Dolphins meeting with La'el Collins today

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/dave-hyde-blog/sfl-hyde5-can-dolphins-top-rexs-lobster-appetizers-for-collins-20150504-story.html

a Dolphins contingent is scheduled to meet with La'el Collins on Tuesday morning in Louisiana

...

Here's the first question: Can they do better than the lobster appetizers? THat's what Buffalo coach Rex Ryan ate with Collins on Monday night at the upscale Ruffino's Italian restaurant

Looks like another Bills vs. Dolphins contest...first Charles Clay, now La'el Collins. I'm sure a lot of other teams are involved as well.

While the Dolphins have nice weather and no state tax on their side, they also have Lame Duck Queasy Joe...something tells me that Rex Ryan is a better salesman than Grampa Joe. But, we'll see...

Also according to that article, the maximum contract for an undrafted free agent is three years, $1.58 million, so this won't come down to a bidding war.

Birdmond wrote:Buffalo or Miami vs. the field.  I'm taking the field.  

Probably right. But, the Bills can offer Collins an immediate starting job at LG, with a promise that he can move to LT next season when current starter Cordy Glenn is a FA. The promise of a LT job would be very appealing...considering the amount of money he can make at that position when he becomes a FA in 3 years. I haven't looked closely, but I'm not sure how many other teams have current or upcoming LT jobs available.

rightchea wrote:
How Miami not able to offer him the same thing? Miami needs to fill both OG position and for the fact that Douglas is not the most proven player I don't see how he will be starting. Turner is probably to only one that has a chance at starting, while Thomas needs to be released and his jersey burned; YEAH I SAID IT BURN THAT MAN JERSEY WITH DION JORDANS.........

I 100% agree with burning Jordan's and Thomas's jerseys! LOL

But - Miami can't offer the same opportunities as Buffalo IMO. The Bills will have an opening at LT next season - that's definite. The Phins can't make that same guarantee. I think that's a huge draw for Collins.

I haven't heard anything about the Cowboys going after Collins, but I just thought of them as a team that could use a starting LG...and they have the added benefit of being a serious playoff contender.

As a rookie, Ja'Wuan James looked like a very good right tackle, and then after Albert's injury he looked like a very average left tackle. I say, leave James where he is at his best - and that's RT. Let's not play games with him...leave him where he is and find someone else that can play guard.

This isn't a computer game where you can just mix and match and move guys around without giving it a second thought. We saw last year with Pouncey how a good lineman at one position can quickly become a bad lineman at a new position. I don't understand why fixing the OL is such a problem for the Dolphins, but I do know this: constantly shuflling guys in and out of different positions does not work. Set your starting line and move forward...no need to play anyone out of position.

As far as I know, Collins has never played on the right side, let alone at right tackle. So now, not only would you be asking James to play a new position, you'd be doing the same with Collins. Way too much turmoil...make it easy, and plug guys in where they belong: Collins at LG (or LT if Albert can't go) and James at RT.

http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2015/05/05/bills-not-expected-to-sign-lael-collins-dolphins-continue-to-make-sense/

Receiver Jarvis Landry, linebacker Kelvin Sheppard and defensive tackle Anthony Johnson — all former LSU players who are close with Collins — traveled to Baton Rouge today on an recruiting trip of sorts.

Center Mike Pouncey also appears to be on the trip, posting a photo on Instagram of him and Landry on a plane.

Despite a previous report out of New Orleans that Philbin was on the trip, no team employees joined the players, according to a source.

OK, so let me get this straight...the Dolphins want La'el Collins, so to try to recruit him they send some of his former teammates...and nobody else??? If this report is accurate, I am flabbergasted. How can you, at the very least, not include the head coach if not the OL coach? I know Philbin is as personable as a block of wood, but he is the head coach. How about the Dolphins act like a first-class organization and send someone that can actually talk with Collins about where he fits in and what would be expected of him? Maybe it's me, but this just seems crazy and unprofessional.

OK, after reading the following article, now everything makes sense. Apparently, no teams can "officially" meet with Collins till after May 9. So Rex Ryan having dinner with Collins was somehow "unofficial", as is the Dolphins sending players to meet with Collins, and Jameis Winston calling Collins multiple times. Here's the article:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/05/05/teams-cant-meet-with-lael-collins-yet/

“Clubs are prohibited from visiting a player who was eligible for the 2015 Draft at his campus or residence if the player has withdrawn from school and final exams have yet to conclude at the school,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told PFT via email. “This includes drafted players, any undrafted players that have signed as free agents, and any undrafted players that have yet to sign.”

