It's La'el Collins turn to fall - girlfriend murdered last night

[BleedinBlue]

http://nypost.com/2015/04/29/lael-collins-draft-stock-in-question-after-ex-girlfriends-murder/

 

Authorities want to question Collins, but he's in Chicago for the draft. His girlfriend that he broke up with in September was pregnant. She was shot and killed, but medics saved the baby.

 

His stock will probably fall even though he probably had nothing to do with it whatsoever. Still - timing couldn't be worse.

[gmenroc]

I think the connection is a little too loose/distant for it to affect too much as far as his draft status. Seems police are trying to collect information and a former relationship/potential father of the child seems a logical place to start. The fact that police stated he is not a suspect as opposed to being non-committal about it, to me, speaks volumes.

 

Now, if they find that there HAS been communication and he lied about not having contact since September...THEN red flags go up. So I guess there is a slightly elevated risk, but at this point, it's far too late in the process I think for teams to adjust much for this kind of news where there likely isn't any fire and little smoke.

 

In other words, this loose connection is not going to take him off draft boards or move him down the OT rankings.

[BleedinBlue]

I agree that it's probably nothing unless the kid is his. That wouldn't make him guilty by any means, but it would be a distraction for him to suddenly have a child with no mother.

 

I doubt he'll fall far, but if someone in the top 10-12 was going to take him, they might simply want to avoid any residual problems that he has to deal with.

 

I have seen him projected anywhere in the top 10 to the mid-rounds, to the late rounds. Should he slip to the early 2nd, he'd be a bargain.

[Treehugger]

Wow.

[Nas]

I thought he was a 2nd rounder to begin with... but what do I know.

[Allstarjim]

He's definitely not a 2nd rounder, Nas, as far as on-field talent goes.

 

Where are you guys seeing he's been ruled out as a suspect? His attorney is stating that he EXPECTS him to be ruled out as a suspect in the article I read posted today by the Daily News...

 

La’el Collins, LSU offensive lineman expected to be first-round pick in NFL draft, wanted for questioning in pregnant ex-girlfriend’s murder: cops

BY SASHA GOLDSTEIN

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Wednesday, April 29, 2015, 8:40 AM

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STACY REVERE/GETTY IMAGES La'el Collins (No. 70) is shown at an LSU game in Oct. 2014. He's in Chicago for the NFL draft but is expected to return to Baton Rouge afterward and speak to police.

A top NFL offensive line prospect is wanted for questioning in Louisiana after his pregnant former girlfriend was shot dead at her Baton Rouge home, police said.

La’el Collins, a 21-year-old standout at LSU, is in Chicago for Thursday night’s NFL draft, where he’s expected to be selected in the first round because he's considered a top-four prospect.

He’d been mentioned as a possibility to be taken by the Giants, who pick at No. 9 and are expected to try and bulk up their offensive line.

Brittany Mills, 29, was shot to death after opening her door Friday night to someone police believe she knew, according to the Baton Rouge Advocate.

The heavily pregnant woman once dated Collins, according to ESPN, and authorities are working to determine if Collins is the father of her child, who was delivered by surgeons and survived the ordeal.

"We took the investigation seriously," Collins’ attorney, Jim Boren told ESPN. "We've tried to rule him out as a suspect. We're going to provide that information to the police, and ultimately (Collins) will sit down and talk to them. But the timing is poor."

FACEBOOK Brittney Mills was found shot dead around 10:30 p.m. Friday at her Baton Rouge home. Her unborn son survived.

 

Collins is a Baton Rouge native who stayed in his hometown to attend Louisiana State University, a college football powerhouse that consistently churns out top NFL prospects.

“There are numerous other people who are going to be interviewed,” Lt. Johnny Dunnam, a Baton Rouge police spokesman, told the Advocate. “So he is one of many.”

Collins’ attorney hired a private investigator to substantiate an alibi proving that the NFL hopeful wasn’t near the murder scene, Boren told the Advocate.

"We have identified where La'el was the day the lady was murdered to establish he was nowhere around," Boren told ESPN. "We have offered to give names, witnesses who can vouch for his whereabouts that day until after the woman's body was discovered. We believe that when [police] have verified that information, that they will rule him out as a suspect in the homicide, just as I believe he should be."

Collins is expected to speak to Baton Rouge police after the draft. An ESPN mock draft from Monday has Collins going to Indianapolis Colts with the 29th pick in the first round.

sgoldstein@nydailynews.com

[Allstarjim]

BTW this is incredibly sad and disgusting that someone would do this. Must be an absolute miracle that the baby survived this. Kudos to the docs who rescued the baby.

 

Just a really tragic story, and I hope that the person(s) responsible is apprehended swiftly and dealt with severely and justly.

