The Dallas Cowboys have won the La'el Collins chase and the team has signed the undrafted free agent to a guaranteed contract and this comes after the team got high value for another draft pick in Randy Gregory and now the team may concentrate on signing a veteran free agent like Chris Johnson along with back Dez Bryant, as he is looking for a long term deal and could pull a holdout in training camp in the future.
The Cowboys have had a successful offseason so far and now they have added another talented prospect by signing Collins. According to Pro Football Talk, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram first reported the news about Collins, who was set to meet with the Miami Dolphins and other teams before deciding on the Cowboys. The Cowboys had some fierce competition for Collins and clearly his meeting with Jerry Jones had a big impact on his decision.
The draft saw Collins slip all the way out after he was mentioned in connection with a murder case, but he had a strong alibi and teams knew that he likely was not involved. The incident involved an ex-girlfriend and that is why he fell out of the draft. Collins was getting chased by a number of teams, including the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. Rex Ryan met with Collins and the Dolphins also were hoping to have an official meeting.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Cowboys may add a veteran running back in free agency this offseason and Chris Johnson could be a target. Stephen Jones said on the radio that while the team has not met with Johnson, he is on the radar. Jones also added that signing Bryant to a deal is a top "priority" and that patience is needed to get a deal done. Jones said he is confident that a long term contract will be agreed on with Bryant.
NFL.com reports that Collins has signed a deal worth $1.65 million fully guaranteed over three years and he has the chance to renegotiate the deal after two years. Collins was an undrafted free agent and unlike other rookies, he can sign a three year deal and become an unrestricted free agent after that. According to 105.3 the Fan in Dallas, the deal has $435,000 in the first year, over $500,000 in the second year and over $600,000 in the 2016 season.
Collins was projected to be a first round pick and he likely would have been selected in the top 15 picks had there been no issue with the police. According to reports, Collins was not considered the suspect and his pregnant girlfriend was not carrying his child. NFL.com reports that a paternity test showed that Collins was not the father. Collins already was thought to be one of the best linemen in the draft and now the Cowboys have him for an already stacked offensive line.
Last season the team had DeMarco Murray rush for over 1800 yards and they let him leave because the Cowboys felt part of his success was the strong offensive line. The team basically got two first round draft picks out of this draft with Byron Jones and Collins, as Collins would have been picked there had this issue not come up.