Pats Trade Jamie Collins To Browns For Basically Nothing

NFL – The Cleveland Browns made the first stunning move of trade deadline week — and as a buyer, no less. Cleveland has acquired Patriots star linebacker Jamie Collins for a conditional third-round pick, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport. Collins played a suspiciously low number of snaps on Sunday against the Bills, providing perhaps the first and only hint that he was on his way out. The 27-year-old second-round pick was nearing the end of his rookie contract and will become a free agent this offseason. Graded by Pro Football Focus as one of the league’s most dominant and versatile outside linebackers, Collins was almost surely in for a deal that New England head coach Bill Belichick wasn’t willing to pay for. In seven games this year, Collins already has 31 tackles, two interceptions, three pass breakups and a sack. He missed a game against the Bengals back in Week 6 with a hip issue.

Things were getting a little too boring around here. Pats were just churning through the NFL with their eyes closed. Not just beating people, but destroying them. So it was about time Belichick pulled a classic Belichick and dumped a seemingly indespensible player when nobody saw it coming. Does it make any sense to mere mortals? No. Do any of these moves seem to make sense in real time? No. But the only thing that is a fact is that Bill Belichick NEVER screws these decisions up. He is always six steps ahead on the chess board. The reason the Patriots compete for Superbowls every single year while every other team fluctuates is precisely because of moves like these. Maybe Belichick’s greatest gift of all is knowing exactly when to cut ties with star players. He makes the hard decisions other teams can’t or won’t. So whenever something like this happens I don’t even blink. It’s like Nuke LaLoosh in Field of Dreams. Don’t Think Just Throw. In Belichick We Trust.