 

Without any other information coming out, I think this DOES impact his draft stock significantly. This happened Friday, and not sure when he made it to Chicago, but I hope that he's innocent, obviously. But for teams, this is about risk vs reward. And if there is even a MAYBE slight chance he had something to do with her murder, then he is going to drop on draft boards significantly. Most teams can't afford to take a guy in the first round who there is a chance might not ever see a football field again, regardless of talent level.

 

I don't want to make assumptions, but being wanted for questioning is going to at least give some pause.

[gmenroc]

"According to multiple outlets, police said Collins isn’t considered a suspect in the shooting death last Friday of Brittany Mills, 29, who was pregnant and delivered a boy that lived."

 

 

From link provided in original post.

[Storm]

But just because he's in Chicago doesn't immediately rule him out as a suspect. After Hernandez, no NFL player ( or potentially drafted NFL player) is going to be the trigger man, himself.

[BleedinBlue]

I agree that after the whole Aaron Hernandez deal, teams are going to be leery of anyone with any connection whatsoever to a crime. La'el is probably innocent as can be - BUT, you don't really know if there was any way that he could have been connected. If the baby is his, there's a motive right there. By tonight, he will become a millionaire (or would have) and if the two hated each other enough to break up, but she was carrying his kid - she would be rich from child support for the next 21 years. But that is all speculation.

 

If I was in the front office getting ready to give a contract to a player, I'd want to know every single thing there is to know about this case and the history between him and the girl and if that child is his. Hopefully, he's clean as a whistle...but there are no guarantees.

 

According to the front office in New England, after thorough research and interviews with Hernandez, they were convinced that he was a safe pick and a steal in the draft.

[Allstarjim]

For La'el's sake, I hope there is an arrest between now and tomorrow.

 

Agreed on statement that it wouldn't be out of the question or unprecedented if he was connected but not the trigger man. I feel dirty just speculating about this. The guy is probably innocent as can be, just a really sad situation, but nothing surprises me in this crazy fucked up world in which we live anymore.

[Allstarjim]

"According to multiple outlets, police said Collins isn’t considered a suspect in the shooting death last Friday of Brittany Mills, 29, who was pregnant and delivered a boy that lived."

 

 

From link provided in original post.

 

 

Thanks - I was reading this quote from Collins' attorney from today's Daily News article I posted above:

 

"We've tried to rule him out as a suspect. We're going to provide that information to the police, and ultimately (Collins) will sit down and talk to them. But the timing is poor."

[Sephiroth]

Rae Carruth.

[Nas]

This can't be good for the black community.

[gmenroc]

 

 

Thanks - I was reading this quote from Collins' attorney from today's Daily News article I posted above:

 

"We've tried to rule him out as a suspect. We're going to provide that information to the police, and ultimately (Collins) will sit down and talk to them. But the timing is poor."

 

Not sure how I feel about an attorney trying to rule him out as a suspect when the police haven't identified him as one. That could be being proactive, getting out in front of it, getting it over with before the draft to protect draft position.

 

But, it could also be an admission of guilt.

[Chuck Wagon]

But just because he's in Chicago doesn't immediately rule him out as a suspect. After Hernandez, no NFL player ( or potentially drafted NFL player) is going to be the trigger man, himself.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks - I was reading this quote from Collins' attorney from today's Daily News article I posted above:

 

"We've tried to rule him out as a suspect. We're going to provide that information to the police, and ultimately (Collins) will sit down and talk to them. But the timing is poor."

 

My bet is he wasnt involved....but like Dizz said...after Hernadez...guys that run with thugs are going to get dinged....and your ex girlfriend getting whacked...is a sign of thugs.

 

C. Wagon

[Mr. P]

boyfriends, exboyfriends etc are always questioned.

[Allstarjim]

Saw a tweet that Mayock said La'el Collins WILL NOT BE DRAFTED BY ANY TEAM until he is cleared by law enforcement. Wow.

 

Can you imagine being a sure-fire 1st rounder (yes, that's what he was, Nas) to being UNDRAFTED?! I mean, come on. Teams won't burn even a 7th rounder on a guy who hasn't been charged with a crime who has 1st round talent? I find that very hard to believe.

 

He'll get drafted... but my guess is not until after the 2nd round, unless things change. More likely in play starting round 4 as things sit right now, and of course this is all just speculation. If he's innocent, somebody may have cost this guy millions.

[Nas]

Saw a tweet that Mayock said La'el Collins WILL NOT BE DRAFTED BY ANY TEAM until he is cleared by law enforcement. Wow.

 

Can you imagine being a sure-fire 1st rounder (yes, that's what he was, Nas) to being UNDRAFTED?! I mean, come on. Teams won't burn even a 7th rounder on a guy who hasn't been charged with a crime who has 1st round talent? I find that very hard to believe.

