Last season, the Bills invited La’el Collins on a visit, but the veteran lineman, whom the Bengals released from their reserve/PUP list in September, did not sign.
Collins is returning to New York after temporarily joining the Cowboys last season.
La’el Collins Signs One-Year Deal with Bills
Collins has signed a one-year contract with Buffalo, according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. Collins, who visited the Bills in late December, will have the opportunity to resume his professional career.
The veteran right tackle hasn’t played a game since December 2022.
Collins was sent to free agency as a Dallas cap casualty in 2022 and ended up in Cincinnati on a three-year, $21 million contract. But ACL and MCL tears in late December of that year altered his Bengals destiny.
Cincinnati modified its tackle strategy in 2023, signing Orlando Brown Jr. and moving three-year left tackle Jonah Williams to the right side.
This did not result in a Williams-Collins competition, since the latter began the season on the PUP list. Collins was quickly removed off the Bengals’ PUP list, and he remained unsigned for months.
Collins Thrives as Cowboys’ Right Tackle
The Bengals were dissatisfied with Collins’ performance in 2022, but the veteran earned two extensions with the Cowboys for his efforts as a right tackle.
After starting his career at guard, the Cowboys moved him outside opposite Tyron Smith.
Collins served as Smith’s primary bookend from 2017 until 2021.
Collins, however, missed the entire 2020 season due to injuries and will be banned from using performance-enhancing drugs in 2021.
This did not dissuade the Bengals, who needed offensive line assistance after watching teams target Joe Burrow the year before. However, Collins failed to demonstrate a long-term solution.
Collins, now 30, has made 86 career starts. He missed only one game in 2017-19 and started 15 Bengals games in 2022.
Collins, now more than a year removed from his knee injury, should have a better chance of recovering than he did in 2023. The Cowboys signed Collins in early January but never used him in a game.
Collins might potentially contend with the incumbent, but he may also be a swingman. However, Collins lacks NFL experience as a left tackle.
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