La'el Collins has begun visits

[L-TownCat]

Almost every team, assume we are one of the interested parties let's say there are 28 teams in the mix.

Then you have to look at the tackle situation for each team. That should eliminate about half of the 28 teams.

Now with 14 teams in the mix, look for teams with both available PT and the ability to pay him a decent salary in 1-2 years.

Now we are in the 10 team range.

If GMan can get his mits on this guy he can out maneuver 9 GMs.

The wild card is if LC has a particular team in mind that happens to meet the criteria listed above. We have a good shot as long as we don't aim at our feet.

[SOJA]

this would be a massive steal if we got him 

[Murph]

couldn't have said it any better man. jerry will hold us back on this one when it can help us out , he screws us by not giving people second chances anymore after carruth .

[d-dave]

He's a FA like any other at this point.  The money isn't going to be the biggest issues, I would guess opportunity to make more money would be the biggest selling point for him now.  His contract is going to be limited as he will be a UDFA.

 

So as I look at it, here he has a chance to start, a team on the rise, a buddy on the OL, and a nice community.  It's going to depend on what's best for Collins, and how his agent, supports, and he feel.

 

I think Carolina is a compelling option, but there are also a lot of other ones out there.  Look at him this way:  he could end up being a great player.  That happens all the time in the NFL.  Undrafted guys go on to have excellent careers while first rounders implode.  It happens.  If we get him and he's great, awesome.  If we don't sign him and he's great, it happens all over the NFL

[rhyslloyd]

JR gonna JR, boys.

[TylerVagyler]

Too many #hottakes in this thread for me

[The NFL Shield At Midfield]

The huddle is going to implode when he signs with one of the other 31 franchises. This is such a weird and uncomfortable situation in so many ways. Best case scenario, this guy is completely innocent and some team gets to pay him well below market value for the next 2 to 3 years. It feels like exploitation of the player to force him into a draft system then not draft him. 

 

It also feels like sleezy college recruiting is infiltrating the pro game with Rex Ryan "just passing through" Baton Rouge. Nobody just passes through Baton Rouge. 

 

yeah just reading the thread you can see that at least a few people have already decided that collins showed up at 800 south mint in a suit with a bouquet of flowers asking to be signed by the panthers and jer jer slammed the door in his face and released the hounds

 

it's only a matter of time really

[CoastalCat]

Like I said in another thread, why not just sign him? What's to lose? It's a low risk/high reward situation. If it turns out that he WAS involved in the murder, then you can just easily cut him. Pull the damn trigger. Would be a steal if it turns out he wasn't involved in the murder.

 

That argument was better suited for drafting him in the late rounds, and locking him into a low price. If a bidding war starts, and the kid doesn't already have a team in mind that he'd take anything to play for, I think he'll get his money.

[gettlemanjack]

I can't see anyone signing him before he is 100% cleared. They'd look like dumbasses if they signed him and then he gets charged for murder.

[Riverboat Ron]

Did Trai say whether La'el texted him back saying he murdered?

[stirs]

In my opinion, he fits best with a zone blocking scheme like Atlanta or Denver, etc.

 

Not sure we have a spot for him here at G or RT.  and with the baggage, implied or not, I would not get my hopes up.

 

But who knows

[gettlemanjack]

Almost every team, assume we are one of the interested parties let's say there are 28 teams in the mix.

Then you have to look at the tackle situation for each team. That should eliminate about half of the 28 teams.

Now with 14 teams in the mix, look for teams with both available PT and the ability to pay him a decent salary in 1-2 years.

Now we are in the 10 team range.

If GMan can get his mits on this guy he can out maneuver 9 GMs.

The wild card is if LC has a particular team in mind that happens to meet the criteria listed above. We have a good shot as long as we don't aim at our feet.

Here's something else to consider:

some teams see La'el as a guard-only. Some see him as a RT-only. La'el wants to play left tackle: "Left tackle is definitely where I want to play in the NFL."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2015/02/09/lael-collins-lsu-draft-diary/23125133/

So the teams that view La'el as a LT are going to have priority. Are we even one of those teams? Or do we see him as a RT or an OG?

The good news is that the team closest to his home (the Saints), have him as a guard-only. In the press conference with Sean Payton after the draft, they were asking him a bunch of questions about Peat and Collins. Payton said they had Peat graded higher than Collins, that teams are split on whether he's an OG or an OT, and that the Saints are only looking at him as an OG.

But again, are we one of those teams that see him as a LT? The teams that do will have priority

[gettlemanjack]

sounds like the Redskins (who took Scherff #5 overall) aren't interested in Collins:

ESPN beat reporter for Redskins John Keim @ john_keim

11m

For those wanting the Redskins to pursue OL La'el Collins ,

don't hold your breath. Was told it's not going to happen.

[Roebling]

I still think Trai Turner is our best chance at signing him. And that J.R. is our biggest roadblock and will ultimately cost us Collins.

I would like to think JR doesn't allow innocent victims to now become people we can't field. That's slander and bullshit.