With the news of La’el Collins potentially hitting the trade market, the Cincinnati Bengals should definitely be on the phone with the Dallas Cowboys and try to get a deal worked out for the long-time Cowboys tackle.
Ian Rapoport tweeted on Thursday afternoon that Dallas was having trade conversations surrounding Collins. He’s due $10 million this year and Rapoport made sure to note that there is interest around the league for Collins’ services.
Collins has spent his entire seven-year career in Big D and has played well. He’s jumped around the o-line but mostly has been playing right tackle in recent years.
The #Cowboys are having active trade conversations centered around starting OT La'el Collins, sources say. A mainstay since 2015, Collins is due $10M this coming year and there is interest from other teams.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 10, 2022
Cincinnati Bengals should pounce on the opportunity to trade for La’el Collins
The $10 million that the Bengals would be paying Collins is probably roughly what they’d be looking to spend on a tackle in 2022. Right tackle was filled by Riley Reiff last year but he’s a free agent and was injured at the end of the season, making him an easier option to move on from.
While many fans have floated around the idea of moving Jonah Williams from left tackle to right tackle, adding Collins to play right tackle would be an excellent move for Cincinnati. He finished this past season with a PFF grade of 82.0, so he’d be a huge upgrade on the right side of the line.
Cincinnati has to be aggressive when it comes to their offensive line and making a trade for a tackle with the skillset of Collins would definitely be aggressive. Not only would they have Collins in 2022 but he’s under contract through the 2024 season, meaning the Bengals would have their right tackle for the next three years.
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For a team that was a mediocre offensive line away from winning the Super Bowl, this is absolutely a move the Cincinnati Bengals have to make. Go get La’el Collins.