Getty Former Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle La'el Collins in January of 2022.
The New York Jets are getting healthier at offensive tackle with Duane Brown and Mekhi Becton joining the first-team unit, but last year taught us that you can never have too much depth.
For that same reason, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if the Jets kept five OTs on the 53-man roster this season. After all, Max Mitchell and Carter Warren are developing draft picks, and the third spot will likely go to a veteran swing tackle. As of now, that player is Billy Turner, but general manager Joe Douglas could still look to upgrade that first-man up role considering Turner has struggled all summer.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine had an outside-the-box trade theory on August 24: veteran OT La’el Collins. The long-time Dallas Cowboys starter from 2015 through 2021 spent the 2022 campaign with the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s still under contract for another two seasons in Cincy, but he’s already been replaced by the team after tearing his ACL and MCL in December.
That means this would be more of a second-half insurance policy than an immediate contributor if the Jets were to acquire him — but that could make sense considering the question marks surrounding Brown and Becton long-term.
Breaking Down the Numbers Behind a La’el Collins Trade Between the Jets & Bengals
Before his injury, the 30-year-old Collins was a reliable right tackle that could also play guard and swing OT in a pinch. He has 89 NFL starts under his belt counting the playoffs, including 15 with the Bengals in 2022.
As Ballentine noted, the Jets have the cap space to take on Collins’ contract after Corey Davis’ decision to retire. He’s due for a cap hit of $9.38 million-plus this year and $8.66 million-plus in 2024, and depending on how much of that Douglas agrees to take on, the trade compensation could be cheaper than expected.
“Signing Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency has kicked Jonah Williams over to right tackle,” Ballentine wrote while explaining why Cincy might want to rid themselves of Collins. “[Fourth-round rookie D’Ante] Smith has looked strong in preseason games, and he’s starting to show that he can take advantage of his long frame and athleticism. Having a young and hungry tackle who can plug in at either spot on a cheap contract is better than keeping Collins around.”
He added that “the Bengals could save $7.7 million by trading the veteran.”
A Collins trade would also give the Jets a starting option in 2024, let’s say Brown retires and Becton walks in free agency — two very possible outcomes. Sure, it’s more of a long-term move but a trade like this could pay dividends during the second half of the 2023 campaign, and the veteran blocker’s track record makes this another option worth considering.
If the Jets traded for Collins, it would likely mean Turner is cut and the newcomer is transferred onto the short-term injured reserve after the 53-man deadline. In theory, Douglas might even be able to re-sign Turner after that IR designation, being that his vested veteran status would allow him to bypass waivers and join whichever team he pleases.
Now that’s a chess move that fans can appreciate.
Is La’el Collins the Same Player After 2022 Knee Injury?
There’s an obvious counterargument to this trade theory. Collins is expensive, and he’s coming off a major injury. Maybe he returns and ends up being a steal for Gang Green, or maybe he never lives up to his current cap hit as a shell of his former self.
It’d be a calculated risk for Douglas, who already has a couple of developmental dart throws in Mitchell and Warren. Beyond that, the Jets future is bleak at the position, and Collins would act as another flyer.
As for his injury status, Collins is still on the PUP list according to Pro Football Network. It’s impossible to predict how he’ll perform once he returns, but he’s coming off a mixed season in 2022.
Pro Football Focus gave him positive marks as a run blocker last year (73.5) — which has been a strength of his throughout his career — but an uncharacteristically poor grade in pass protection (44.2). He was charged with five sacks and 34 QB pressures allowed blocking for Joe Burrow.