FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys are hosting former offensive tackle La'El Collins and former linebacker Damien Wilson for workouts on Tuesday, as the team looks for depth in the offensive line and linebacker groups.
With the Cowboys currently having one practice squad spot available going into week 18, the team will look to add one final depth piece before a playoff run in January.
After being widely regarded as a first-round talent in the 2015 NFL Draft, Collins went undrafted after being involved in an investigation around the shooting death of a former girlfriend. Collins was never named as a suspect and was only questioned by police, but his draft stock plummeting allowed the Cowboys to pick him up as a quality undrafted free agent signing.
Collins spent seven seasons with the Cowboys and started 71 games before being allowed to seek a trade in the 2022 offseason. Shortly after, he was released by the team with three years remaining on his contract.
He spent one season with the Cincinnati Bengals where he tore his ACL in the team's week 16 matchup and required a whole offseason of rehab to get back to full strength. He started the 2023 season on the injured reserve list before being released by the Bengals in September.
"You can imagine that's probably the most sought-after asset anywhere this time of the year in the NFL, to find a productive offensive lineman," Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday morning. "They're rare in availability."
Wilson was drafted by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2015 NFL Draft and played in all 64 games that took place in his four seasons with the team and was a starter for 22 of them.
After the expiration of his rookie deal, he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs and started in all 29 games that he played in two seasons while winning a Super Bowl in 2019. He then spent one year with the Jacksonville Jaguars – starting in all 17 games – and one season with the Carolina Panthers before being released by the latter this past March.
The team will evaluate both options during a Tuesday workout in what will be a reunion back at The Star for both players and members of the Cowboys.
