Fully guaranteed, 3 year, $1.65M contract with the Dallas Cowboys. 

 

The entire NFL has some egg on its face for how it treated Mr. Collins. While I understand the need to handle the situation in a delicate manner, the fact that he went undrafted through no fault of his own is a travesty. And of course, the Dallas Cowboys ultimately got the benefit of an additional 1st round pick. 

 

My question is why didn't the Jaguars pursue Collins with everything they had? I didn't hear the Jags connected to him at all. Sure, he projects as a guard in the NFL, but if the experts are correct he's 1) as good if not better than AJ Cann, 2) as good if not better than Brandon Linder, and 3) as good if not better than Zane Beadles. If Joekel turns out to be a bust, Collins also has the ability to play T. 

 

I wish him the best of luck now that he can move on with his professional career. I only wish it were going to be in Jacksonville. 

---

Fully guaranteed, 3 year, $1.65M contract with the Dallas Cowboys.


The entire NFL has some egg on its face for how it treated Mr. Collins. While I understand the need to handle the situation in a delicate manner, the fact that he went undrafted through no fault of his own is a travesty. And of course, the Dallas Cowboys ultimately got the benefit of an additional 1st round pick.


My question is why didn't the Jaguars pursue Collins with everything they had? I didn't hear the Jags connected to him at all. Sure, he projects as a guard in the NFL, but if the experts are correct he's 1) as good if not better than AJ Cann, 2) as good if not better than Brandon Linder, and 3) as good if not better than Zane Beadles. If Joekel turns out to be a bust, Collins also has the ability to play T.


I wish him the best of luck now that he can move on with his professional career. I only wish it were going to be in Jacksonville.

How the NFL treated Collins? I'd say he and his agent screwed up.

---

MISTER Collins? That's rich. The NFL is and always has been about protecting the Shield. What if it comes back he was fully involved in the situation? Now Dallas is on the hook for that salary. How do you know Jax DIDN'T look at him, decide they didn't like how he fit in the scheme, and passed? What if the experts are wrong and he's completely over matched by the speed and technique going from college to the pros. If he does well and gets cleared, good for him. If he doesnt, no sweat off my back.

Fully guaranteed, 3 year, $1.65M contract with the Dallas Cowboys.


The entire NFL has some egg on its face for how it treated Mr. Collins. While I understand the need to handle the situation in a delicate manner, the fact that he went undrafted through no fault of his own is a travesty. And of course, the Dallas Cowboys ultimately got the benefit of an additional 1st round pick.


My question is why didn't the Jaguars pursue Collins with everything they had? I didn't hear the Jags connected to him at all. Sure, he projects as a guard in the NFL, but if the experts are correct he's 1) as good if not better than AJ Cann, 2) as good if not better than Brandon Linder, and 3) as good if not better than Zane Beadles. If Joekel turns out to be a bust, Collins also has the ability to play T.


I wish him the best of luck now that he can move on with his professional career. I only wish it were going to be in Jacksonville.

---

“Motivation alone is not enough.  If you have an idiot and you motivate him,now you have a motivated idiot.” Jim Rohn

 

Fully guaranteed, 3 year, $1.65M contract with the Dallas Cowboys. 

 

The entire NFL has some egg on its face for how it treated Mr. Collins. While I understand the need to handle the situation in a delicate manner, the fact that he went undrafted through no fault of his own is a travesty. And of course, the Dallas Cowboys ultimately got the benefit of an additional 1st round pick. 

 

My question is why didn't the Jaguars pursue Collins with everything they had? I didn't hear the Jags connected to him at all. Sure, he projects as a guard in the NFL, but if the experts are correct he's 1) as good if not better than AJ Cann, 2) as good if not better than Brandon Linder, and 3) as good if not better than Zane Beadles. If Joekel turns out to be a bust, Collins also has the ability to play T. 

 

I wish him the best of luck now that he can move on with his professional career. I only wish it were going to be in Jacksonville. 

I think it had to do more about him and his agent. I think he and his agent were threatening that if teams drafted him after the second or third that he would not sign and go back into the draft next year. They apparently didn't check the rules before they made that threat. Granted he got a solid payday but he is really gonna have to ball out now. I'm not sure how much playing time he will get in Dallas behind Free and Smith. 

