Jamie Collins

PFR’s 2017 Free Agent Power Rankings

January 6th, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The regular season is over and, for most teams, the offseason is underway. Here is the latest installment of our 2017 NFL Free Agent Power Rankings, which is comprised only of upcoming unrestricted free agents, and is ranked by projected guaranteed money. In parentheses next to each player, you’ll find their position in the November edition of the rankings. For more, check out our master list of all 2017 free agents.

1. Kirk Cousins, QB (1): In 2015, Cousins established himself as a solid NFL quarterback. That summer, the Redskins told Cousins they wanted him to prove it all over again before giving him a monster contract. Cousins was happy to oblige and he has now increased his value even further. After a so-so start to 2016 season, Cousins closed out strong to finish as Pro Football Focus’ No. 8 ranked QB, putting him ahead of notables such as Matthew Stafford, Ryan Tannehill, Andy Dalton, Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Newton, and Philip Rivers. All of those players have gotten their big pay day and now it’s time for Cousins to join the club.

2. Chandler Jones, LB/DE (2): Before you start salivating over the idea of Jones joining your favorite team’s front seven, we have some bad news: Bruce Arians says the Cardinals will place the franchise tag on him if they cannot agree on a long-term deal. Whether it’s on a one-year, $16.955MM deal or a multi-year contract that tops Olivier Vernon‘s Giants deal, it sounds like Jones is staying put. Jones, 27 in May, played in all 16 games this year and racked up 11 sacks.

3. Kawann Short, DT (4): Contract talks between the Panthers and Short stalled last summer and Fletcher Cox‘s market-boosting deal with the Eagles didn’t help matters. Short wound up playing 2016 for peanuts ($1.473MM) and he turned in yet another stellar season. Short was the fourth-best interior defender in the league this season, per Pro Football Focus, and his 87.7 overall score was roughly the same as his 2015 mark, even though he had five less sacks. In June, it was said that the Panthers did not want to go too far beyond an average annual salary of $15MM. If he’s not franchised tagged or signed to a long-term deal by Carolina, there are a few teams that will happily go beyond that point.

4. Alshon Jeffery, WR (3): Despite a down year, Dallas Robinson gave Jeffery the benefit of the doubt last time and ranked him as our No. 3 free agent based on his past work. That was one week before his four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. Jeffery claimed that he took “a recommended supplement to combat inflammation” without realizing that it contained something that was on the league’s banned list of substances. That may be true, but Jeffery needed to rebound from his injury-shortened 2015 with a full, productive season in order to restore his stock. Teams will cut him some slack given the Bears’ quarterback issues, but he might not approach the deals of Julio Jones, Demaryius Thomas, and Dez Bryant.

5. Melvin Ingram, LB (6): Ingram broke out in 2015 and in 2016 he proved it wasn’t a fluke. Now with back-to-back seasons as one of the league’s better edge rushers, Ingram is poised to cash in. Ryan Kerrigan‘s five-year, $57.5MM extension with the Redskins has been suggested as a comp, but I expect Ingram to top that deal. This is nearly two years later and the projected cap increase should benefit all players.

6. Dont’a Hightower, LB (6): Hightower has been a stud for the Patriots ever since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2012. Charged with anchoring the defense at inside linebacker, Hightower doesn’t have gaudy stats, but the advanced numbers illustrate how good he is. This year, he graded out as the No. 13 off-ball LB in 2016, according to PFF, which ranks him as the best pass-rushing inside ‘backer in the league. He’s consistent too, with even better scores in 2014 and 2015. The Patriots moved on from Jones and Jamie Collins last year but they do not want to lose Hightower.

7. Jamie Collins, LB (5): Heading into his contract year, Collins was determined to put up big numbers. He was so driven to increase his value, reports say, that he began “freelancing,” or making ill-advised choices in order to be the first defensive player to the ball. The Patriots subsequently traded him away for peanuts, and that’s not a great endorsement for him. On top of the character concerns, Collins will have to answer for a down year that cast him as just above average rather than the top ten ‘backer he was in the previous two seasons.

