After what feels like an eternity, La’el Collins is a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.
This move was written down with pencil since he was made available, but now we can use a sharpie because the 28-year-old is Joe Burrow's "newest bodyguard."
Collins is one of the most talented right tackles in the National Football League. He should be the best right tackle to play for the Bengals since Willie Anderson wore No. 71 in Cincinnati.
There's a new No. 71 in town. Let's dive into the film as to what Collins will bring to the Bengals.
Where He Excels
Areas of Concern
Scheme Fit
Collins is an immaculate fit for the Bengals. He's athletic and can play at the second level, works very well on his combination blocks, and can displace defenders horizontally or vertically. This makes him fit like a glove for wide zone. When it comes to pass protection, the only thing that he really lacks for Frank Pollack is length. His arms are just over 33 inches long which is decent, but not exactly what they are looking for in that area. Other than that he should work out well.
Overall Thoughts
Collins is arguably one of the five best right tackles in the entire NFL. He should provide upside and stability to the Bengals' offensive line and is immediately the best member unit.
He should team up with right guard Alex Cappa to provide some powerful double teams and combination blocks as they are both powerful and work well in that area. He has the athleticism to really dominate at the second level. Joe Mixon should see bigger holes and running latest that he hasn't seen during his first five seasons with the Bengals.
Collins will also give the Bengals the ability to put one or both of their tackles on an island in pass protection. Unless he is facing someone who could specifically give him trouble, he can be trusted on an island in 1-on-1 situations. This allows the Bengals to allocate their resources elsewhere along the offensive line to help them out.
This signing moves Cincinnati from just having a passable offensive line into having one of the better units in the league. I wouldn’t say it’s an elite group, but this should be a night and day difference from what was provided last season.
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