re: La'el Collins reportedly signing with Cowboys

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The situation involving once-presumed top-15 pick La’el Collins is truly unique in the business of football. First and foremost, there is the true tragedy of a woman, a one-time girlfriend of Collins, found dead, with her newly delivered baby dying a week later. Collins, who is not considered a suspect, tried to meet with law enforcement prior to the draft, but was told Monday was the earliest a meeting could be held. He and his attorney then met with police and investigators Monday; now they wait to hear back, hoping his name is fully cleared.

Collins originally traveled to the draft as an invited player. There, he met with his Chicago-based agents from Priority Sports in a meeting that, according to someone in the room, was as emotional as he had seen in 25 years in the business. The agents then put Collins on the phone with multiple teams to earnestly explain his lack of involvement in the woman’s death, although the impact of the pleas by phone paled in comparison to what the agents had seen in person. Collins then left the draft and returned to Louisiana.

Meanwhile, the agents petitioned the NFL for entry into July’s supplemental draft, arguing that the extra time would fully exonerate Collins and protect the teams. That petition was predictably denied, as (1) the CBA expressly does not allow it, and (2) the NFL would never set precedent of players switching drafts, even under these circumstances.

Next, Collins’ team implemented their strategy of getting Collins to undrafted free agency, telling teams on Friday that if Collins was not drafted that night—in the second or third round—that he would not be signing with any team that selected him in the fourth through seventh rounds. Teams that I spoke with were 99% sure that Collins had no involvement, but it is that 1% possibility of a player having even a tangential involvement in a murder that kept them from drafting him.

The undrafted free agent strategy (which was achieved) was all about the fourth year. While the CBA requires drafted players to sign four-year deals, undrafted players can sign three-year deals, giving them the advantage of (1) restricted free agency in their fourth year and (2) an ability to renegotiate after two years (drafted rookies must wait three years).

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