Right tackle La’el Collins is generating strong interest on the trade market as the Dallas Cowboys weigh options to get below the 2022 salary cap, according to reports.
Collins has three years and $30 million remaining on his contract and moving him would free up enough salary cap space for the Cowboys to retain wide receiver Amari Cooper and pursue free-agent linebacker Bobby Wagner, according to reports.
Collins, 28, played guard and tackle for the Cowboys and played in 12 games last season. He missed the 2020 season with a hip injury that required surgery, but started all but one game the previous three seasons.
NFL Network reported Collins, undrafted out of LSU in 2015, has been coveted in trade discussions the Cowboys opened around multiple players.
ESPN reported last week that Cooper was “likely to be released” but multiple reports imply Cooper, owed $20 million on March 20, could stick around.
Wagner was released by the Seattle Seahawks, where he played for current Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. But Wagner reportedly has a robust market developing and several of his suitors will have more cash to offer than Dallas.
The Cowboys restructured multiple contracts this week, including $22 million worth of accounting gymnastics on the long-term deals for Dak Prescott and Zack Martin. But Dallas remains over the salary cap, NFL Network reported.