Collins has withdrawn from LSU, and final exams have not concluded there yet. (Finals are happening this week.) So teams can’t visit a player at his campus or residence.

There’s possibly a loophole in the rule, if for example Bills coach Rex Ryan met with Collins not on campus or at his residence but at a local Applebee’s. But that seems to be too easy of a fix to be permitted.

Regardless, LSU finals are scheduled to last until May 9. Until then, restrictions apply to the direct efforts to recruit Collins.

Umix10 wrote:If those players can pl this off I would call this one off the best off season for the phins ever!!!!!  On paper...!!!!! Lmfao

Umix - hope you don't mind, but I merged your thread in with this one.

And - I'm not quite as excited about you about the offseason. I still have concerns on defense (LB and DB), and the OL has too many uncertainties. Also, Tannehill has to get on the same page with a ton of new receivers - no telling how long it'll take these guys to get up to speed, and it could lead to a slow start.

Collins would be a nice acquisition, assuming he doesn't get arrested, but I'm guessing he'll be a Cowboy.

rightchea wrote:So the only team that actually broke the rules was Rex Ryan. But I found an article that Bills are not pursuing Collins which is in favor of Miami.


http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2015/05/05/bills-not-expected-to-sign-lael-collins-dolphins-continue-to-make-sense/



At the same time I think I would have traded up in the 7th round for the last pick to get Collins. How many irrelevant players actually make the team and play. Why not sign the guy and if he is locked up then they are not losing a lot from him but at the same time if he is release with no other concerns then that a great steal from the draft.

I think you can hold an unofficial meeting with Collins as long as it's not on campus, so Rex didn't do anything wrong as far as I can tell.

But - you're absolutely right. If the Dolphins are really this interested in Collins, they should have used one of their 5th rounders on him, or traded into the 7th to take him. Now they have to scramble, and there's no guarantee that they'll get him. I think he's going to choose the Cowboys...a stable organization with a legit chance to go far in the playoffs.

HalCHorn wrote:Yeah, I think using a late pick on him would have been the way to go.

That said, Miami can offer an excellent shot to start immediately at LG, with a very good chance to eventually take over at LT in the future.  Dallas' O-line appears set.

I don't see Dallas being set at LG on Dallas, Hal. Ronald Leary is there now, but he's not signed long-term...he's only on a one-year exclusive rights tender for $585,000. He improved last season, but I don't see him as being anything special. Collins should be able to overtake him immediately IMO. Plus, the Cowboys have a stable coaching staff and will likely be in the mix for the NFC crown...the Dolphins can't offer either of those things.

Umix10 wrote:>JMP - I'm not worried about the merge.  My bad for not looking for the right thread! Lol

As for the off season, I think it's way more exciting anticipating this coming season then years before.  Collins in my opinion is very going to be an excellent addition for his upside!  Given the salary cap issues we could incur next season.  I would put him at LT if he can prove himself!  If Albert is slow to recover, we can trade him and still have a viable option in place.  Given Alberts injury history I would say go all in on Collins. The risk is way worth the reward

Yeah, I just see too many question marks on this team, and like I said I think they are currently #4 in the division and will stay that way as long as Philbin is the head coach.

As for Collins, I'm not sure he's a day one LT at the NFL level. I like him at LG, where he would be a huge upgrade. At this point, I think it makes more sense to put Jason Fox at LT if Albert can't go.

DolFan 316 wrote:Whoa whoa WHOA!!! Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. Collins has yet to actually be cleared, for one thing. And who's to say after a team signs him there won't be any follow-up questions even if he is? Remember, this is how the whole Hernandez thing started. He wasn't a suspect or anything, the cops just wanted to ask him a few questions, no big deal...

Hell, we don't even know if he's the father of the now dead child yet. Think that might be a little important?

I'm now officially annoyed by all the fuss over a guard. People are already acting like he's this Hall Of Famer in the making. BTW, NOBODY drafted him so I don't understand how the Fins can be faulted specifically for this. I can fault them for having every chance to take a guard good enough for them to not even worry about Collins and failing, though.

I bet you'll love this little tidbit from Omar:

Omar Kelly
✔
@OmarKelly

I asked a league insider & he told me teams were scared because La'el Collins SUPPOSEDLY had threatening texts to the woman.

That sure puts things in perspective, and if true it shows why not one team was willing to even drop a 7th on Collins. As I said from the start, teams obviously found out something that was bad enough to avoid him like the plague. This could be it.