8. A.J. Bouye, CB (9): Before this season, you could have been forgiven for not knowing Bouye’s name. Now, there’s no excuse. Bouye burst out of obscurity in 2016 and he now looks the part of a No. 1 cornerback. The best part is that he doesn’t turn 26 until August, making him the youngest player on this list. I predict that Bouye will outearn every other corner in this class, a group that includes guys like Trumaine Johnson, Stephon Gilmore, and Morris Claiborne.

9. Kevin Zeitler, G (8): Zeitler made the jump from good to great in 2014 and never looked back. This year, he stands as PFF’s No. 7 ranked guard and the No. 1 guard bound for the free agent market. T.J. Lang is a close second according to the advanced metrics, but Zeitler is more than two years younger than Lang and should easily surpass him in guarantees. Kelechi Osemele‘s five-year, $58.5MM deal could be in reach for the Bengals lineman if enough teams get in on the bidding.

10. Calais Campbell, DL (NR): When the Cardinals acquired Jones from the Patriots, many believed that Calais Campbell was a goner in Arizona. Now, after what is arguably a career season, the Cardinals are probably singing a different tune. Defensive lineman Michael Bennett recently signed a three-year extension with the Seahawks worth $31.5MM with $17.5MM in guarantees. Campbell should have no trouble beating that, especially since he is a year younger and coming off of a better season.

Honorable mention

Le’Veon Bell (10): Most running backs don’t get big bucks in free agency, but most of them don’t run like Bell. This year, he reminded everyone of his pass-catching abilities and even did some of his damage lined up at wide receiver. Bell should easily best LeSean McCoy‘s ~$8MM AAV and Doug Martin‘s $15MM in guarantees this offseason.

Honorable mention continued: Eric Berry, Jason Pierre-Paul, T.J. Lang, Stephon Gilmore, Tony Jefferson, Trumaine Johnson, Nick Perry, Dontari Poe, Martellus Bennett

Jamie Collins Open To Re-Signing With Browns

December 30th, 2016 at 7:18pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Linebacker Jamie Collins‘ stint with the Browns will go down as a rather short-lived one if the in-season trade acquisition departs Cleveland as a free agent during the offseason. Collins did plenty of winning with his previous team, the Patriots, and is now part of the NFL’s worst club, but he’s nonetheless open to re-signing with the Browns.

“(Losing is a deterrent) but at the same time, money comes into play around that time,” Collins told reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com, on Friday. “If the money is right then I could stay here. Obviously I’m not going to turn it down.”

Collins then added that he’s “real close” with his Browns teammates, which could help the franchise’s cause if it makes an earnest attempt to re-sign him. There haven’t been any indications that the Browns and Collins have engaged in contract talks since they traded either a compensatory third-round pick in 2017 or a fourth-rounder in 2018 to New England for him on Halloween. The deal came as a shock to NFL observers, but Collins’ production hasn’t really slowed down in its wake.

Since landing in Cleveland, Collins has amassed 43 tackles, two interceptions, a sack and a forced fumble in seven games. He ranks as Pro Football Focus’ 36th-best edge defender among 110 qualifiers this year, which is more good than great, but the 27-year-old still has a reputation as one of the league’s premier linebackers. During his five-year career, Collins has totaled 12.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles and five picks, and is reportedly hoping to turn his impressive output into a deal worth more per year than the $12.36MM star Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly makes. Whatever the cost, head coach Hue Jackson is hoping Collins re-signs with the Browns.

“I just let him to know that we really want him here and try to have him see the vision of what we’re trying to create,” Jackson told Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan of SiriusXM NFL Radio. “And show him where he’s going to be a huge piece of that. And hopefully ask him to stay here in Cleveland.”

Jackson’s hopes could rest on whether the Browns are able to re-sign their other priority free agent, wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, before the franchise tag deadline in March. If the Browns don’t lock up either Pryor or Collins by then, they might have to decide on which of the pair will hit the open market. Tagging Collins would cost less than Pryor (an estimated $14.754MM versus $15.826MM), but there have been rumblings that Cleveland could simply elect to let the defender walk and receive a 2018 compensatory third-rounder for its trouble. That would essentially offset the move to acquire Collins in the first place.

