The New England Patriots have an offensive line problem. Could the solution be found in free agency?
Veteran tackle La'el Collins was released by the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday. According to MassLive.com's Mark Daniels, the Patriots are among the teams that have shown interest in signing him.
That should come as no surprise given the current state of the Patriots' o-line. Left tackle Trent Brown and rookie guard Sidy Sow both missed Wednesday's practice due to concussion protocol. Center David Andrews (hamstring), and guards Cole Strange (knee) and Mike Onwenu (ankle) were limited participants.
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So, should the Patriots sign Collins to help their less-than-ideal offensive line situation? Our Tom E. Curran shared his take on the team's reported interest in the 6-foot-4, 322-pounder.
"Great. It's terrific," Curran said on Wednesday's The Gameplan. "He was released. So, you're in a situation where if you want to chase him down? Perfect. ...
"He's a guy who was a starter and played well last year. Orlando Brown was signed to Cincinnati, so they had a glut of offensive tackles. So if they can convince Collins to come here, they need him."
Collins joined the Bengals in 2022 after six seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played in 15 games (all starts) for Cincinnati until he tore his ACL in December. He was on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list when the Bengals released him on Tuesday.
Tackle depth is one of the Patriots' most glaring concerns heading into Week 2. Brown is the starting left tackle, but his history of unreliability makes him a giant question mark. The right tackle spot is an even bigger issue with Riley Reiff on injured reserve and Conor McDermott released. Sow started there in Sunday's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
If the Patriots sign Collins, it's highly unlikely he would suit up for Sunday night's game against the Miami Dolphins. Still, he'd be a significant addition to a unit that needs all the help it can get.