Getty Maliek Collins
Just call them the Las Vegas Cowboys.
It wasn’t enough for the Raiders to pluck former Dallas tight end Jason Witten and safety Jeff Heath from the open market. They wouldn’t stop there.
Starting defensive lineman Maliek Collins, an unrestricted free agent, also joined the Raiders on Tuesday, he confirmed to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.
Terms of the agreed-to deal, which becomes official at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, the start of the new league year, are not yet known.
Chosen in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft, Collins appeared in 61 career games for the Cowboys, starting 55. A run-stuffer with some pass-rushing juice, he logged 84 tackles, 54 solo stops, and 14.5 sacks from 2016-19. Collins made 20 tackles and four sacks last season, helping key the league’s 11th-ranked rush defense, which surrendered 103.5 yards per game.
In Vegas, Collins should be ticketed for significant reps — if not a starter’s role — along a front-seven desperate for fresh blood. Additionally, to bolster the trenches, the team inked ex-Bucs DE Carl Nassib to a three-year, $25 million deal. They also wrangled linebackers Cory Littleton ($36 million over three years) and Nick Kwiatkoski ($21 million, three years).
The Cowboys, meanwhile, were forced to rebuild their own defensive line after losing Collins and 2019 sack leader Robert Quinn, who received a $70 million contract from the Chicago Bears. To do so, they signed former Buccaneers and Panthers star Gerald McCoy to a three-year, $20 million pact — the club’s first out-of-house addition this offseason.
Dallas, too, has been linked to DL Jadeveon Clowney, a potential $20 million-per-year acquisition. But they’ve prioritized their own free agents in recent days, locking down linebacker Sean Lee, tight end Blake Jarwin, and long snapper L. P. Ladouceur.
Along with Collins, Witten, Heath, and Quinn, the Cowboys watched as cornerback Byron Jones (Dolphins) and wide receiver Randall Cobb (Texans) defected to competing suitors.
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McCoy’s Role With Cowboys Defined
Out goes Collins, in comes a six-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro selection.
For his age-32 campaign, McCoy should be an immediate starter for new Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, who likely were drawn to his ability to function as a 5-, 3- or 1-technique lineman — that is, the versatility to work along the edges, kick inside, or handle nose duties.
“I’ve always been a big fan of coach McCarthy,” McCoy told ESPN’s Josina Anderson on Wednesday. “Had an opportunity to play for him at the Pro Bowl. Told him then how much of a big fan I was of him. My dad is a big fan of McCarthy. Got a lot of family in Dallas. It’s going to [be] to be on America’s team.”
McCoy registered 37 tackles, five sacks, and two pass breakups across 16 starts for the Panthers in 2019, proving he’s still a highly capable interior disruptor. Before landing in Carolina, he honed an all-star pass-rushing reputation. He spent his first nine professional seasons with the Buccaneers and totaled 297 tackles (220 solo), 140 quarterback hits, 79 tackles for loss, and 54.5 sacks in 123 games.
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL
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