Cowboys' La'el Collins Given Permission to Seek Trade

The Dallas Cowboys granted permission to offensive tackle La'el Collins and his representatives to seek a potential trade ahead of the new NFL league year on Wednesday.

Peter Schaffer, Collins' agent, confirmed the news Saturday to ESPN's Adam Schefter, who reported the Cowboys will "likely" release the 28-year-old lineman if no deal is found.

Collins has been a stalwart member of Dallas' offensive line since signing with the team as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He was viewed as a first-round prospect, but questions about a police investigation caused his stock to drop even though he wasn't named as a suspect.

The LSU product spent his first two years at left guard before shifting to right tackle, where he's started for his last four active seasons. He missed the entire 2020 campaign with a hip injury.

Collins returned to make 12 appearances in 2021 and played at a high level, earning a strong 82 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. He received a five-game suspension in September for a violation of the NFL's substance-abuse policy following missed drug tests.

His contract situation makes trade talks a little complex.

He's signed with Dallas through 2024 as part of a five-year, $50 million deal that includes a $15.25 million cap hit for 2022. The Cowboys only save $1.3 million if he's traded or released before June 1, but that number jumps to $10 million if it's designated as a post-June 1 move, with the remaining money shifted to 2023.

In the latter scenario, however, Dallas would be looking at getting a 2023 draft pick or two in return since the 2022 draft takes place in late April before the deal could become official.

The Cowboys possess just $3.1 million in cap space at this point in the offseason, per Spotrac, which has prompted the roster movement. Wide receiver Amari Cooper finds himself in a similar trade-or-release situation with his $20 million salary set to become guaranteed March 20.

In turn, the Dallas roster figures to feature a lot of new faces when the 2022 season kicks off.