Bill Belichick has made a habit of dumping players heading for a big contract, but Monday’s announced trade is nuts even by New England Patriots standards. The Pats shipped their best defensive player, Jamie Collins, to the Cleveland Browns for a conditional third round pick.
Now that move by itself doesn’t make sense. Collins is a Pro Bowl talent and after the team sent Chandler Jones packing to the Arizona Cardinals in the offseason, was all alone as a defensive star on a team of decent, but not spectacular players. Already this season Collins has 43 tackles, one forced fumble, three pass defenses and two interceptions. That’s a full season’s stats for some players and this he’s not even played nine games yet.
With Jamie Collins contract coming up, he was at one point asking for what one league source described as “Von Miller money." Von: 6-$114.5M
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2016
Collins is in the final year of his rookie contract and had every reason to expect he’d get paid in the coming offseason, by the Patriots or by another team as a free agent. The usual Bellichick mantra is to get some value out of a player (like a third round pick) before he walks, but that doesn’t jibe in this case because Collins, being a former second round pick, would have netted the Pats a third rounder as a compensatory pick anyway. The only difference being the compensatory pick would come in 2018 where as Cleveland’s pick rolls around in 2017. They could have played him on the roster all year, let Collins walk as a free agent, and then get practically the same value by doing nothing.
The real irony of the trade is that the guy the Patriots will replace Collins with, Barkevious Mingo, was acquired from the Browns in the offseason in a trade. The Browns got a fifth round pick in the deal.
Talked to Bus Cook, agent for new #Browns LB Jamie Collins: “I spoke to him. He’s excited about getting over there.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 31, 2016
Mingo has played in all eight games for the Pats this season, but hasn’t done much. He’s got nine tackles and that’s it. New England could also take a look at Shea McClellin at the spot. Like Mingo he’s another first-round cast-off from another team, this time the Chicago Bears. McClellin has only been active in six games this season and has nine total tackles too.
While the entire rest of the NFL was dumbfounded by the move, Fox Sports’ Michael Lombardi did what he always does, carry Bill Belichick’s water and assist with his jock strap when needed. Collins is unquestionably one of the five best linebackers in the NFL and everyone knows it. But Lombardi has the scoop from the Super Genius himself and threw out a little psychoanalysis on Fox Sports Monday.
“He (Collins) played on an 0-11 team at Southern Miss and sometimes he plays like he’s still on that time,” Lombardi said.
On Twitter, Lombardi accused the best player on one of the NFL’s best defenses of freelancing.
Collins on the second play of the game does whatever he wants and Bills gain 28 yards. Been happening all year. It was not going to continue
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) October 31, 2016
It was happening all year? This year? This year where the Pats defense is dominant and Collins was spectacular on it? Lombardi has taken his Pats ass licking to new levels Monday.
Not surprised by the Pats trading Colllins. Not been playing well at all they need to get the defense fixed. This will get their attention
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiNFL) October 31, 2016
Chandler Jones, who I’m sure Lombardi also thought was a bum, was a little more to the point in his opinion of the trade.
https://twitter.com/chanjones55/status/793132509936558080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Other NFL players chimed in too.
Seeing Jamie Collins get traded makes me appreciate the loyalty our team has shown me even more! SMH! The Browns got a beast!!
— Thomas Davis (@ThomasDavisSDTM) October 31, 2016
bro I'm in shock, looking at my phone like 👀😣
— KV (@kennyvaccaro) October 31, 2016
How will the trade work out? Well, for Cleveland they get an instant defensive star, a guy that can not only rush the passer and play the run, but is one of the best coverage linebackers in the league. The Pats get a third round pick that they’ll probably trade away four a couple of fifth rounders.
And they lose their best defensive player while in the middle of a Super Bowl run. Insane.
News and Notes
Tennessee Titans wide receiver Andre Johnson announced his retirement Monday. He wasn’t injured and played in eight games for the Titans this season, catching nine passes for 85 yards.
Arizona Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu will miss 3-to-6 weeks with a shoulder injury suffered against the Carolina Panthers Sunday.
Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett will miss 2-to-3 weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery.
