Like Adam I can only guess, but for no team to use a 7th round pick, tells me the higher ups gave orders to teams. Do Not Draft La'el.
Everyone I talked with said, he would be one of the last on the team, in their mind, to be involved in something like this. Everyone was saying, but no one was listening?
Word out, the Saints will make a push, along with just about every team in the NFL. Get in line and take a number.
From Dandy Don... We’ll start today’s report with the latest news on the La’el Collins situation. According to reports, Collins and his attorney, Jim Boren, met with Baton Rouge police yesterday and answered every question they asked. Afterwards, Boren reportedly said “The only reason [Collins] is a suspect is because stories are saying he is a suspect. The police aren’t saying that. The DA isn’t saying that. We know the facts: he is not a suspect. He had nothing to do with that lady’s murder.” Later in the day, police issued a statement carrying the same message, stating that that Collins is “still not considered a suspect in the homicide of Brittany and Brenton Mills.” The fact that Collins was never a suspect makes this tragic scenario even harder to wrap my head around. Collins literally lost millions of dollars when teams learned of the investigation and dropped him from their draft boards where he was projected to be a first round pick. If Collins is “cleared” (What exactly does it means to clear someone if he is not even considered a suspect?) and goes on to sign a free agent agreement, there is one very small silver lining. Un-drafted free agents (UFDAs) can re-negotiate their contracts after two years, whereas draftees must wait three. By CODY WORSHAM Tiger Rag Editor La’el Collins met with homicide detectives in Baton Rouge Monday morning, his attorney told the Louisiana Radio Network, as the investigation into the murder of Brittany Mills continues. According to Jim Boren, a criminal defense lawyer representing Collins, the pair "answered every question that they asked.” "We provided them with all of the information they wanted,” Boren said. "La’el is now going to go try to get his football career back on track.” In perhaps the most definitive statement Collins’ advisors have released yet, Boren clearly emphasized Collins’ innocence. Asked if he thought Collins would be exonerated, Boren replied: "I do. Absolutely, I do. The only reason he is a suspect is because stories are saying he is a suspect. The police aren’t saying that. The DA isn’t saying that. We know the facts: he is not a suspect. "He had nothing to do with that lady’s murder.” After being pegged as a surefire first round pack, Collins went unselected in last week’s NFL Draft, amid the cloud of uncertainty hovering over the 21-year-old former Tiger offensive lineman. Baton Rouge police announced in the days before the draft they wanted to talk with Collins regarding the killing of the 29-year-old Mills – who was pregnant at the time of her death and gave birth to her son, Brenton, who died a week after his mother – but emphasized he was not a suspect. Still, Collins’ connection to the case was enough for every NFL team to pass on selecting the talented tackle. Boren, who declined to comment whether or not Collins had submitted a paternity test for the deceased child, said Collins is now focused on returning to training for the NFL. "He didn’t have anything to do with her homicide,” Boren emphasized. "He did know who she was, and he did have a relationship with her, but more than that, I really can’t say.”
The NFL is so reactionary. He would have been drafted had Aaron Hernandez, Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, and Adrian Peterson not been scumbags. I'm starting to believe every team was instructed by the league not to draft him.
He could try to sue for collusion but it would be very hard to prove unless somebody has a video or even an audio recording of Roger Goodell ordering teams not to draft him.
Is there a possible loophole for Collins? Right now his status is an undrafted free agent. NFL teams aren't allowed to spend more than $88,000 total for all of the undrafted free agents they sign, so even if a team gave all of its free agent money to Collins that would be all he would get, along with a standard rookie contract paying the league minimum. But what about players who are undrafted or even maybe drafted low who choose to play in Canada? Do they become unrestricted free agents after playing for a Canadian team? Warren Moon was a multi time MVP and won multiple Grey Cups with the Edmonton Eskimos before signing with the Houston Oilers. I don't know whether Moon was ever drafted or not but I would feel sure that when he signed with the Oilers it was because they made the highest offer and weren't restricted by some minimum amout rule. So what if Collins played for a Canadian team? Would he then be an unrestricted free agent that NFL teams could offer the going rate? How long would he have to play in Canada? One game? One full season? Could he sign a contract with a Canadian team that would allow him to opt out of it if he got an offer from an NFL team?
I actually think the problem in this situation is that the league has NOT been reactionary when it comes to Ray Rice, Jonathan Dwyer, Adrian Peterson, Ray McDonald, TJ Ward, Greg Hardy, Josh Morgan, AJ Jefferson, Adam Jones, Daryl Washington (assaulting the mother of his child), William Moore, Amari Spievey, Leroy Hill, Chris Rainey, Robert Sands, Jovan Belcher (killed his girlfriend/baby mama, then killed himself), Bryan Thomas, Chad Johnson, Dez Bryant. All arrested in the last few years for domestic violence or violence against women. The arrests for violence and assault of other people can be added to that list. Meanwhile, the NFL pretends to give a shit about women and domestic assault. What a joke. The commissioner has given harsher fines for pot smokers than those who beat their women. Had the league really cared, they would have launched some serious kind of initiative after Belcher killed his baby mama and himself. Instead they looked the other way and Ray Rice happened with a 2-day suspension. What a joke. Having the players wear pink and talking about caring doesn't mean shit. Perhaps Collins was used by the league to make a point or pretend to make a point about caring. It sucks. But so does the domestic violence issue that continues in the NFL.