---

Great Job by Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys.


I love it when GMs take chances on players that have talent.

---

It isn't the NFL's fault that he threatened not to play for anyone if he wasn't drafted before the second day.

---

This seemed to me like a race between all the teams that thought they had an opportunity to acquire a top tier OL dirt cheap. Apparently several teams are willing to roll the dice on him. I am a little jealous that the Cowboys, who already have a stout line, are possibly getting another great player to fortify their offensive line. I still am a little curious as to what is going on in Baton Rouge, with the police department. Sometimes investigations take a while until persons of interest become a publicly announced suspect. Either Jerry Jones or 31 other teams come away looking like a genius.

---

. I'm not sure how much playing time he will get in Dallas behind Free and Smith. 

He may compete with Leary for that LG spot.  Free just signed a 2 year deal.  So eventually he will move over to RT.  

---

$1.65M is nothing this day and age in the NFL. I personally think they could have a steal. If he clears out and can play to 1st round potential like he was supposed to, they struck gold. If not, they're not out that much money. 

---

Fully guaranteed, 3 year, $1.65M contract with the Dallas Cowboys. 

 

The entire NFL has some egg on its face for how it treated Mr. Collins. While I understand the need to handle the situation in a delicate manner, the fact that he went undrafted through no fault of his own is a travesty. And of course, the Dallas Cowboys ultimately got the benefit of an additional 1st round pick. 

 

My question is why didn't the Jaguars pursue Collins with everything they had? I didn't hear the Jags connected to him at all. Sure, he projects as a guard in the NFL, but if the experts are correct he's 1) as good if not better than AJ Cann, 2) as good if not better than Brandon Linder, and 3) as good if not better than Zane Beadles. If Joekel turns out to be a bust, Collins also has the ability to play T. 

 

I wish him the best of luck now that he can move on with his professional career. I only wish it were going to be in Jacksonville. 

 

He said in his press conference that the money wasn't a concern.  He wanted to play for the Cowboys.

---

Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

But...but....but....Caldwell didn't even TRY!

He said in his press conference that the money wasn't a concern. He wanted to play for the Cowboys.

---

“Motivation alone is not enough.  If you have an idiot and you motivate him,now you have a motivated idiot.” Jim Rohn

 

Question:  If a team drafted Collins in Round 7, they still have the opportunity to sign him to a contract comparable to a 3rd round pick-- correct?

 

I know it may create some discontent with the 4th-6th round picks but I'm kind of surprised a team did not grab him in the 7th round AND at least have the EXCLUSIVE rights over the course of the next 4 months to negotiate a deal.  Heck, a team could even use him as trade bait if he is cleared of any wrongdoing in a reasonable amount of time.

---

Question:  If a team drafted Collins in Round 7, they still have the opportunity to sign him to a contract comparable to a 3rd round pick-- correct?

 

I know it may create some discontent with the 4th-6th round picks but I'm kind of surprised a team did not grab him in the 7th round AND at least have the EXCLUSIVE rights over the course of the next 4 months to negotiate a deal.  Heck, a team could even use him as trade bait if he is cleared of any wrongdoing in a reasonable amount of time.

 

There is a rookie cap. Basically you get locked into a contract depending on where you get picked.

---

Someone should have taken him in the 7th round regardless. If he truly decided to go back into the draft next year you aren't out much and you would have prevented him going to one of your rivals this year for next to nothing.

---

Hes in a good spot and going to make some nice money. Congrats to the cowboys.

---

:thanks: Extra Life 2016 is 11/05/16 :thanks:

I think it had to do more about him and his agent. I think he and his agent were threatening that if teams drafted him after the second or third that he would not sign and go back into the draft next year. They apparently didn't check the rules before they made that threat. Granted he got a solid payday but he is really gonna have to ball out now. I'm not sure how much playing time he will get in Dallas behind Free and Smith. 

