Should the Dolphins pursue La'el Collins ... Again?

Recently released offensive lineman La'el Collins could help the Dolphins as a swing tackle when his knee injury becomes fully healed

The Miami Dolphins have courted La'el Collins both times the offensive lineman was a free agent and now that the Cincinnati Bengals have released him it would make sense for General Manager Chris Grier to kick the tires on the injured eighth-year veteran again.

The former Pro Bowl selection started 15 games for Cincinnati last season before suffering a torn ACL on Christmas Eve against the Patriots. 

Collins was on the Bengals' Physically Unable to Perform list throughout training camp, and for the first week of the season. 

But the Bengals signed Orlando Brown to a four-year, $64 million deal this past offseason to protect quarterback Joe Burrow's blind side, which made Collins expendable.

Dolphins have need at offensive tackle?

Collins, who underwent knee reconstruction surgery in January and is eight months into his rehabilitation process, appeared to be the perfect insurance policy for right tackle Jonah Williams. But Cincinnati seemingly preferred to save $6 million in cap space by releasing him Tuesday.

The Dolphins have a need at offensive tackle because of the back, ankle and knee injuries that have prevented Terron Armstead from participating in a single practice without limitations since the spring.

Kendall Lamm replaced Armstead as Miami's starting left tackle in the 36-34 season0-opening win against the Los Angeles Chargers, but Miami has depth issues, especially if Armstead continues to be sidelined. 

Kion Smith is the only other backup tackle on the roster heading into the Sunday night road game against the New England Patriots, and Smith spent all of last season on Miami's practice squad, and lacks polish.

Isaiah Wynn, Liam Eichenberg and Robert Hunt have all manned the tackle spot at some point throughout their NFL careers, but Wynn and Hunt are the Dolphins' starting guards, and Eichenberg's struggles as a rookie tackle were the reason he was moved inside to guard last season.

Is Collins healthy enough to pass a physical?

That's where Collins' potential addition comes in. But the 30-year-old must first prove he's healthy, or getting close to becoming healthy, and would need to be willing to become a backup, and a reasonably priced one since the Dolphins only have $5.1 million in cap space.

Because of the timing of his release, Collins is in position to cherry-pick his next destination, and will possibly seek a team that gives him an opportunity to remain a starter.

Collins had been given a three-year, $21 million deal following his Cowboys release after the 2021 season, and Miami was one of the main teams bidding for his services. 

He picked Cincinnati days before the Dolphins ended up signing Armstead, a Pro Bowl talent who has struggled to stay healthy for the past two seasons, if not his entire career.

The Dolphins also pursued signing Collins after the 2015 NFl draft when the death of a woman he had a relationship with and the police department's desire to talk to him after her murder led to an All-Southeastern Conference performer going undrafted.

Brittney Mills was pregnant when gunned down at her home April 24. Her son, born alive, died days later.

It was later revealed that a paternity test proved that Collins wasn't the father of the slain Baton Rouge woman's son.

Collins was projected to be a first-round pick leading up to the 2015 draft, but teams became apprehensive about selecting him until he was cleared as a suspect in the investigation.

When Collins received that clearance, nearly a dozen teams pursued him, and the Dolphins were one of the more aggressive franchises. Dolphins players Mike Pouncey, Jarvis Landry, Kelvin Sheppard and Anthony Johnson, all LSU alums except Pouncey, boarded a private jet headed to Baton Rouge on Miami's behalf to recruit Collins.

He ended up signing with Dallas, where he started 61 games at tackle and guard, before becoming a cap casualty after the 2021 season.

At this time the Dolphins aren't desperate for offensive line help, but Grier typically does his homework on upper-echelon players who surprisingly become available, and Collins fits that category.