The Dallas Cowboys nearly suffered a catastrophic injury when left tackle Tyler Guyton went down in Monday's practice. What was initially feared to be a torn ACL ultimately proved to be a knee fracture, and Guyton is expected to return to action in 4-6 weeks.
In the meantime, the Cowboys will turn to 2024 seventh-rounder Nathan Thomas. It's a surprise move given Thomas missed all of last season with a knee injury. But he’s impressed the organization on and off the field and has handled his reps at left tackle well in the early going.
With Guyton sidelined and Rob Jones out 2–3 months with a neck injury, the front office has brought in old friend La'el Collins for a workout, per Todd Archer of ESPN.
Cowboys are working out La'el Collins following injuries to Tyler Guyton, Robert Jones
Of course they are.
Archer noted that Collins appeared to be in good shape when he showed up for Zack Martin and Tyron Smith's retirement ceremonies this offseason. Dak Prescott doubled down on that after Thursday's practice, saying that Collins is in "the best shape of his life." While notable, it is only worth so much considering he didn't play a single snap in 2024.
Collins was cut by the Bills just before the 53-man deadline ahead of the 2023 season. The Cowboys signed him to their practice squad late in the season, but he didn't appear in a game. Now 32 years old, Collins has not played in a regular-season game since December of 2022.
Read more: Ex-Cowboys scout warns Jalen Tolbert may soon become a distant memory
That begs the question of how much he has left in the tank and why the Cowboys wouldn't look elsewhere for offensive line help? It's well-documented that Jerry and Stephen Jones love their familiarity, but this feels like Collins' last chance to prove he can contribute to an NFL roster.
Collins met with another one of his former teams, the Cincinnati Bengals, last weekend, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. While no deal was reached, the meeting went well enough that Collins will remain in contact with the team.
The multi-day trip suggests the Bengals are serious about signing him, which leaves us wondering if he might land in Cincinnati if the Cowboys pass after Friday's workout.