DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys are expected to get reinforcements as their bye week concludes and they prepare for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football in Week 8.
One starter that the Cowboys are getting back is right tackle La'el Collins, who had been serving a five-game suspension for violation of the NFL's substance abuse policy. The former 2015 undrafted free agent from LSU started in Week 1, but has been out since.
Dallas had to revert to their 2020 ways over the past five weeks by inserting Terence Steele at right tackle. The former 2020 undrafted free agent from Texas Tech started 14 of 16 games in Collins' absence last year, and the past five games have been more of the same.
With Dallas on a five-game winning streak, the thinking could be "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." However, Collins has been a fixture of the offensive line, particularly at right tackle, since 2017.
Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones told "K&C Masterpiece" on 105.3 "The Fan" [KRLD-FM] on Monday that the club is confident that Collins will return to his pre-2020 form, but that other questions linger that offensive line coach Joe Philbin, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, and coach Mike McCarthy will have to suss out.
Said Jones: "I think the bigger question is, after sitting out five games, do you, you know, does he need some time? And certainly that’s what Coach Philbin and Mike and Kellen will be looking at this week to just see where he is as we get out and start to put bodies on each other and start to get a feel for where his conditioning is, and where he is in terms of being ready to play.”
One reality that the coaching staff has to measure is that Collins has played in just one game in the past 22. Last year, Collins sat out the entire season with a hip injury, which provided the opportunity for Steele to get meaningful reps as a rookie.
All-Pro right guard Zack Martin knows that getting Collins back is "big," but is also a believer in the overall continuity of the offensive line room since Philbin's arrival in 2020.
"A positive to our room is we’ve had a bunch of different combinations of guys play together," said Martin. "I think what coach Philbin and [assistant OL coach] (Jeff) Blasco teach is just the message, and everyone has bought into what we’re doing. That makes it easier when you start plugging and playing guys next to each other."
The Cowboys may stick with the hot hand theory, but have another option in case Steele cools.
Do you think the Cowboys should go back to Collins as the starter or should they stay with Steele? Share your thoughts with Mark on Twitter @therealmarklane.