The Dallas Cowboys had the top-ranked offense in the NFL in 2019. Dak Prescott nearly set a franchise record with 4,902 yards passing (2nd in the NFL), Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 1,357 yards (4th in the NFL), and Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup each went over 1,100 yards.
Of course, all of that was made possible because of very good offensive line play. Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, and Travis Frederick (now retired) had their usual Pro Bowl campaigns as expected, but they were joined by another dominant link on the offensive line chain so to speak.
La’el Collins, now the main man at right tackle, signed a five-year, $50 million dollar extension with $35 million in guarantees just prior to the beginning of last season, and the big man lived up to every cent.
According to Pro Football Focus, Collins was the fourth-highest graded offensive tackle in 2019, 3rd amongst right tackles, trailing only Ryan Ramcyzk of the New Orleans Saints and Lane Johnson of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 offensive tackles of 2019 💪 😤 pic.twitter.com/G1jE9oJviU
— PFF (@PFF) July 1, 2020
It’s no secret that the Cowboys are loaded on the offensive side of the ball. Prescott is a top-ten quarterback, Elliott is arguably the best at the running back position, and Cooper and Gallup will now be joined by rookie sensational CeeDee Lamb to form the league’s most intriguing and talented wide receiver trio. Sprinkle in Tony Pollard and Blake Jarwin, the Cowboys have all the pieces to be even better on offense in 2020. However, their production will depend on the excellent play of future Hall of Famers Smith and Martin as well as Collins, even more so now with Frederick gone.
Collins was so good in 2019 that recently he caught the eye of the New York Jets as a potential trade piece that would send star safety Jamal Adams to the Cowboys. However, Collins proved last season that he was a top-five right tackle in the NFL. When you couple that with the best guard in the league in Martin and Smith who’s still a top-three left tackle it doesn’t make sense to break up that chemistry on the offensive line when you’re so loaded at the skill positions like the Cowboys.
After an off the field incident stopped him from being a lock as a first-round pick in 2015, Collins has turned himself into one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL. With the addition of Joe Philbin to the coaching staff as the new offensive line coach (helped Mike McCarthy win Super Bowl XLV with the Green Bay Packers), his game can only continue to elevate and keep the Cowboys offensive line as one of the top units of it’s kind league-wide.
