NFL Notes: Football World Mourns the Loss of Alex Collins, Busy Monday, More

There was no game last night, but plenty of activity around the NFL. Two free agents came off the board, one significant hold-out ended, and the Baltimore Ravens delivered the NFL world some unfortunate news, the tragic passing of former NFL player Alex Collins.

Former NFL Running Back Alex Collins Passes Away at 28

Late Monday evening, the Baltimore Ravens announced the passing of former running back Alex Collins. Collins played five seasons in the NFL, three for the Seattle Seahawks and two for the Ravens. The Seahawks released a statement as well, expressing their heartbreak over the death of Alex Collins.

Ravens coach John Harbaugh had the following to say about Collins:

“Alex was a joy to be around and someone whose light shined brightly,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said in a statement. “I’ll always remember him for being a great teammate who had an uplifting spirit that impacted everyone he encountered. He was also a smart player who ran with unlimited determination, and he contributed to a lot of our success during his time in Baltimore. We send our heartfelt condolences and support to Alex’s family. May he now rest in God’s eternal peace.”

Seattle drafted Collins in the fifth Round out of Arkansas. The former Razorback starred in college, recording three 1,000-yard seasons in addition to 36 rushing touchdowns. In the NFL, Collins was a solid contributor and teammate for both the Seahawks and Ravens. 

Collins was involved in a fatal motorcycle crash on Sunday night in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., the Broward County Sheriff’s Office announced. Detectives with the Broward Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit are investigating the crash.

Investigators said a Chevrolet Suburban SUV driven by an unidentified female turned left to travel south onto Northwest 33rd Avenue, and as the car crossed the eastbound lanes, a motorcycle driven by Collins struck the rear passenger side of the SUV. Collins was pronounced dead on the scene, and the SUV driver remained on the scene and cooperated with the investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.

Busy Monday in the NFL

There was no shortage of news in the NFL on Monday afternoon. It started in Dallas, where the Cowboys and All-Pro guard Zack Martin came to terms on a reworked deal to end the veteran o-lineman’s holdout.

Martin, who signed a six-year contract extension with the Cowboys in 2018, skipped the start of Cowboys camp after expressing that he felt he was being paid less than the market offers. Martin will now make $18 million over the next two seasons, fully guaranteed. So, Martin gets a $4.5 million raise in each of the next two seasons to end his holdout. 

Then a former Cowboy made headlines when running back Ezekiel Elliott and the Patriots came to an agreement on a one-year deal that will bring Zeke to Foxboro. Elliott, drafted fourth overall by the Cowboys in 2016, was set to count $16.4 million against the Cowboys’ 2023 salary cap this season. Elliott rushed for a career-low 876 yards last season. In addition, he posted a career-low 3.9 yards per carry while splitting time with Tony Pollard.

Elliott heads to New England to provide the Patriots with some depth in the backfield. New England currently has Rhamondre Stevenson, Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong Jr., and Kevin Harris in camp.

With Zeke off the board, Dalvin Cook and the Jets finally announced the deal that we all anticipated was coming for well over a month. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Cook and the Jets have agreed on a one-year deal worth up to $8.6 million. With Cook joining the Vikings, they have an incredibly deep backfield to boast. Cook joins Breece Hall, Michael Carter, Zonavan Knight, and rookie Izzy Abanikanda on the depth chart.

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