The Cincinnati Bengals made a big effort to upgrade their offensive line a year ago, but one of the key acquisitions may not be coming back in 2023.
Offensive tackle La’el Collins, signed with much fanfare last offseason, is a “prime candidate” to be cut, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. Cutting Collins would save the Bengals as much as $7.7 million against the cap at a cost of just $1.7 million in dead money.
Collins was supposed to be the anchor of the offensive line when the Bengals brought him in last year following his release from Dallas. Instead, he struggled for much of the season before suffering a torn ACL and MCL in December. He also turns 30 before the start of training camp, which arguably makes a cut more likely.
Collins made a memorable promise to Joe Burrow upon signing last year, but things really did not work out amid that initial optimism. The Bengals will be right back in the market for tackles as a result.
