The Dallas Cowboys are in the pole position to win the NFC East as we head into Week 18 of the regular season, but they may already be looking to the playoffs in a sense, which is reasonable considering that they have already clinched a spot in the postseason one way or another. With injuries on the offensive line beginning to pile up, the Cowboys are exploring the possibility of bringing old friend La'el Collins back to town.

Starting left guard Tyler Smith tore his plantar fascia in the Cowboys Week 17 win over the Detroit Lions, and while he could actually still play in Week 18, you can't have too much depth along the o-line. With that in mind, Dallas brought in Collins for a visit on Tuesday, and could end up signing him to their practice squad in an effort to get him into football shape for the playoffs.

Collins spent the first six seasons of his career with the Cowboys, and quickly emerged as one of the top right tackles in the league during his time in Dallas. He spent the 2022 campaign with the Cincinnati Bengals, and enjoyed his strongest season to date with them, but he tore his ACL and MCL in Week 16, and ended up getting released by them back in September.

Collins visited with a few teams earlier this year, but ultimately never signed anywhere. Now, he's got a shot to return to where he started his career, and be a potentially great depth option for them to have at their disposal come playoff time. Collins has quite a high ceiling, and he could be Dallas' secret weapon if he does end up landing with them.

Update: The Cowboys are signing La'El Collins to their practice squad, per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.