Frank Pollack’s endorsement got Bengals rolling on pursuit of La’el Collins

Before free agency really got underway, Cincinnati Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack said “glass eaters” are the type of guys he wants in front of Joe Burrow.

He helped the team go out and get three of those in free agency, the highlight being right tackle La’el Collins.

Despite an injury history and recent suspension that limited Collins’ time on the football field, Pollack’s experience with him was a key factor in the Bengals making the big splash, as illustrated by Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic:

“The Bengals had no such concerns. They had Pollack. His knowledge of Collins through three years together from 2015-17 was the key ingredient on both ends. The Bengals relied heavily on his endorsement. Collins viewed it as the perfect fit again playing for a coach he said was the best he’d been around. Pollack loved every bit of the 28-year-old’s personality and play style in his quest for glass-eaters.”

In his first encounters with media in Cincinnati, Collins himself confirmed linking back up with Pollack was a big part of the reason he wanted to join the Bengals (cupcakes with Joe Burrow helped, too).

Pollack had extensive experience with Collins during their time together in Dallas, so it was presumably a matter of him signing off on the idea that really got the front office on board.

Unlike their other big free-agent signings, the Bengals immediately got Collins in town for a visit so he could meet non-Pollack members of the organization and team. But that Pollack connection that we and others often brought up is ultimately what even opened the door for a visit, let alone a much-needed signing for both player and team.