Give his agent some credit, he knew exactly what he was doing with that "threat." Once it became apparent that Collins was not going to be drafted on Days 1 or 2, the next best thing was for him to go undrafted so he could pick his destination and hit free agency as soon as possible (2 or 3 years rather than 4 or 5). Telling teams that he won't sign if drafted was a ploy to make sure he wasn't drafted, because let's face it: for a guy slated to make millions of dollars and a definite lock to make the team, being picked in the 5th round isn't much better than going underrated from a long term financial perspective.

 

As it turns out, Collins isn't the father of the baby who died. He had no motive to kill his ex-gf. He was not in the same city as her the night that she died. While he should have spoken to the police sooner, how do you know that they didn't tell him to come in once the draft was over because he wasn't a suspect? We don't know all the facts, but we do know that the Cowboys just signed an UDFA who was projected to be a top 20 pick, and one who in all likelihood had nothing to do with the murders. 

---

And of course, the Dallas Cowboys ultimately got the benefit of an additional 1st round pick. 

 

 

That's the real problem with this. This subverts the purpose of the draft to spread the wealth roughly equally and give the weakest teams a boost.


 

At least he will improve the Dallas OL less than he would have for any other team.

---

                                                                          

"Why should I give information to you when all you want to do is find something wrong with it?"

As it turns out, Collins isn't the father of the baby who died. He had no motive to kill his ex-gf. He was not in the same city as her the night that she died. 

 

As far as the motive is concerned, he may have thought he was the father at the time of her death. The paternity test came later. Of course he may have known that he definitely wasn't the father based on other factors.


 

If he was not in the same city then he clearly wasn't involved and there would have been no reason for NFL teams to pass on him. Why couldn't/wouldn't he establish that before the draft? OK, he could have hired someone else to kill her, but that's a long shot.

---

                                                                          

"Why should I give information to you when all you want to do is find something wrong with it?"

Have to give Jerry Jones for reaching out to the young man and establishing a relationship when this all went down. He was brilliant by thinking out of the box and fully guaranteeing his three year contract.

---

Respect the game.  Play with a sense of urgency. 


1.)  Take care of the ball.  Win the turnover battle.

2.)  It's all about 3rd down.  Win on 3rd down to win the game.

3.) Playmakers make plays.  The only reason that you put your uniform on is to make plays. In order to EARN your paycheck, you must make plays.  

Learn from the great collapse of 2023.  

Fully guaranteed, 3 year, $1.65M contract with the Dallas Cowboys. 

 

The entire NFL has some egg on its face for how it treated Mr. Collins. While I understand the need to handle the situation in a delicate manner, the fact that he went undrafted through no fault of his own is a travesty. And of course, the Dallas Cowboys ultimately got the benefit of an additional 1st round pick. 

 

My question is why didn't the Jaguars pursue Collins with everything they had? I didn't hear the Jags connected to him at all. Sure, he projects as a guard in the NFL, but if the experts are correct he's 1) as good if not better than AJ Cann, 2) as good if not better than Brandon Linder, and 3) as good if not better than Zane Beadles. If Joekel turns out to be a bust, Collins also has the ability to play T. 

 

I wish him the best of luck now that he can move on with his professional career. I only wish it were going to be in Jacksonville. 

 

How was the NFL supposed to treat Collins under the circumstances?

 

Yes, people are entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.

 

People are also entitled to be risk averse, as long as their reticence to incur risk does not run counter to the law.

 

In this case, Collins, while not a suspect, had not, as of draft day, been completely cleared of responsibility in the murder of his ex-girlfriend.

 

Should NFL teams, already battered in the area of public relations in the aftermath of Ray Rice, Greg Hardy and Aaron Hernandez, have spent a high first round draft pick on a guy who could have conceivably been a murder defendant in a high profile murder case?

 

What GM would spend such a valuable pick on a guy, only to have him become a criminal defendant in a double homicide even before he took a snap?

 

What would have happened to the GM of the team that spent a first round pick on Collins, only to have him be charged?

 

While it is most unfortunate that the circumstances unfolded the way they did for Collins, I can't blame any GM for passing on him, given those circumstances.

---

 

Worst to 1st.  Curse Reversed!