The Cincinnati Bengals made it all the way to the Super Bowl in 2021 despite a lackluster offensive line, so the front office made the position group a priority this offseason. Their most recent addition is former Dallas Cowboys right tackle La’el Collins, who agreed to sign with Cincinnati on Sunday. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Collins receives a three-year, $30 million deal that looks like a two-year, $20 million deal worth up to $22 million. The third year of the deal was added to spread out Cincy’s cap charge.
Collins was released by the Cowboys last week after they failed to find a trade partner. He was designated as a post-June 1 cut that will gain Dallas $10 million in savings. The 28-year-old registered an 82 PFF grade and allowed two sacks this past season in 12 games played, and figures to be the new starter at right tackle for the Bengals.
Originally undrafted out of LSU, Collins has spent his entire NFL career with the Cowboys. He started off as a guard, but was moved over to tackle and found success there. This is the third offensive lineman Cincinnati has signed this offseason, as the Bengals claimed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive guard Alex Cappa early on the first day of legal tampering, and former New England Patriots center Ted Karras later.
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The Bengals’ offensive line allowed Joe Burrow to be sacked 19 times in the playoffs, which is the most a quarterback has been sacked in a single postseason. The nine sacks taken against the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round tied a record as well. With new starters at center, right guard and right tackle, Cincy is going to have a chance to run it back in 2022.
KVSP