The inside story of how La'el Collins became a Dallas Cowboy

ravidubey

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That is the part I have an issue with. How can you say he probably will when you haven't even seen La'el on the field with the veterans. What happens if Collins comes in and is just superior to Leary?
Well of course he'll probably start then.

But think on how hard this will be to demonstrate for a rookie guard. He has to switch positions, Leary doesn't. Collins has never faced NFL competition. Leary has and at the highest levels. It's one thing for a rookie RB or skill player to come in and make splash plays, but much harder for a guard.

Collins would do well to merely do his job in TC and the preseason. He will flash talent. But Leary is already a pro, and has already made the mistakes Collins has to battle through. How do you bench the established pro when he performs as expected?

This isn't going to be easy for Collins because Leary is good.

And sometimes 1st round picks play early just because the are far superior in talent to what is already on the team at the position. Teams tend to use their 1st pick on a talent hole.
I only mentioned anyone being a 1st round pick at all because spending a 1st round pick forces teams to give players PT. Collins is not a 1st round pick, and in this case there is no talent hole even if he was.
 

Cotton

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Wow, I didn't realize some thought of Leary as all-world. Sorry, but I'm not buying it, nor have I seen it.
 

ravidubey

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Wow, I didn't realize some thought of Leary as all-world. Sorry, but I'm not buying it, nor have I seen it.
He was good last year. Not all-world, but very solid and underrated. To clearly outperform him in a TC and a few preseason games is just not automatic.

Collins has the talent to do it, but to expect it to happen overnight is unrealistic. Most rookies take time or need an injury to jump into the lineup.

Flozell Adams for example was clearly superior in talent to anyone on the roster in 1998 except Larry Allen, but he didn't start until I think Big E got penalized and Adams had to take over in a real game. When they saw what he could do, the team found a way to start him about a quarter through the season.
 

Cotton

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He was good last year. Not all-world, but very solid and underrated. To clearly outperform him in a TC and a few preseason games is just not automatic.

Collins has the talent to do it, but to expect it to happen overnight is unrealistic. Most rookies take time or need an injury to jump into the lineup.

Flozell Adams for example was clearly superior in talent to anyone on the roster in 1998 except Larry Allen, but he didn't start until I think Big E got penalized and Adams had to take over in a real game. When they saw what he could do, the team found a way to start him about a quarter through the season.
Most rookies also don't have the talent that Collins has either.
 
D

Deuce

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He was good last year. Not all-world, but very solid and underrated. To clearly outperform him in a TC and a few preseason games is just not automatic.

Collins has the talent to do it, but to expect it to happen overnight is unrealistic. Most rookies take time or need an injury to jump into the lineup.

Flozell Adams for example was clearly superior in talent to anyone on the roster in 1998 except Larry Allen, but he didn't start until I think Big E got penalized and Adams had to take over in a real game. When they saw what he could do, the team found a way to start him about a quarter through the season.
Expecting a regular rookie to do that is unrealistic. Expecting a 1st rounder to see playing time immediately is expected every year. I think unless Leary is just head and shoulders better than him, he's getting the job. Deserved or not.
 

hstour

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Well of course he'll probably start then.

But think on how hard this will be to demonstrate for a rookie guard. He has to switch positions, Leary doesn't. Collins has never faced NFL competition. Leary has and at the highest levels. It's one thing for a rookie RB or skill player to come in and make splash plays, but much harder for a guard.

Collins would do well to merely do his job in TC and the preseason. He will flash talent. But Leary is already a pro, and has already made the mistakes Collins has to battle through. How do you bench the established pro when he performs as expected?

This isn't going to be easy for Collins because Leary is good.
And Leary was not rated nearly as high as Collins. Leary was an UDFA because of his talent and knee. Collins was because of timing of something he was found to be unconnected to. Yes, Leary has played well. But I see him in the same stratosphere of talent.

I have seen Collins spoken of in the same level as Martin, but different sides of the same coin. Martin being a master technician and Collins being a physical mauler.

And Collins played G as a freshman, so it's not exactly like he has no experience at the position.
 

Smitty

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Wow, I didn't realize some thought of Leary as all-world. Sorry, but I'm not buying it, nor have I seen it.
Where have you been? Every time I suggest Leary has serious flaws I get ridiculed.

He's our worst OL, except for when Free has his struggles. If Collins is for real, he'll beat out Leary.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Wow, I didn't realize some thought of Leary as all-world. Sorry, but I'm not buying it, nor have I seen it.
We did average over 6 ypc behind the left side of our O-line. Obviously Tyron is a big part of it but Leary was a hell of a mauler on that side.
 

Jiggyfly

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Wow, I didn't realize some thought of Leary as all-world. Sorry, but I'm not buying it, nor have I seen it.
OK L.T.

Nobody said he was all world just that he is a good to very good player, have you not seen that as well.
 

Jiggyfly

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And Leary was not rated nearly as high as Collins. Leary was an UDFA because of his talent and knee. Collins was because of timing of something he was found to be unconnected to. Yes, Leary has played well. But I see him in the same stratosphere of talent.

I have seen Collins spoken of in the same level as Martin, but different sides of the same coin. Martin being a master technician and Collins being a physical mauler.

And Collins played G as a freshman, so it's not exactly like he has no experience at the position.
So now where you were rated means it will automatically transfer in the NFL.

I guess all of those 1st round OL bust must have missed the memo.

I am loathe to go here concerning Collins because I hope its not a competition and he beats out Leary easily, but I also raelize rookies have trouble sometimes getting acclimated or just do not perform at the level exspected.
 
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Carp

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I'm all for improvement, but the writer made Leary out as a schlub...he was good last year.
 

Cotton

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OK L.T.

Nobody said he was all world just that he is a good to very good player, have you not seen that as well.
He has been serviceable. And Collins will most likely beat him like a drum in TC.
 

Carp

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He has been serviceable. And Collins will most likely beat him like a drum in TC.
He was more than serviceable, he was an important part of the line. Don't understand why he has to be torn down to prop Collins.
 

Carp

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Going in to the draft RT seemed like it needed to be addressed more than LG.
 

Cotton

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He was more than serviceable, he was an important part of the line. Don't understand why he has to be torn down to prop Collins.
He has been serviceable. Collins should easily supplant him. We will see. But it's dumb to act like Leary is this great guard that will challenge a top 10 talent.
 

NoDak

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Going in to the draft RT seemed like it needed to be addressed more than LG.
I think we did address that. Either with Collins or Green. Maybe not this year, but the next 2 or 3.
 

Cotton

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Going in to the draft RT seemed like it needed to be addressed more than LG.
You do realize that Collins will be the RT when all is said and done, right?
 

NoDak

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He has been serviceable. Collins should easily supplant him. We will see. But it's dumb to act like Leary is this great guard that will challenge a top 10 talent.
I'd say Leary has been more than just serviceable, too. Bernadeau is serviceable. Leary has played pretty good for us the last couple years. I think Collins will beat him out, too. But imo, you're selling Leary short.
 

Smitty

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Leary has been at times really good, but he's also highly inconsistent. He has the most blown assignments or missed blocks.
 

GForce78NJ

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Leary has been at times really good, but he's also highly inconsistent. He has the most blown assignments or missed blocks.
on the best offensive line in football, that isnt saying too much. If we didn't get Collins as an undrafted free agent, we do nothing to change the line because Leary is more than serviceable. Collins was a gift. If Leary tests free agency he will get a pretty damn good contract
 
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