Should Dallas Cowboys Sign La'el Collins? Lineman Visiting New York Jets & Giants

Former Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman La'el Collins could soon have a new home in the Big Apple.

Collins has been a free agent since his release from the Cincinnati Bengals last month, but that may be changing soon. According to NFL Network, Collins worked out for the New York Jets on Tuesday before visiting the other team that resides in MetLife Stadium, the New York Giants.

Both New York teams have a glaring need along the offensive line, so pursuing a proven veteran like Collins makes sense. The Jets' offensive line has been middling at best this season, and with right tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker suffering a season-ending injury in Sunday's win over the Denver Broncos, that concern grew even larger. Considering that Collins has played right tackle for most of his career, he could be a natural replacement for Gang Green.

Meanwhile, the Giants' offensive line has been arguably the worst in the NFL this season, allowing a league-high 30 sacks through five games. They are also dealing with injuries to several players up front, including star left tackle Andrew Thomas. Quarterback Daniel Jones also left Sunday's loss to the Miami Dolphins with a neck injury, so the Giants are trying to give him some extra protection.

And what about the Cowboys, who have struggled to stay healthy in the O-line? As CowboysSI.com has reported, Collins' behavior here at times was something less than "professional.'' And Dallas hasn't seemed interested in a reunion.

Collins was widely seen as a first-round prospect coming out of LSU in 2015, but off-field controversy caused him to fall out of the draft entirely. That proved to be the Cowboys' gain, though, as the undrafted free agent quickly became a key piece of the offensive line. In his six seasons in Dallas, Collins started 71 of the 74 games he played.

After his release from the Cowboys in 2022, Collins joined the Bengals to help protect budding star quarterback Joe Burrow. Collins started all 15 games he played for Cincinnati, but a torn ACL in December ended his season prematurely. After starting this season on the PUP list, Collins was released by the Bengals on Sept. 12.