Dallas Cowboys: Time to start over at defensive tackle

Maliek Collins

The major stumbling block to Maliek Collins leading in 2018 is that he may miss time during the season. In a rough blow for the Cowboys, Collins broke his foot in the team’s minicamp. If the best ability is availability, Collins’ absence could hurt the team both on and off the field.

Foot injuries are not new for Collins. During his rookie year, he had surgery on his right foot and missed most of training camp. Now Collins is dealing with a broken left metatarsal that required surgery. He previously had surgery on this foot at the end of last season. Now he is recovering from two surgeries on the same foot.

When healthy, Collins contribution has been roughly one-sided. His play against the pass has been his strength. But against the run, he has been poor. Last season, he played in the 3-technique where his quick first step and explosiveness can be an advantage. But when Irving returned to the lineup, he moved to the under nose tackle position in the 4-3 front.

Moving forward, Collins could become a leader in the defensive tackle room. But his dealing with injuries make him a long shot to be a long term solution at the position.

Instead, maybe the Cowboys should begin to rethink the way the defensive tackle position is utilized. Maybe changing the tackles role in the defense can solve the problem of who will play where and who will lead.