Latest On Terrelle Pryor, Jamie Collins

December 16th, 2016 at 6:11pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Browns and contract-year wide receiver Terrelle Pryor began extension talks in October, but the two are unlikely to strike a deal by the end of the regular season, reports Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. The club will have until March 9 to either extend Pryor or place the franchise tag (worth nearly $16MM) on him; otherwise, he could hit the open market and head elsewhere. There’s motivation to get a deal done on Pryor’s end, though, as he has offered effusive praise for the organization multiple times this year.

Cleveland has shuffled through five different quarterbacks en route to an 0-13 record, but that hasn’t prevented the 27-year-old Pryor from breaking out as the top target in its aerial attack. The former Ohio State and Raiders QB leads the Browns in catches (63), targets (116), yards (858) and receiving touchdowns (four). As a result, the 6-foot-4, 223-pounder stands to cash in as arguably one of the two best wideouts (alongside Alshon Jeffery) on track to reach the market. The Browns should be able to stop Pryor from becoming a free agent, however, as they’re set to enter the offseason with upward of $64MM in cap space.

By locking up Pryor, the Browns would at least leave open the possibility of using the ~$14.8MM franchise tag on another important soon-to-be free agent in linebacker Jamie Collins. There’s no word on whether the Browns and Collins have engaged in contract talks yet, but they do hope to keep him, according to Cabot. Since the Patriots sent Collins to Cleveland in a stunning late-October trade, the 27-year-old has piled up 49 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in five games. Between Collins’ overall work with the two clubs this year, he ranks 29th among Pro Football Focus’ 110 qualified edge defenders.

Collins, who turned down an $11MM-per-annum extension from the Pats before they traded him, is reportedly aiming to top the $12.36MM average annual value Panthers superstar linebacker Luke Kuechly received on a five-year, $62MM extension in September 2015. That’s not an unrealistic goal for Collins, as he also has a track record of excellence and should benefit from the NFL’s ever-increasing salary cap. When Kuechly inked his deal, the cap ceiling was just over $143MM. By next season, that figure will sit between $166MM and $170MM.

Saints Could Explore Brandin Cooks Trade

December 4th, 2016 at 12:57pm CST by Rory Parks

Brandin Cooks is one of the most talented young wide receivers in the league, but his role in the Saints’ dynamic offense has diminished a bit this year. He is on pace to receive 30 fewer targets than 2015, and he was not targeted at all in last week’s victory over the Rams. He felt compelled to voice some frustration earlier this week, saying, “closed mouths don’t get fed.”

And yet, the Saints offense continues to thrive, leading some to wonder if the New Orleans system is the best one for Cooks. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that the Saints are expected to explore trading Cooks this offseason prior to the opening of free agency, and if that happens, Cooks would of course garner significant interest. ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms the report, and adds that league sources believe a Cooks trade was brewing earlier this season, a deal that would have sent the former first-rounder to the Patriots in exchange for Jamie Collins.

The Saints, of course, traded Jimmy Graham and his highly lucrative contract a few seasons ago, and although Cooks is still playing under his rookie deal, he is eligible for a long-term extension at the end of the 2016 campaign. Plus, he is a deep threat who is not being used that way, and it appears as though Willie Snead and Michael Thomas better fit what New Orleans does on offense.

Head coach Sean Payton, however, took exception to the trade rumors, retweeting a reader who suggested that Rapoport was blindly throwing darts and did not do sufficient research to substantiate his report (link via Mike Triplett of ESPN.com).

Browns Notes: Collins, RG3, Manziel

November 18th, 2016 at 7:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Browns head coach Hue Jackson believes it would a “coup” for his club to re-sign linebacker Jamie Collins, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal details, and cornerback Joe Haden agrees. “It’s just been so many years of letting really good talent walk out the door,” Haden said. “If you really want to have something, you’ve got to keep them on board. Letting him out of the door, that would just be like the same thing over and over again.”

As of early November, Cleveland had not engaged in contract talks with Collins, whom it acquired from the Patriots days before the trade deadline in exchange for what will likely turn out to be a conditional third-round pick. However, the Browns would like to extend either Collins or wide receiver Terrelle Pryor soon so that the franchise tag remains in play for the other when free agency rolls around. Collins has denied a report that indicated he wanted “Von Miller money,” but he is reportedly aiming to top fellow linebacker Luke Kuechly‘s $12.36MM annual average.

