What about La'el Collins?

[Rams43]

I'm no attorney, but something is really wrong here.

Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty"? This kid is not even a suspect, much less proven guilty of anything.

It's been suggested that Goodell has informed teams that they should not draft Collins. Is that even legal?

He can't be drafted.
He can't enter the supplemental.
He can't go back to LSU and play.

He's in no man's land, isn't he?

Here we have a young top 15 player, an Eagle Scout (http://www.nola.com/lsu/index.ssf/2015/02/lsus_lael_collins_talks_dogs_c.html), with no history of trouble that I'm aware of. Are we to believe that he went to the home of his ex girlfriend six days before the draft and murdered her in cold blood because she wouldn't let him borrow her car? Really?

This kid is no Lawrence Phillips or Rae Carruth, if you ask me.

So here's a thought. Fisher had the juevos to draft the first openly gay player last year, admittedly in the 7th round. Does he have the juevos to draft Collins at #41? A top 15 player that can play at two positions of current need?

We'll see. Worst case scenario would be a blown 2nd rounder. We've had those before, remember Pead?

Might get a comp pick back, who knows?

Best case scenario is that we steal a future Pro Bowler at #41 who is mad as hell and wants to prove something to the league.

This kid is getting a raw deal, if you ask me. And it's already cost him millions because of dropped draft position.

Fisher could be a hero here if he so chooses. Food for thought, anyway.

 

[Corbin]

While I agree that Collins is getting the shit end of the stick on this one regardless if that baby is his or not. I been trying to find out if he's in draft still or what's going on with him. I haven't found anything of Goddell saying teams shouldn't draft him.

 

[V3]

I'll just paste what I said in your other thread:

I don't think Collins will be picked for a long while. The dude might have been involved in a murder. Teams aren't going to risk throwing away a high pick until they have more info. If they do, they either know something or they don't care about risk. I'd be fine with taking him in the 5th(4th tops depending on who's there) but anything before that and you risk throwing the pick away. That's why his agent tried to petition the NFL to let him be in the supplemental draft.

I'll add that when you say, "Worst case scenario would be a blown 2nd rounder" , that's a horrible worst case scenario. Your first and second rounders are your star player positions. If you blow those, your team is set back for years.

 

[12intheBox]

I am an attorney. But that is not making this situation any more clear.

Honestly, there just has to be information out there that the teams have that the press isn't privy to.

I find it hard to believe that NFL teams wouldn't have their investigators crawling all over this case. What would an investigator do? He would go talk to the detectives. If Collins had ZERO to do with this - and the cops believed that were the case thus far in their investigation - they wouldn't be completely obtuse about this. They know who he is - and what this weekend is and what it means.

 

[RaminExile]

I am an attorney. But that is not making this situation any more clear.

Honestly, there just has to be information out there that the teams have that the press isn't privy to.

I find it hard to believe that NFL teams wouldn't have their investigators crawling all over this case. What would an investigator do? He would go talk to the detectives. If Collins had ZERO to do with this - and the cops believed that were the case thus far in their investigation - they wouldn't be completely obtuse about this. They know who he is - and what this weekend is and what it means.

If you don't have the info available you simply cant pull the trigger on the guy - he's just too much of a risk. I think you're probably right. They'll be digging up whatever they can about the situation. Perhaps a few teams really are confident that he had nothing to do about it - well then what I think is happening here is it becomes a game of chicken - who dares hold their course for long enough without blinking (i.e. picking him) because they think the other teams wont dare pick him. Then you're going to have 31 pissed off teams when a team does jump early and take him - and then they'll be a bit pissed off themselves because they'll always think "dang we could have waited - got him one round later".

Re: the investigators - they can talk to the detectives but really the detectives shouldn't be giving out any more information than is already in the public sphere should they? Give out too much to too many people and it gets leaked to the media eventually, everyone reads it and forms an opinion on it and it becomes very very difficult to ensure the guy gets a fair trial, if indeed he is ever charged with anything for it.

