It feels like Jamie Collins is suddenly being smeared now that the New England Patriots traded him to the Cleveland Browns for a third-round pick, but there has to be a reason Bill Belichick gave up on the Pro Bowl linebacker.
It’s possible a difference in philosophy ultimately became too much for Belichick. As Will Brinson of CBS Sports reminds us, Collins admitted during an interview this past offseason that he is not a student of the game. In fact, he’d rather play video games than watch football.
When asked by Jonathan Soroff of The Improper Bostonian if he would rather watch college or pro football, Collins admitted he doesn’t watch football on TV.
“Neither. I didn’t grow up watching football, and I still don’t,” Collins said. “Me and Chandler Jones have talked about this since I first got up here. I never watched football. I never thought I’d be here, and I’d rather play video games. I don’t really want to watch it.”
Jones, of course, was shipped to the Arizona Cardinals last season in a similarly surprising deal, so it’s interesting that Collins lumped himself together with his former teammate.
Belichick is a known football junkie, and he demands a lot from his players in terms of preparation. While Collins choosing to not watch football on TV doesn’t necessarily mean he is less prepared than others, former Patriots staffer turned NFL analyst Michael Lombardi has been very critical of the former second-round pick since the trade was announced.
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 (@mlombardifoxtv) October 31, 2016
You are either coaching it or allowing it to happen. Belichick decided he was not going to allow it to happen. Colllins talented but…
— michael lombardi (@mlombardifoxtv) October 31, 2016
Here’s the play from Sunday that Lombardi was referring to:
.@hfield_3 @mlombardifoxtv pic.twitter.com/YNbSphxISz
— Christian (@FBLRave) October 31, 2016
There’s a lot of revisionist history going on, but that was exactly the type of play that people would praise Collins for if he was able to make it. His freak athleticism is undeniable, but Belichick would take a “football guy” over an athlete nine times out of 10. Between that and the absurd amount of money Collins reportedly wanted for his next contract, the trade isn’t as much of a shocker as we initially thought.
