was posted outside of the LSU weight room a few years ago. #BuyerBeware pic.twitter.com/eyDpHIx95s
— Anthony Ly (@AnthonyLy49) April 30, 2015
The flip side is that Collins is already starting at LG for the Cowboys, and he looks the part of a potentially dominant guard in the NFL. For example, watch what Collins (#71) does to Seahawks DT Brandon Mebane on this play:
Shot 7 - La'El Collins tossing Brandon Mebane "out of the club" as the kids say these days https://t.co/eBluyXaK1g
— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) November 4, 2015
And here he is killing Bobby Wagner and Earl Thomas:
Shot 6 - La'El Collins. Whew. Bobby Wagner and Earl Thomas step right up. https://t.co/kUTUjgeO9p
— Fran Duffy (@fduffy3) November 4, 2015
Collins is a natural fit at the NFL level at LG, and LG is the Eagles' weakest position along their offensive line. The philosophical debate of talent vs #culture rages on.
Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @JimmyKempski
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