Former LSU offensive lineman La’el Collins, a first-round prospect who went undrafted, signed with the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday.
The three-year, $1.7 million contract is fully guaranteed, which is rare, if not unprecedented, for undrafted players. But Collins’ case is unique: He went undrafted due to concerns about his involvement in a murder the week before the 2015 NFL Draft.
Collins, who was considered a possible first-round pick, was never a suspect in the case, according to Baton Rouge police. But they wanted to talk with him.
With teams leery of drafting him, Collins tried to pull out of the draft last week, with the hope of entering the supplemental draft in the summer. The NFL denied that petition; and, after Collins went undrafted in the first round Thursday, he threatened not to sign with any team and re-enter the draft in 2016 if he was not drafted in rounds two or three on Friday.
In the end, no team drafted him at all — meaning he could not re-enter the draft next year and immediately became an undrafted free agent eligible to sign with the team of his choice.
After Collins met with police Monday, teams started contacting him. He had an impromptu dinner meeting with Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan in Baton Rouge on Monday and had received interest from the New York Giants, Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers as well.
He was supposed to visit the Dolphins in Davie, Fla., on Friday. But he never got out of Dallas, where he reportedly met with Jerry Jones at his home Wednesday night.
Collins joins perhaps the league’s best young line — a group that includes Pro Bowl center Travis Frederick and Pro Bowl right guard Zack Martin. According to the Dallas Morning News, Collins is expected to battle Ron Leary at left guard. Former first-round pick Tyron Smith is the starter at left tackle and veteran Doug Free mans right tackle.
Another report from NFL Media indicated the Cowboys see Collins as a so-called sixth man, backing up at guard and tackle, during his rookie season. The Cowboys also drafted two tackles last weekend: Chaz Green and Laurence Gibson.
Wherever he plays for Dallas, Collins finally has found a team after a week of uncertainty.
On Monday, Collins was interviewed by Baton Rouge police for more than an hour about the shooting death of a 29-year-old pregnant woman — his former girlfriend, Brittney Mills — on April 24.
Collins told them he was in New Orleans to attend a Pelicans NBA playoff game the night Mills was murdered, the website TMZ reported Wednesday, quoting anonymous sources.
Mills’ son, Brenton, was delivered alive but died one week later. A paternity test indicated Collins was not the father of the boy, Collins’ representatives said Wednesday night. Police later confirmed that. Collins also passed a polygraph test administered by an independent investigator, ESPN reported.
Collins is the third controversial player to join the Cowboys this offseason. The team previously signed defensive end Greg Hardy, who had been charged in a domestic violence incident, and also drafted pass rusher Randy Gregory, who has a well-documented history of marijuana use.