La'el Collins Update: Offensive Lineman Meeting With NFL Teams Amid Open Homicide Investigation
ByLa'el Collins was considered a lock for the first round of the NFL Draft, but his name was not called at any point over the weekend due to an ongoing homicide investigation.
According to the Baton Rouge Advocate, Collins left Chicago just before the draft to talk to homicide detectives about the April 24 murder of Brittany Mills, 29. Collins, who has not been treated as a suspect, reportedly dated Mills at one point.
The deceased was also pregnant and doctors were able to deliver the baby, who then died a week later.
Due to the nature of the investigation, police have disclosed few details, such as the identity of the baby's father. What is apparent about the murder is that Mills knew the person who shot and killer her.
Shortly after news broke of Collins' involvement in the case, NFL teams reportedly took him off their draft boards and the ex-LSU offensive lineman went undrafted. Now it appears teams are still acting cautiously in vetting Collins, who has reportedly met with the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills, the Advocate reported.
As the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel noted, the All-SEC offensive lineman will likely field contract offers from any and all NFL teams if he is cleared in the investigation.
"Collins would have made approximately a $4 million signing bonus as a top 15 pick. As an undrafted free agent, he will make a minimal signing bonus as NFL teams have only about $90,000 to spend on all free agent signing bonuses, according to the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that the NFL Players Association has with the NFL," Glenn Guilbeau wrote for USA Today. "But an NFL team could guarantee Collins a guaranteed salary of more than $1.5 million based on the three-year mandated contract for undrafted free agents of $435,000 the first year, following by $525,000 and then $615,000."