La’el Collins’ days in Big D have come to an end.
According to Tom Pelissero, the Dallas Cowboys have released the right tackle after seven years with the team.
With a post-June 1 designation, Dallas saves $10 million in cash and 2022 salary cap space, as opposed to $1.3M if he'd been traded. The other $8.7M in dead cap will hit in 2023. https://t.co/Dc6PV3HGO1
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 17, 2022
Owner/general manager Jerry Jones was initially exploring a trade for Collins but was unable to find any club willing to take on his $10-million annual salary.
The move has been designated a post-June 1 cut – one that will save the Cowboys $10 million in cap space for 2022. However, Collins’ release also comes with an $8.7 million dead cap hit in 2023.
Injuries and suspensions forced the 28-year-old to miss 21 of the team’s last 33 games. Collins missed the entire 2020 season following hip surgery and then was suspended for the first five games of 2021 after violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. He wound up starting ten of the 12 games he appeared in this past season.
Un-drafted free-agent Terence Steele is expected to take over starting right tackle duties.
It’s the second major move the Cowboys have made this offseason following the club’s trade of wide receiver Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns.
FanDuel Sportsbook has the Cowboys holding the ninth-best Super Bowl odds at +1500.