La'el Collins
So far, Collins has been one of the most disappointing free-agency signings for the Bengals in recent memory. He (really the offensive line as a whole) started out terrible, and, while they've improved quite a bit since those first two games against the Steelers and Cowboys, it's safe to say we'd like to see more out of him moving forward, especially for someone with a $21 million price tag.
Through five games, Collins has the second-lowest PFF grade among the starters on the offensive line with a 53.2, only ahead of rookie Cordell Volson. I can say with confidence that that is not what was envisioned when Collins was signed to the team this off-season, especially not after his comments about being the 'new bodyguard in town'.
New Bengals OL La’el Collins told Joe Burrow “your new bodyguard is in town” when he talked to his new QB, he said in a video statement released by the team. pic.twitter.com/9cST3yYh5O
— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) March 20, 2022
The lowest of his rocky start to his career in Cincinnati came in Week 2 against his former team, the Dallas Cowboys. Collins looked utterly lost in a game where the O-Line (as well as playcalling, which has been the theme this season) struggled arguably the most over any other facet of this team.
Now, again, we have seen some improvement from Collins and the line as a whole since those abysmal first two weeks, and he had missed most of training camp with a back injury, so I don't think this signing should completely be written off as a 'bust' just yet. We better see more from Collins moving forward, especially if this team wants to still be playing football deep into January.