 

He'll get drafted... but my guess is not until after the 2nd round, unless things change. More likely in play starting round 4 as things sit right now, and of course this is all just speculation. If he's innocent, somebody may have cost this guy millions.

 

I'm willing to bet a team will "waste" a 4th round pick on him.. I know I would.

[BlueInCanada]

Saw a tweet that Mayock said La'el Collins WILL NOT BE DRAFTED BY ANY TEAM until he is cleared by law enforcement. Wow.

 

Can you imagine being a sure-fire 1st rounder (yes, that's what he was, Nas) to being UNDRAFTED?! I mean, come on. Teams won't burn even a 7th rounder on a guy who hasn't been charged with a crime who has 1st round talent? I find that very hard to believe.

 

He'll get drafted... but my guess is not until after the 2nd round, unless things change. More likely in play starting round 4 as things sit right now, and of course this is all just speculation. If he's innocent, somebody may have cost this guy millions.

 

I can see it.

 

You burn a pick on the guy for him to just end up in jail.

 

Or maybe it's an NFL thing, telling teams to avoid the guy until it's all cleared.

 

I mean think about it, imagine getting a 1st round talent for nothing, just having him walk onto your team.

[Mr. P]

The timing is awful on that.

 

He could have absolutely zero to do with it, but because he had been romantically involved the police have to question him. It's just procedure.

 

Monday morning the police could say he 100 percent certainly had nothing at all to do with it and it's procedure but the damage will have been done.

 

Crazy.

[Nas]

The timing is awful on that.

 

He could have absolutely zero to do with it, but because he had been romantically involved the police have to question him. It's just procedure.

 

Monday morning the police could say he 100 percent certainly had nothing at all to do with it and it's procedure but the damage will have been done.

 

Crazy.

 

Not necessarily... if a team drafts him, he can demand to get paid like a 1st rounder... or hold out.

[Allstarjim]

 

I can see it.

 

You burn a pick on the guy for him to just end up in jail.

 

Or maybe it's an NFL thing, telling teams to avoid the guy until it's all cleared.

 

I mean think about it, imagine getting a 1st round talent for nothing, just having him walk onto your team.

 

Right, BiC? You would think that regardless of what we do in the draft, if that scenario plays out, NYG would look pretty attractive to a guy like Collins. We have a contending team (some would argue otherwise), opportunity on the Offensive line to compete for a starting job right away, and it's New York, where there is so much opportunity outside of football (a lot of NYG players have gotten themselves TV gigs).

 

You could potentially have a draft where you walk away with Scherff AND Collins... or Peat and Collins. Talk about a shot in the arm to your O-line.

 

Personally, I hope Collins is completely cleared by tomorrow night but history tells me that investigations like this don't move that fast. We will see.

 

This whole thing creeps me out, though... we're talking about football, a game, and the draft, and money... which all is so pointless compared to this poor woman who lost her life.

[Nas]

 

Right, BiC? You would think that regardless of what we do in the draft, if that scenario plays out, NYG would look pretty attractive to a guy like Collins. We have a contending team (some would argue otherwise), opportunity on the Offensive line to compete for a starting job right away, and it's New York, where there is so much opportunity outside of football (a lot of NYG players have gotten themselves TV gigs).

 

You could potentially have a draft where you walk away with Scherff AND Collins... or Peat and Collins. Talk about a shot in the arm to your O-line.

 

Personally, I hope Collins is completely cleared by tomorrow night but history tells me that investigations like this don't move that fast. We will see.

 

This whole thing creeps me out, though... we're talking about football, a game, and the draft, and money... which all is so pointless compared to this poor woman who lost her life.

 

I thought about that too... we're not discounting the tragedy... it's just that we know there's nothing any of us can do aside from feeling terrible for her... and afterall this is a football message board. But it's tragic nonetheless.

[BlueInCanada]

 

Right, BiC? You would think that regardless of what we do in the draft, if that scenario plays out, NYG would look pretty attractive to a guy like Collins. We have a contending team (some would argue otherwise), opportunity on the Offensive line to compete for a starting job right away, and it's New York, where there is so much opportunity outside of football (a lot of NYG players have gotten themselves TV gigs).

 

You could potentially have a draft where you walk away with Scherff AND Collins... or Peat and Collins. Talk about a shot in the arm to your O-line.

 

Personally, I hope Collins is completely cleared by tomorrow night but history tells me that investigations like this don't move that fast. We will see.

 

This whole thing creeps me out, though... we're talking about football, a game, and the draft, and money... which all is so pointless compared to this poor woman who lost her life.

 

Yeah just a horrible situation all around, for this young man and obviously for this woman's family and now motherless child.

 

At the end of the day the NFL will do what it has to, to protect it's name, if Collins does fall out of the draft I'm sure he'll be making top end money somewhere with the bidding war for him as an undrafted agent, assuming he's all cleared of everything.