A Versatile Former Vikings Lineman Hops Onto the Bears Roster
K. Joudry
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For a little while, Aviante Collins appeared to have a future with the Minnesota Vikings.
Versatile and athletic, the former Vikings lineman offered upside, especially as a depth option. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out perfectly in Minnesota, so Collins has ended up playing in several different spots. Since leaving the Vikings after the 2020 season, Collins has had stops in Pittsburgh and Dallas.
More recently, Collins has taken his talents to a division rival: the Chicago Bears. Per the Bears’ PR on Twitter, Chicago has signed Collins.
Aviante Collins, The Former Vikings Lineman, is Now a Bear
The Chicago Bears earned their last-place finish in 2022. New GM Ryan Poles did much to ensure his team would fully enter a rebuild. Put differently, the Bears didn’t do much to give themselves a competitive advantage last year. Instead, they welcomed short-term pain to work toward long-term gain.
To rise from the NFL’s basement, the Bears will need Justin Fields to improve as a passer. He’s an incredibly gifted player and the hope (sincerely) is that he’ll have a wonderful career (except when he’s playing the Vikings). The QB’s talent aside, the Bears simply didn’t have enough at other critical areas, leaving them with the 1st overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Pulling off a trade with the Panthers to get D.J. Moore to Chicago was a great move from Poles. Fields now has a WR1 to work with as he looks to keep progressing in his career. Even more promising is that Chicago opted for offensive lineman Darnell Wright in the opening round, meaning Fields can (ideally) absorb less hits moving forward.
Keeping Fields’ jersey clean has to be a top priority in Chicago, and that’s where Aviante Collins may help, as well.
The 30-year-old offensive lineman may be able to snag a depth role for Chicago’s OL. He ran a 4.81 forty, a remarkably fast time for a lineman. That kind of athleticism is a major reason why the Vikings brought him in as an UDFA. Moreover, he put up 34 reps on the bench press, a similarly excellent number.
Throughout his career, Collins hasn’t been able to get consistent snaps on the field. However, he has been able to do work at multiple positions. Per PFF, Collins has put in snaps at left tackle, left guard, and right guard. Being able to hop into multiple different spots is a coveted ability for a depth player.
Currently, Collins is working under a 1-year, $1.01 million contract. None of the money is guaranteed, so he’ll need to fully show that he’s among the top options for the Bears. Moving on from the veteran won’t leave any dead money behind.
The Vikings and Bears will play each other a couple times in 2023. The first contest takes place in Week 6 when Minnesota travels to the Windy City. Fans will then have to wait until Week 12 to see the Bears again. Fields will lead his squad into U.S. Bank Stadium with the goal of upsetting Kevin O’Connell’s squad.
Depending on how things proceed in the coming weeks, Aviante Collins may visit U.S. Bank Stadium in a visitor’s uniform.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
