The Patriots are trading linebacker Jamie Collins to the Browns, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). In return, New England will receive a compensatory third-round pick. The deal has been confirmed via press release.
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Recently, the Patriots made a team-friendly extension offer to Collins, but they were rebuffed. The Pats likely didn’t think that they could work out a new deal with the pending free agent, leading them to today’s trade. Of course, New England has a number of key players to take care of, including Martellus Bennett, Malcolm Butler (restricted free agent), Dont’a Hightower, and Logan Ryan. Had the Patriots waited for Collins to sign elsewhere in the offseason, their compensatory pick would have come in 2018.
The Browns, meanwhile, have been stockpiling draft picks in unprecedented fashion and they used one of those selections today to acquire one of the league’s top outside linebackers. Through seven games, Collins has 43 tackles, one sack, three passes defensed, and two interceptions. The advanced numbers at Pro Football Focus have Collins ranked as the No. 9 linebacker in the NFL this year with roughly even grades for his run defense and coverage.
Presumably, the Browns are going to try and lock up Collins on a long-term deal. Cleveland can utilize the franchise tag to keep Collins for the 2017 season and he’s probably the team’s best candidate for that designation.
We haven’t heard any trade rumors involving Collins this week and the deal comes as a complete shock. No one anticipated that the Patriots would deal one of their best defenders this week and no one expected the rebuilding Browns to acquire a bonafide star prior to the deadline. There has been lots of talk about Cleveland moving key veterans like Joe Thomas, but it’s possible that the Browns could continue in buyer’s mode for the next 24 hours.
Well that’s unfortunate for Collins. Not only is he leaving a SB contender, but he’s going to the Browns. There’s probably 30 other teams he’d rather be traded to.
Yep! They sent a message to other players due for extensions…take our offer or we’ll ship you to the worst franchise in pro sports!
Why, Brown’s lol?
Accept the deal or we will trade you to Cleveland. Oops.
A 3rd rounder thats it?
More like a end of round 2nd, considering the Browns record.
Comp. pick makes it an early 4th.
It’s a compensatory 3rd rounder. So in any case, it’s basically the 1st pick in the 4th, as there will only be a few 3rd rd comp picks.
No, despite what he’s t says above it’s a conditional 3rd rounder not a compensatory. Compensatory picks are not trade able nor do the Browns have any idea what compensatory picks they’ll have available to trade next offseason.
Not true….
They acquired him Monday in a trade with New England for what will be a third-round compensatory pick in 2017. It’s technically listed as a conditional fourth-rounder in 2018, but that will change once the Browns are awarded the third-rounder in March, based on their 2016 losses in free agency.
For a pending UFA, not going to get much more.
Then wby trade him at all?
To get something for him, they won’t be able to sign him.
They won’t give up more than that for a rental
Im gonna miss you
I get these guys are going to be free agents but at a certain point Brady is 39 and you have to think about winning this year and not ship off your stars for 2nd and 3rd rounders. Just really weird
Unless they think they can resign him, I agree. They’d probably stand to get a comp pick if they let him walk anyway. Broncos seem to be the only team in the AFC that is a legitimate threat to the Pats (at least currently, Steelers could be if Big Ben comes back healthy) so it would make more sense to push their chips into the middle rather than take them out.
In all my years of sports analyzing I feel that this is one of the worst choices the patriots organization has ever made.
I disagree. They traded a great young player because they didn’t think they could lock him up due to HIS value of his performance. Best to move him now and get something for him, then drag it out knowing they aren’t gonna pay that kind of money for a young guy who has had his fair share of injuries already but wants top dollar
This is similar to Lawyer Milloy back in 2003.
I really hope he became a Lawyer after his football career ended.
Not really, Milloy was released
If your names my Gronkowski or Brady, we will offer you one extension. You take it or goodbye lol
I should’ve clarified my comment. An All-Star player, still playing at an All-Star level, was offered a contract, rejects the contract, and is gone. Patriots were vilified by the NFL talking heads and so called experts,like Tom Jackson, after getting stomped by Milloy and the Bills the first week of the season. Needless to say, they go on to have a “pretty good” season.
Stupid trade by the patriots
How is it stupid??
Had a great season with you bud, gonna miss you. Never gonna forget the great times we shared through the years
I get the trade and at the same time don’t. It makes sense to trade him if they felt they could resign him in the offseason (so, in essence, they still get something for him as if he signed elsewhere). However, if they truly felt that they wouldn’t have been able to resign him, it would’ve made more sense to keep him considering he is a very good player, and hope the team continues to play well, and let him walk at the end of the year. Even if he left this offseason, I’m pretty sure the Pats would stand to acquire a compensation pick anyway. Unless the Pats really feel they needed the extra pick this year as opposed to next year, this move is kind of a head scratcher based on the timing.
He’s been injured alot production this year is down and supposedly wanted von miller money. The emergence of Elandon Roberts made it the right time to move him
It should be noted – the Pats only play two more teams this season with winning records, and the two winning teams – Seattle and Denver – don’t have particularly fearsome offenses. If the Pats key offensive players stay reasonably healthy, it’s hard to see this trade hurting them at all for the remainder of Collins’ rookie contract. So getting a compensatory pick a season sooner – fairly little risk for a player that is leaving anyway. It’s not the craziest deal at all.
The assumption a lot of people are making is that the Patriots would get a comp pick for Collins. If the pats are active in free agency it would negate the draft value the pats get. I just hope Roberts is as good as his playing time sugests.