Cowboys’ La’el Collins rejuvenated, excited to show his best football is still ahead
Dallas Cowboys right tackle La’el Collins took part in team drills for the first time on Friday. The feeling?
“Like a kid in a candy store,” Collins said. “It felt good. I was telling Tyron [Smith], ‘Man, it feels good to be back out there.’”
Friday marked the first time the Cowboys’ projected starting offensive line took first-team reps together.
Collins has battled what he described as “knickknack” stuff, while Smith has dealt with a hamstring injury. But the starting right and left tackles were healthy enough to go through some team drills alongside left guard Connor Williams, center Joe Looney and right guard Zack Martin.
Collins has no doubt he’ll be ready for the season opener Sept. 13 at the Los Angeles Rams.
“I’m ready to go for the season. I’m excited,” Collins said. “We’ve got a real good team and real good group of guys.”
That includes Collins, who is expecting to play his best football yet this upcoming season. Collins is entering his third season at right tackle after starting his pro career at left guard. He played left tackle in college at LSU.
Collins and the O-line had a solid showing in 2019, as quarterback Dak Prescott was sacked a career-low 23 times. Prescott also posted career-highs in passing yards (4,902) and touchdowns (30).
“I feel my most successful years are just ahead of me, to be honest,” Collins said. “I feel like last year was just the scratch of it, just the beginning. This is my third year ever playing right tackle and for me, I’ve been playing football my whole life, but my third year playing right tackle. I’m left handed, everything on the left came natural. Switching over I had to get in tune with technique and really understand footwork and just where my body needs to be and stuff like that.
“As I continue to get more and more reps over the years, I feel like that’s what kind popped out last year and I’m just going to build off that.”
Coach Mike McCarthy said it was great to have Collins and Smith — two anchors of the O-line — back on the field together. Collins and Smith took part in the first round of 11-on-11 reps followed by backup tackles Cam Fleming and Brandon Knight.
The O-line has a chance to be one of the strengths of the team once again.
Smith and Martin are putting together careers that could land them in the Hall of Fame one day, while Williams and Collins were highly-touted prospects coming out of college. Looney is a steady veteran presence, entering his ninth season.
For Collins, he’s ready for his sixth season. Even though he just returned to practice, he sounded as though he felt in midseason form.
Asked how far behind he felt, Collins said: “I don’t feel behind at all. This is Year Six for me, ain’t nothing new. I feel good. I feel like I’m fresh.
“It’s like riding a bike — you get back on it and keep rolling.”