Here’s more on the Browns:

Quarterback Robert Griffin III will start practicing next week, Jackson told reporters, including Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), today. However, RG3 has yet to be officially cleared for contact, so it’s an open question as to what level of exertion he’ll be able to demonstrate. Cleveland would be able to bring Griffin back from injured reserve if it chooses to do so, and the club has given every indication that it will do just that.
Former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel settled his civil suit with ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley months ago, and though no money was involved in the agreement, Manziel was issued a two-year protective order, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. That turn of events likely helped to bring about yesterday’s tentative settlement between Manziel and prosecutors, a deal that should see the quarterback’s charges dismissed.
While the two settlements represent good news for Manziel, not everything is rosy for the embattled quarterback. If Manziel ends up getting signed by an NFL club, he could be facing league penalties, as NFL chief disciplinary officer Todd Jones once told Jane McManus of ESPN.com (Twitter link) that Manziel would be looking at a six-game suspension.

Browns Want To Extend Pryor Or Collins Soon

November 7th, 2016 at 2:34pm CST by Zachary Links

This month, the Browns went from having one player who could conceivably earn the franchise tag to having two players who are worth holding on to. Wide receiver Terrelle Pryor has been one of the team’s few bright spots in what has been an incredibly trying season. He seemed like a shoo-in for franchise tag consideration until the pre-deadline deal for linebacker Jamie Collins. Now, the Browns are intent on locking up one of the two players before the end of the year so that they can use the franchise tag on the other player, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).

Cole’s report doesn’t come as a huge surprise. It’s only common sense that the Browns are intent on keeping both players beyond this season and they can only kick the can down the road with one of the two players. In the case of Pryor, the team has already started contract talks with his reps. The Browns have yet to discuss a new deal with Collins, but those discussions should get underway soon.

Pryor, a former quarterback at Ohio State, went from a training camp darling to a legitimate receiving weapon for the Browns this year. The Browns are still in search of their first win of the season, but they may have already found a high-speed playmaker who can provide what Josh Gordon should have brought to the table.

In Collins, the Browns have added one of the league’s very best outside linebackers. There have been rumblings about Collins’ work ethic, but he says that he is ready to bust his behind in Cleveland. He is also open to signing a long-term deal with the Browns, despite their struggles.

La Canfora’s Latest: Trades, Collins, Harvin

November 6th, 2016 at 9:47am CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a look at the latest deluge of notes from CBS Sports scribe Jason La Canfora:

La Canfora confirms that the Eagles and 49ers had multiple discussions about a potential trade that would send Torrey Smith to Philadelphia, but the two sides could not agree on compensation. The Eagles would have sent a fifth-round selection back to the Bay Area in exchange for Smith, but the 49ers would not consider anything less than a third-round draft choice. Likewise, the Jets were asking for a “very strong return” for Sheldon Richardson, which some executives believe meant a first-round pick.
The Patriots‘ decision to deal Jamie Collins was not about money, per La Canfora, who observes that New England now has only $65.8MM in salary and cash committed to the 2017 payroll, by far the least in the NFL. Indeed, the Pats could have easily paid (or overpaid) for Collins if they really wanted to, but the trade suggests that Collins was simply not in their long-term plans. Some industry sources wonder if the trades of Collins and Chandler Jones suggest that New England is set to splurge in free agency, though it is difficult to imagine the Patriots being big spenders in March. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com confirms that the Pats did not consider Collins to be a part of their future, and that the team was slowly turning him into a part-time player and was concerned about the locker room issues that such a transformation could create (Twitter links).
Percy Harvin was not contemplating a return to the league when he was contacted by the Bills, La Canfora reports. Instead, the Florida product was happily retired and was investigating potential business deals. Buffalo senior vice president of football administration Bill Overdorf first raised the potential addition of Harvin several weeks ago, and other Bills executives got on board when the team suffered a second consecutive loss. Harvin is expected to see at least limited action Monday night in Seattle.
La Canfora reports that Chiefs brass is fully supportive of head coach Andy Reid‘s decision to keep Alex Smith out of game action this week, despite the fact that Smith remains asymptomatic of a concussion after taking two significant blows to the head last Sunday. Smith was able to lift weights regularly and work out as he normally would this week, and by Tuesday already had been cleared by an independent neurologist. However, Reid adopted a “better safe than sorry” approach that was heralded by team executives and by the NFLPA. Smith is expected to return to full practice tomorrow, which ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirms via Twitter. Justin Houston is also expected to return next week, according to La Canfora.

