Dallas Cowboys Spooky Game Part 1: Which 8 players are gone at season’s end?

Right tackle La’el Collins has had quite the journey lately and as embarrassing as his situation might be, Collins is still one of the best right tackles in the game. At least that is what I thought of him after the 2019 season.

After a lost 2020 season due to an injury, it appeared as if Collins righted the ship and would continue his journey. There is no doubt his suspension story has drawn laughs from his teammates but Collins is still an above-average tackle with a very team-friendly contract.

Dallas Cowboys: Let’s Play the Game

Suppose an offensive needy team like the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Chicago Bears call about the availability of Collins. The Cowboys have great value with right tackle Terrence Steele manning the right side in place of Collins.

If one of those teams offered a 2nd round pick in next year’s draft, would you take the deal? That option gives the Cowboys a high draft pick and almost gets them to even money for next season. Collins does not have any guaranteed money remaining after this season. Because of this, a trade now would leave the Cowboys with $5.25 million of dead cap space. The Cowboys would get just over $1 million in cap space.

They would also be off the hook for Collin’s $15 million cap charge next season almost erasing the entire amount Dallas is over the cap next season. Teams are desperate for help now so waiting until the offseason could diminish the value.

Waiting until after the season and making Collins a cap casualty before the fifth day of the new league year in order to avoid the same situation the team is in with Jaylon Smith this season is another option for the Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys: The Verdict

Collins made a mistake and although laughs are in order, I am not looking to deal Collins unless a team is willing to part with a first-round pick. If Chicago wants to keep their franchise quarterback upright, they might get desperate enough to offer that. Too bad they traded next year’s pick in order to have the right to draft Fields making that a moot point. Unless Pittsburgh comes calling which is unlikely, it appears as if Collins is here to stay.

The Cowboys have options moving forward regarding their roster. What used to be a barren wasteland now looks like a prime destination to make some deals. The NFL trade deadline is just two days after Halloween this year, will the Cowboys make any deals or will they continue to live and die with their guys?