On Thursday, the Dallas Cowboys finally decided to officially do what everyone knew they were going to: release longtime tackle La’el Collins. Now the only question is who will be the team fortunate enough to sign him, and the Kansas City Chiefs make a lot of sense.
As the Cowboys attempt to create cap space this offseason, they were forced to trade Amari Cooper and release Collins as part of those measures. Collins is the kind of player who makes a lot of sense for the Chiefs, and if general manager Brett Veach doesn’t like him in particular, then someone else in that role will do.
The right side of the line is the only weak link for the Chiefs’ offensive front, specifically at tackle where there are only question marks. The Chiefs did well to re-sign Andrew Wylie for another season, but the floor is lower there than anyone wants to see for a full season’s worth of games. Wylie’s presence provides a lot of security at several positions, but that’s not the way to start a season. Instead, Wylie should remain in that role, positioned as a super substitute, from day one instead of being tasked with a starting role to begin the year.
The Kansas City Chiefs could use a right tackle of some kind for the 2022 season given the state of the AFC West and their roster.
The reason that Wylie is, at this point, positioned in such a way is because the team’s former third-round investment in Lucas Niang is still an uncertainty at this point given his health. He suffered a torn patellar tendon injury late in the year, and those things not only take considerable time for recovery but it’s also a legitimate question as to how he will perform on the other side of it. Consider how previous Chiefs’ linemen like Martinas Rankin or Parker Ehinger never looked the same following a major leg injury.
Going into another year with Wylie holding things down until Niang becomes healthy, if at all, seems like a nonsensical way to enter the year. At this point, there’s nothing behind Orlando Brown Jr. at left tackle either, which means the Chiefs could use a swing tackle. Wylie should remain in that sort of role behind several spots on the line while Niang could be a future swing tackle who breaks through in 2023. For now, however, the Chiefs need a dependable starter for the coming year.
Could La’el Collins be that player? Definitely He’s had a 70.0 or higher grade when pass blocking for Dak Prescott in each of his last three seasons. He missed the 2020 season due to injury but came back strong last year to start every game but five, which were missed due to suspension (not injury-related).
But this isn’t just about Collins. We’re talking about Collins because he’s the latest player to hit the open market and tackle-needy teams are applying already, but not enough people are talking about the Chiefs as one of those teams in need of offensive line help. It also doesn’t help that the entire AFC West has imported some of the game’s best pass rushers in an effort to finally find the formula to overcome Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense.
Whether or not it’s Collins, the Chiefs need a right tackle and they were already in questionable shape there before the AFC West became the new divisional home for Randy Gregory, Khalil Mack, and Chandler Jones. It would make a lot of sense for the Chiefs to do something more here than just bring back Andrew Wylie and hope for the best with Lucas Niang.