Former Atlanta Falcons cornerback Jalen Collins cleared waivers on Wednesday, November 22. The 2015 second round draft pick now finds himself looking for a second chance in the NFL.
Collins brings significant baggage to any team willing to take a chance on him. He failed multiple drug tests in college. Collins then earned two drug suspensions with the Falcons.
The former LSU standout entered the NFL with first round talent, but the red marks on his record dropped him into the second round.
Collins played in 24 games in two years with the Falcons, starting in eight games. An injury to Desmond Trufant led to Collins taking his place in the lineup in the Super Bowl against New England Patriots.
Collins recorded two interceptions, 10 passes defended and 42 tackles with Atlanta. There are several NFL teams in need of help in their secondaries as they head down the final stretch. However, none of them jumped on Collins while on waivers, despite only having to pay close to $330,000 in salary if claimed.
For example, the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams lost starting cornerback Kayvon Webster and nickleback Nickell Robey-Coleman to injuries in last week’s game at Minnesota. Collins would have been a solid option for the team, but the Rams passed on him as well. Instead, the Rams chose to shift the roster and promoted Kevin Peterson from the practice squad.
If Collins shows that drugs are a thing of the past, an NFL team will eventually give him a shot. However, it appears that any opportunity might have to wait until the 2018 season.
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