The Cincinnati Bengals stunned onlookers with the release of offensive tackle La’el Collins this week.
It was a surprise more because of the timing than anything, as the Bengals did save some notable cap space with the move. But it had appeared during training camp that Collins was well on his way to being ready before going on the PUP list.
And while the Bengals still haven’t provided official reasoning for the sudden move, head coach Zac Taylor did speak about it briefly in the aftermath.
“He worked really hard for us and have a lot of respect for LC and the way he went about his business and obviously gave us some really good snaps last year until the injury,” Zac Taylor said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “Enjoy being around LC and he’s one of those guys that just loves ball and you enjoy being around him. Never a great time. That was a tough one.”
The hype around Collins’ arrival in Cincinnati one year ago was massive, including fans even tracking him down at a local mall after he arrived in town to talk with the team.
Unfortunately, the mid-December injury last year and Jonah Williams looking good at right tackle seemed to lead to this. There always seems to be a chance the two parties later reunite on a different deal in situations like this, but that doesn’t take the sting off it now for either.
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