The trade that sent linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns back in 2016 was one of the more surprising ones of the Bill Belichick era, but the New England Patriots coach apparently still likes Collins enough to have him on the roster.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Patriots are getting close to a deal to bring Collins back.
While the #Jets are subtracting, the #Patriots are adding: New England is in talks with free agent LB Jamie Collins that would bring the former 2nd round pick back to the team that made him a star. They traded him in 2016, likely bring him back in 2019.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 15, 2019
Collins signed a four-year, $50 million contract with the Browns after the 2016 season, and they released him back in March. The 29-year-old recorded 104 tackles and four sacks, but he also missed plenty of tackles and was often out out of position.
The Patriots always look at players based on the value they can provide, and Belichick probably knew Collins was about to sign a big contract back in 2016 and wanted to get something for him before he left in free agency. There were also rumblings at the time that Collins was not focused enough and had ended up in Belichick’s doghouse. Despite all that, New England has a need at linebacker and Collins could be a cheap addition who is familiar with the system.