 

[Noregar]

I do not see a problem taking him in the 6th or 7th.

I also do not have as much info as the teams so if he goes undrafted then I have to think there are some suspicions about his involvement in some circles. If he is cleared he would then be a free agent at some point so he would still get paid, just not 1st round money.

 

[12intheBox]

Re: the investigators - they can talk to the detectives but really the detectives shouldn't be giving out any more information than is already in the public sphere should they? Give out too much to too many people and it gets leaked to the media eventually, everyone reads it and forms an opinion on it and it becomes very very difficult to ensure the guy gets a fair trial, if indeed he is ever charged with anything for it.

I'm pretty sure that is not the concern for the cops involved. They don't have to talk to an investigator but they are certainly allowed to - and a wad of cash and a sincere promise to keep your mouth shut can get an investigator really good info.

The Cops want to get Collins to talk - and this is where things get weird.

By now, the lawyers know what they are dealing with. They have had that 'come to Jesus' meeting with La'el. They have given him a polygraph and run in him in circles in this case. Its a funny thing about defense work - our clients often lie to us like crazy. We can tell them over and over again that they really really should tell us the truth - but they just lie lie lie. Its like they are lying to themselves and there is just no scenario under which they will admit the truth until it is forced on them.

So that the lawyers job - act like the detective - and try to get your client to cave in. After that part - once you are pretty sure that your guy is being honest w you - then you develop your strategy. If the kid has culpability - you don't talk to the cops. You don't. In the media - you 'cooperate with the investigation' but you don't make a statement to the police - its tantamount to malpractice.

Collins reps have to know that even if a team drafts him - they won't sign him until very close to camp - and if charges are brewing at all - they wont sign him at all - even if they wasted a pick on him.

Its the strangest draft story I can ever remember - to say the least. I just hope the Rams aren't flippantly taking him off the board just in case - because a good investigation could nab you an extra first round talent at a discount.

 

[12intheBox]

@adbrandt: Re La'el Collins, agents are putting him on the phone with as many teams as possible to try to clear his name, explain situation.


This Makes me feel better - get him on the phone with the Rams now!!!

 

[Riverumbbq]

I do not see a problem taking him in the 6th or 7th.

I also do not have as much info as the teams so if he goes undrafted then I have to think there are some suspicions about his involvement in some circles. If he is cleared he would then be a free agent at some point so he would still get paid, just not 1st round money.

There are already references of agents stating that if he isn't taken by the 4'th round he should just sit it out and re-enter the 2016 draft.
If the Rams have done some due-diligence, and for me this would include a paternity test and passing a lie detector test, I take him sooner than later. jmo.

 

[Athos]

Just don't think you can risk taking him in the 2nd or 3rd whether that's warranted or not.

 

[ausmurp]

To the attorney, if you (by you I mean any of us or any normal people in general) had an ex gf from past few yrs who was murdered, wouldn't you be brought in for questioning no matter what? This is what is happening. The police said he is not a suspect.

Teams are too touchy imo, and regardless 50% of players drafted were a failed project anyway for most all teams. I say take him anyway. He is on the board on TV so he is draftable. He is a 1st rd talent who has just as good a shot to succeed as any other player drafted.

 

[Merlin]

We're not talking about a guy who has a chance to just be a bust due to prison time. We're talking about a guy who, if he did it, killed a pregnant woman.

Enormous risk to take him period, let alone this early in the draft. I would not touch him prior to round 6 or 7.

 

[TheTackle]

Every draft pick is a risk...

To me he is less of a risk that the majority of players left in the draft... it is as simple as that

Even the best teams, take Baltimore or the Patsies miss on many of their picks, so lets not get too carried away here

I understand having read into it, that the main concern is that he is the father to the surviving baby... not that he was the murderer

 

[12intheBox]

La'el Collins and his reps have decided if he's not selected tonight he will not sign a contract with a team and will renter draft next year