Getty Jameis Winston is sacked by former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Maliek Collins.
As the Dallas Cowboys deal with the chaos of DE Randy Gregory and his free agency conclusion, they’re also seeing one of their former starters get paid by the Houston Texans.
The defensive line was a major focus for the Cowboys, as Gregory was initially announced to have signed an extension alongside defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence. He instead chose the Denver Broncos on March 15, creating a stunning finish to an already wild saga.
On the same day, a player who used to line up next to Gregory on the Cowboys, Maliek Collins, got handed a new contract from the Texans after his first season in Houston. ESPN insider Adam Schefter dropped the news on Tuesday.
“Defensive tackle Maliek Collins is signing back with the Texans on a 2-year $17 million deal that includes $8.5 million guaranteed, per @DrewJRosenhaus and @RyanMatha,” Schefter Tweeted.
While not an astronomical deal, it is a sizable contract for a defensive tackle. Collins provides an important skillset as an interior pass rusher, and the Texans are now paying him accordingly.
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Collins Back in Form
In his four seasons with the Cowboys, Collins was an impactful presence as an interior pass rusher. According to Pro Football Refence, the third-round pick in the 2016 NFL draft totaled 14.5 sacks in 61 games.
However, Dallas were unable to bring him back after 2019, letting him hit free agency after his rookie contract expired. Collins proceeded to spend a season with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he started 11 games but didn’t register a sack and only had one QB hit.
The off year led to Collins leaving Las Vegas, but the defensive tackle reignited his play in Houston. In 2021, the 26-year-old racked up 2.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss and even earned his first career interception.
The Texans obviously took notice, and have now committed a decent amount of cap space to bringing back Collins’ pass rushing ability.
Texans Sign Another Former Cowboys Defender
Besides bringing back Collins, the Texans also added another former Cowboy to their roster in Reggie Robinson after Dallas released him on March 11. The cornerback had only been with the Cowboys for two seasons before his release.
Dallas drafted Robinson with their fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft. However, the former Tulsa standout failed to make a strong impression in his rookie offseason, only appearing in five games during the 2020 NFL season.
Things did not improve for 24-year-old in 2021, as he did not ever reach the field after suffering a toe injury and being replaced on the team’s injured reserve for the entire season. Now that he’s released, his final snap total with the Cowboys was just 65 snaps on special teams, and the corner never appeared on the defensive side of the ball.
Houston is taking a chance on Robinson, hoping that the disastrous start to his NFL career in Dallas was more of an anomaly rather than an omen of what’s to come. If Robinson can get healthy and start fresh this offseason, it would give the corner a much-needed injection of life into his career in the league.