Extra Points: Romo, Cousins, Giants, Browns

November 4th, 2016 at 9:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

It’s possible rookie sensation Dak Prescott has permanently taken Tony Romo‘s job as the Cowboys’ No. 1 quarterback, but the injured veteran still expects to start when he’s healthy enough. At the same time, he’s pleased with Prescott’s success. “Tony wants the organization to be left in good hands when he’s finished playing, and he can see that Dak is going to be that guy,” one of Romo’s friends told Jason King of Bleacher Report. “They’ve found his successor, and Tony is happy about that.” Romo returned to practice last week from the broken bone he suffered in his back during the Cowboys’ penultimate preseason game on Aug. 25. That injury opened the door for Prescott, who has helped the Cowboys to an NFC-best 6-1 start while posting superb numbers.

Browns, Jamie Collins Not Talking Contract

November 3rd, 2016 at 4:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Despite trading either a 2017 compensatory third-round pick or a 2018 fourth-rounder to the Patriots on Monday for linebacker Jamie Collins, an impending free agent, the Browns aren’t showing much urgency to lock him up. The team and Collins’ agent, Bus Cook, have not engaged in any substantive contract talks yet, reports CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, who adds that it’s possible those discussions won’t take place at all.

While La Canfora ultimately expects the Browns to either re-sign Collins or place the ~$15MM franchise tag on him before free agency opens, one rival executive told him the 0-8 club is content to let the 27-year-old walk after the season and receive a compensatory third in 2018 in return. Should that happen, it would essentially make the Browns’ trade with the Pats a wash. Thanks to the free agent departures of offensive linemen Alex Mack and Mitchell Schwartz last offseason, the Browns are likely to net a compensatory third for 2017. If they do, it’ll go to New England.

“That tells me the owner still might not be spending any money and they might not sign any UFAs (unrestricted free agents) again. What they’re saying internally is that if we don’t re-sign him we’ll get the pick back the next year,” said the exec.

Collins, a Pro Bowler last year and one of the NFL’s premier linebackers, is reportedly looking to top Panthers standout Luke Kuechly‘s $12.36MM average annual value on his next contract. That’s probably not ideal for Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, but his franchise is nearly $50MM under the salary cap this year and will enter the offseason with upward of $64MM in breathing room. Although the Browns are rebuilding, their spending space has to go somewhere, and it stood to reason at the time of the Collins trade that a sizable chunk of it would go to him. Now, it seems that’s far from a sure thing.

AFC East Notes: Patriots, Brady, Harvin, Bills

November 2nd, 2016 at 1:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Football is a strange business and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is aware of how quickly things can change. In the wake of the surprising Jamie Collins trade, Brady was asked if he knows he could be traded at some juncture. “Absolutely. You can’t be around this long and not realize the world will keep spinning,” Brady said (Twitter link via Doug Kyed of NESN). Of course, there’s no reason to expect the Patriots to move on from Brady anytime soon.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

Percy Harvin is back in the NFL, but it doesn’t sound like he was ruminating on the decision for long. The Bills called Harvin on a whim to see if he might want to play again and, after brief consideration, he decided to jump back in, a source tells Mike Florio of PFT. Harvin could make his 2016 debut against his former team on Monday night when Buffalo heads to Seattle.
Some that played with Collins believed that he did not have to grind as hard as others on the team because he is so athletically gifted, ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss writes. In the Patriots‘ hard-working culture, that rationale likely didn’t fly with Bill Belichick. Reiss also hears from other ex-teammates that Collins was fully engaged, despite talk to the contrary. Of course, Collins’ pending free agency was also a factor in the trade. Earlier today, Collins personally denied asking for “Von Miller money” in his talks with New England.
Prior to the deadline, the Jets had trade talks with the Cowboys about Sheldon Richardson.
Dolphins star safety Reshad Jones has been playing through a torn rotator cuff for two seasons. Jones finally got the much-needed surgery and he will be out for the remainder of the season as he recovers.

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