Arkansas Bengal Posted September 13, 2023 Report Share Posted September 13, 2023 Charlie Goldsmith, Cincinnati Enquirer Tue, Sep 12, 2023, 6:06 PM CDT·2 min read Less than two years after the Cincinnati Bengals signed offensive tackle La'el Collins with the expectation that he'd push their offensive line over the top, the Bengals released him. After the Bengals signed Collins in March 2022, offensive line coach Frank Pollack praised director of player personnel Duke Tobin for the salary cap gymnastics that gave the Bengals the unexpected chance to sign a starting right tackle. Collins had a poor start to the 2022 season, but he played at a high level over last year's second half. Then Collins tore his ACL in December. He’s still rehabbing from that injury, and Collins started this season on the physically unable to perform list. Still, if the Bengals hadn’t signed left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. in free agency in 2023, Collins likely would have had a role in the Bengals' plans for this season. Initially, Collins was supposed to compete with Jackson Carman for the starting right tackle spot after Collins got healthy. Then, the Bengals unexpectedly signed Brown and moved Jonah Williams to right tackle. If the Bengals hadn't cut Collins, then he could have given them an experienced backup swing tackle behind Brown and Williams when Collins was ready to play. The Bengals decided to bet on younger backup tackles on the roster when they released Collins. What cutting La'el Collins means for Bengals Collins, a 30-year-old who has been in the NFL since 2015, had two more years left on his contract. His deal had bonuses tied to games played, and Collins’ salary going forward wasn’t guaranteed. By cutting Collins, the Bengals gain either more cap flexibility or more cap relief after giving quarterback Joe Burrow an unprecedented contract extension. Now, the Bengals will rely on D’Ante Smith and Carman as their depth at offensive tackle behind Brown and Williams. Smith was active as the backup in Week 1 following an impressive showing in training camp, but has still only played in three NFL games. https://sports.yahoo.com/bengals-release-offensive-tackle-lael-230652082.html?src=rss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Le Tigre Posted September 13, 2023 Report Share Posted September 13, 2023 Maybe the knee isn’t shot after all. Just moolah-driven it seems. Betting that nobody gets hurt at T…roll the bones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texbengal Posted September 13, 2023 Report Share Posted September 13, 2023 Wouldn’t say I’m shocked at all. I’m sure money was a big part and who knows, maybe he felt like he’s ready to play and they didn’t, or weren’t ready to activate him, and they just decided to move on. I thought he represented depth, if nothing else, both inside and outside. That said, he didn’t impress all that much last year… good run blocker but pretty terrible pass blocker. Gets hurt a lot, as is his history. Carman and Smith are younger and healthier. Guess we will see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saphead Posted September 13, 2023 Report Share Posted September 13, 2023 Wasn't this the mother-fucker that came in here all big & bad something about being a body guard and nobody touching JB? What a joke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|BlackJesus| Posted September 13, 2023 Report Share Posted September 13, 2023 He may be gone, but the memories he made at Kenwood Mall live on for eternity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|High School Harry| Posted September 13, 2023 Report Share Posted September 13, 2023 47 minutes ago, saphead said: Wasn't this the mother-fucker that came in here all big & bad something about being a body guard and nobody touching JB? What a joke Hope he can get a refund for his tattoo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|High School Harry| Posted September 13, 2023 Report Share Posted September 13, 2023 "Collins, a 30-year-old who has been in the NFL since 2015, had two more years left on his contract. His deal had bonuses tied to games played, and Collins’ salary going forward wasn’t guaranteed. By cutting Collins, the Bengals gain either more cap flexibility or more cap relief" I hope it goes into the Tee Pot and we get him signed. Don't buy the "no negotiations during the season" stuff or Tee shouldn't allow it if so. Someone should tell Tee that his pimp agent works for him, not visa versa. Tee should also take a look at what happened to Uzomah's boyfriend and realize how quickly it can all end. Tee should also think about how his salary this year + the transition year is going to be a hella lot less that re-upping and re-signing now. A bird in the hand and all that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|High School Harry| Posted September 13, 2023 Report Share Posted September 13, 2023 https://www.yahoo.com/sports/reactions-cincinnati-releases-lael-collins-220107332.html Reactions: Cincinnati releases La'el Collins, creating more than $7 million in cap space Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Dub Posted September 13, 2023 Report Share Posted September 13, 2023 3 hours ago, saphead said: Wasn't this the mother-fucker that came in here all big & bad something about being a body guard and nobody touching JB? What a joke The same. Dude was just collecting one last check on his way to retirement. Soon as anyone on the OL gets hurt this team is in trouble. Yet again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|High School Harry| Posted September 13, 2023 Report Share Posted September 13, 2023 10 minutes ago, T-Dub said: The same. Dude was just collecting one last check on his way to retirement. Soon as anyone on the OL gets hurt this team is in trouble. Yet again. What about the guy they picked up in free agency? Another pay check picker upper? ** saw speculation they could sign back La'el cheaper now. I spit coffee all over my computer screen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arkansas Bengal Posted September 13, 2023 Author Report Share Posted September 13, 2023 Zac Taylor on cutting La’El Collins: It sucks, there’s never a great time to do that By Michael David Smith Published September 13, 2023 01:44 PM The Bengals released veteran offensive tackle La’El Collins from the physically unable to perform list yesterday, ending his tenure in Cincinnati after only one year. Bengals coach Zac Taylor says he wasn’t happy about it, but it was the right decision for the team. “There’s never a great time to do it and it sucks when you have to tell a guy that,” Taylor said of letting Collins know he’d been released. Collins signed with the Bengals last year and played well until suffering a torn ACL in December. This offseason the Bengals signed Orlando Brown to play left tackle and moved Jonah Williams to right tackle, and Collins became the odd man out. “It’s tough. There’s never a great time. He worked really hard for us,” Taylor said. “I have a lot of respect for LC and the way he went about his business. He gave us some really good snaps last year until the injury. I enjoyed being around LC.” Taylor said that the Bengals are confident in backups D’Ante Smith and Jackson Carman if either Brown or Williams miss time. “D’Ante had a good camp for us,” Taylor said. “As we continue to develop guys like D’Ante and Jackson, who can give us good tackle snaps if we need them, we feel good about our depth there.” Collins now becomes a free agent and will hope to get healthy and sign with another team soon. https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/zac-taylor-on-cutting-lael-collins-it-sucks-theres-never-a-great-time-to-do-that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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