Report: Dallas Cowboys seeking trade offers for starting offensive linemen

The Dallas Cowboys continue to make moves this offseason to improve their salary cap situation, and now one of their highest paid offensive linemen could be on his way out, according to a report Saturday morning.

“Dallas has given permission to starting RT La’el Collins to seek a trade, according to his new agent Peter Schaffer. Dallas needs cap room and Collins was scheduled to make $15.25 million this season. Likely to be released if no trade,” Adam Schefter tweeted.

The Cowboys can save $13.95 million of that by cutting or trading him. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted on Thursday that both scenarios could be on the table, as the Cowboys are looking to do anything they can to be in a comfortable situation regarding their salary cap heading into free agency this offseason.

The former LSU Tigers product was undrafted in 2015 despite being a former top-5 recruit coming out of high school, but has become a staple on the Dallas Cowboys offensive line which has been one of the most dominant position groups year after year.

“He is one of the most outstanding offensive linemen in the country,” team owner Jerry Jones said recently of Collins.

Collins has played his entire NFL career in Dallas. Last year Collins played in 12 games, starting 10, but the Cowboys didn’t miss him much when he was out of the lineup, and it’s unsurprising that they’re not sure he’s worth the cap space they’re devoting to him.

With Dallas moving on from stars, namely Amari Cooper, Collins joins the group of soon-to-be former Cowboys that were simply making too much money for a team that doesn’t have it. With the Cowboys looking to make a Super Bowl push sooner rather than later, Jones and company believe these are moves made striving for that goal. The question remains if the opposite will be true moving forward as more moves are likely to be made before the 2022 season gets underway in September.