Murder suspect or drug addict

[vinabolt]

This is a business decision, not much a personnel decision. You don't want to associate your business with a legal trouble case at this magnitude (murder, felony). It hurts your organization's image in the long run. This risk doesn't worth all the legal distraction that will come with it. That's why NE threw out 4 mil just to let Hernandez (a proven ProBowl TE) go. And no one close to sign him after he passed the waiver.

If no team want a proven ProBowl TE like Hernandez (at the time he still could be innocence) for vets minimum, then I doubt if any team going to take risks like this at all. There is a Tim Tebow type of distraction, this you may take little risk, and there is a Hernandez type of distraction, which is a human slaughter case. Teams don't want to acquire these guys just to cut them later.

[rikardo]

I would be ok, taking Collins with #2 round pick if he is still there. Should be an all pro RG

[QSmokey]

We will call it the Double QSmokey!

Worth it just to read him.

And I wouldn't disappoint.

[QSmokey]

I would be ok, taking Collins with #2 round pick if he is still there. Should be an all pro RG

Round Two? Many are speculating that he'll go UNDRAFTED. You'd waste a 2nd-round pick on him? WTF?!

[WindsorUK]

We desperately need a player of Collins ability on our OL. Just imagine Gordon running behind he and DJ on the right side!

Without a huge jump, this years team doesn't seem to make any improvements so why not go for broke?

[QSmokey]

We desperately need a player of Collins ability on our OL. Just imagine Gordon running behind he and DJ on the right side!

Without a huge jump, this years team doesn't seem to make any improvements so why not go for broke?

Then you take Gregory with your #2 and Collins with your #3.

And then we call all laugh AT OURSELVES when Collins is implicated in his poor girlfriend's murder; and Gregory violates the League's substance abuse policy and gets suspended for a year.

[Foxbatkllr]

We desperately need a player of Collins ability on our OL. Just imagine Gordon running behind he and DJ on the right side!

Without a huge jump, this years team doesn't seem to make any improvements so why not go for broke?

Yes clearly the TT experiment is over if he doesn't do this. He should take all of your advice.

[rikardo]

Round Two? Many are speculating that he'll go UNDRAFTED. You'd waste a 2nd-round pick on him? WTF?!

Thats because I have watched him play, I really like SEC games. The kid is a stud. I say do not risk it (he'll be an all pro OG IMO) get him with the #2 pick if he is there...

[QSmokey]

Thats because I have watched him play, I really like SEC games. The kid is a stud. I say do not risk it get him with the #2 pick if he is there...

Read the "Draft Day #2" thread. He's probably going undrafted. To use ANY pick on him would be a colossally stupid move, IMO. To even sign him as an undrafted rookie would be dumb.

[WindsorUK]

Yes clearly the TT experiment is over if he doesn't do this. He should take all of your advice.

Well, maybe not all of it.....

[vinabolt]

I understand the "innocence until proven guilty" mantra, but that's the job of the legal system. A football franchise is a business. As a business, your job is to protect yourself. You don't want to associate yourself with a potential murderer. Until he is proven completely innocence, it would be insane for any organization to bring him to their football "family". As a SD fan, I want the team to stay away from this guy as far as possible.

[vinabolt]

No team willing to spend a 7th round pick on Collins, even OAK. And now teams don't want to sign him for vet minimum. Collins is nowhere near Hernandez level of accomplishment as a NFL player, yet NE cut Hernandez to take 4 mil cap hit, and no one else border to sign him after he got cut.

Teams want to stay away from all of this as far as possible. You don't want to bring in a potential killer to your locker room. It's a set back, not an improvement of the team. Sometime you have to look at the whole picture, can't just look at pure individual talent of a player.

Successful franchise and business look at the whole picture, while fans just look at individual talent, sometime an unproven talent like Collins. That's why successful franchise sometime made decisions that fans don't understand.

As a coach, you don't want to bring in a potential murderer to your players. Imagine if you are a player in the team and your locker is next to a potential psycho. So, now what are you thinking, when you get into his bad side and he'll probably going to kill you, too?

A team need "trust" element to operate. You don't bring in anything that destroy "trust" atmosphere in the locker room and the team.

In NFL history, player involved in any murder case usually get released immediately. The only 1 exception is Ray Lewis. But Lewis at the time was already an all-pro and an emotional leader in that locker room. He already earned more than enough trust. He is well liked and respected in BAL's locker room. While Hernandez is not a leader and distant from teammate. He actually threated to kill Wes Welker when Welker want to make friend with him. And Collins is an unproven newbie.