La'el Collins is now a free agent after he slipped out of the NFL draft following his connection to a murder investigation, but with a strong alibi in place the former LSU star is getting interest from teams, including the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots and one of those clubs could sign the first round talent in the next week or two.
Collins has been getting attention since before the draft and he was pegged as a first round talent after coming out of LSU. The fact that he is considered to be a first rounder has teams interested and according to Bleacher Report, at least "seven teams" have reached out to Collins about signing. NFL.com first reported that the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins were interested and now other teams are starting to show interest as well.
The Advocate's Nick Underhill reports that the Patriots have "reached out" to Collins and that makes the chase an AFC East battle with the Bills and Dolphins also looking into Collins. The Patriots are "very interested," according to sources, and the report says that "nearly every NFL team" has made contact with Collins. The Patriots have a need at offensive line and adding Collins could be a huge move, especially considering he likely would not have lasted until the 32nd pick in the first round.
The Bills have shown an early interest with Rex Ryan meeting Collins for dinner. The team signed Richie Incognito this offseason, but they need more beef up front after adding LeSean McCoy to the backfield. Ryan also could see this as a way to add a first round pick to his roster after the team traded away their 2015 pick to the Browns. Collins could be a great addition for Ryan and the Bills were one of the first to meet with Collins.
The Eagles reportedly are looking into Collins, while the Dolphins have enlisted Jarvis Landry to help out, as he was a former teammate at LSU. Bleacher Report writes that the Eagles have shown interest along with the New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, Patriots, Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams. Collins is allowed to sign with any team and his rookie contract is capped at a certain number, so that can't be the major factor in the team he picks.
The undrafted offensive tackle is considered to be a first round talent and the police in the investigation have said he is not a suspect. According to NESN.com, Collins has a solid alibi for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, as he was seeing an NBA playoff game with his friends and family. That is one reason why so many teams are likely comfortable with Collins and it could spark a bidding war for him, although he can only sign a three year deal as an unrestricted free agent.
Collins was expected to be a first round pick and now he could land with a team that would have never had the chance to draft him. Collins played at LSU and another team that could be interested includes the Giants. According to Pro Football Talk, the Giants are "in the mix" for Collins and they could add him after the team took tackle Ereck Flowers in the first round.
