The Cowboys are looking at parting ways with a handful of notable names. A new one popped up Thursday.
Dallas is having active trade conversations involving right tackle La'el Collins, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported.
Collins has been a productive tackle when on the field, but has struggled to remain available in the last two seasons. Collins missed all of 2020 due to injury, landing on injured reserve in early September, and was suspended five games in 2021 for violating the league's policy and program on substances of abuse.
When he hasn't been forced out of action, Collins has been an important part of the Cowboys' offensive line. Collins has graded at 80 or better, per Pro Football Focus, in each of the last two seasons in which he's played (2019 and 2021), showing premier ability in the run game and serving as a solid tackle when it comes to pass protection.
He's being included in trade discussions due to his cap number, which stands at $15.25 million entering 2022. With the Cowboys currently over the salary cap by a little over $1 million, Dallas is looking to trim salary where possible in order to position itself in a better financial state before the start of the new league year. The Cowboys have also included receiver Amari Cooper's name in trade discussions and are expected to release him if they cannot find a team willing to take on his $20 million base salary for 2022.
The Cowboys are clearly trying to create cap room for 2022, and they're unafraid to part with key players. Moving Collins in a post-June 1 trade would clear $10 million off the cap, and if Dallas can find a willing buyer for a solid, 28-year-old tackle, it's fair to expect it to strike.
