La’el Collins is the Dallas Cowboys’ biggest Pro Bowl snub
By Reid Hanson
The Dallas Cowboys who are getting the most attention for being Pro Bowl snubs are Dak Prescott and DeMarcus Lawrence but it’s really right tackle La’el Collins who deserves it the most.
With all due respect to Dak Prescott, it’s La’el Collins who is the biggest Pro Bowl snub on the Dallas Cowboys. Because all the newly re-signed tackle from LSU did was have a career season this year and establish himself as a top-5 offensive tackle in the NFL.
The Dallas Cowboys are admittedly rich in offensive line talent. And one of the consequences of having three perennial Pro Bowlers with name recognition is there isn’t much love left over for anyone else who proves themselves worthy.
Such is the case with La’el Collins. Everyone around the NFL knows names like Zack Martin, Tyron Smith, and Travis Frederick. The former first round picks have pedigree and a track record of success. It’s only natural the general public puts an unofficial cap on the amount of honor that can be bestowed upon a unit that’s already one of the most praised in the NFL.
That’s the problem with Pro Bowl voting. Fans can vote for whomever they want to, as many times as they want to, for what ever reasons they want to. How many fans actually know how to grade offensive linemen execution?
I know I’ve watched countless tutorials on offensive line play and I only feel I’m partially qualified to do so. How many fans really watch the All-22 and grade each and every snap of offensive tackles around the league? Heck, how many General Managers do that?
Pro Football Focus watches every snap of every game and they check their work against multiple other professional analysts to ensure uniform grading. It’s not flawless but it’s better than what what fans, media, and league GMs/coaches/scouts can do given the time it takes. And they have La’el Collins as the 3rd best tackle in the entire NFL.
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Based on his performance this season, La’el Collins is ahead of everyone except for Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson and New Orleans’ Ryan Ramczyk (that includes left tackles like Tyron Smith). Collins only has four penalties on the season and one sack credited to him. That’s pretty significant considering Dallas is one of the most prolific deep ball passing teams in the NFL (meaning they aren’t just quickly dumping the ball off).
It’s likely La’el Collins will get the recognition he deserves next season. It often takes a snub or two before fans figure out who they’re suppose to vote for. But Cowboys Nation should recognize this now. La’el is just as good, if not better, than the Dallas Cowboys other elite offensive linemen and Pro Bowl invite or not, he’s clearly one of the best in the NFL.
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Dak Prescott certainly deserves a Pro Bowl bid over a couple other invites who likely got invites based on name and team record rather than actual play. But it’s La’el Collins who’s the biggest snub because he’s operating on a whole new level this season.
- Published on 12/20/2019 at 13:07 PM
- Last updated at 12/20/2019 at 13:07 PM