Trade: [NE/CLE] Jamie Collins traded to Cleveland for a 3rd rounder

[N o o d l e s]

As per usual I have no friggin' clue what the Browns are thinking.

I agree, I don't see it from the Browns perspective either. Collins is probably a top-5 linebacker, no question. But you're getting him, at most, for another year and a half and that's because they have to franchise him to keep him.

A 3rd rounder is great value to only have to give up, but seems pointless for a team like CLE. They're far more than a player away from being relevant.

 

[Reality Check]

It's comforting knowing that despite the Cavaliers and Indians, the Browns will always be the Browns.

New England is still the team to beat. No matter how many times they've shown having zero loyalty to anyone but Brady.

 

[DangleCity]

Saw a rumor that he turned down $11 mil a year but wanted Von Miller money.

 

[sjsharks92]

The Browns have a bunch of picks in the upcoming draft. This 3rd round pick was expendable I suppose in that sense.

But if your the Browns, maybe you look at this as a move to go out and get a very good player who will work his tail off this season and set a good example for the young guys. Collins will play hard given he wants as much leverage as possible in contract talks. Browns know that and even if they get him for only a season and a half the hope is that he'll be able to leave his mark and help young guys develop.

In other words, I sincerely doubt that anyone within the Browns' organization truly looks at this as a move that makes them a substantially better team. This isn't a move for now, it's a move for the future, even if Collins isn't a part of that future.

 

[Blitzkrug]

At first i was like; yeah, this makes sense. Cleveland can't draft for **** so they send an expendable pick to a team for a proven star.

But then i realized he's a free agent at the end of the year and has zero chance of re-signing in Cleveland.

Why bother?

 

[Avs_19]

I was shocked by this one. You don't often see a SB contender give one of their better defenders away for nothing (right now they get nothing to help them). They could have just kept him around and then let him walk in the offseason. I believe they'd just get a 2018 comp pick instead of one next year. I guess Belichick really wanted to move on now and thinks they'll be fine without him.

Great trade for the Browns. A bit weird since they're going for the 1st pick but there's no risk on their side. They can pay him what he wants or just franchise him. If he walks, they'll get a comp pick back for him.

 

[aleshemsky83]

At first i was like; yeah, this makes sense. Cleveland can't draft for **** so they send an expendable pick to a team for a proven star.

But then i realized he's a free agent at the end of the year and has zero chance of re-signing in Cleveland.

Why bother?

They can use the franchise tag on him

 

[Ivan13]

I agree, I don't see it from the Browns perspective either. Collins is probably a top-5 linebacker, no question. But you're getting him, at most, for another year and a half and that's because they have to franchise him to keep him.

A 3rd rounder is great value to only have to give up, but seems pointless for a team like CLE. They're far more than a player away from being relevant.

Do people still doubt Bill? And Collins isn't a top 5 linebacker, he plays too loose for my taste, can make a big play then cost the team by losing track of assignments. That crap doesn't fly with Bill and good on him for that.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

From what I gathered:

1- He was freelancing and BB hated that and was taking plays off.
2- He was looking for Von Miller money.
3- BB feels a defense is all about schemes and execution. He wants smart and disciplined players. Collins lacked in discipline.

The trade does make sense, but I still don't like it.

 

[Hasbro]

Wouldn't the Pats have gotten a 2018 3rd round compensatory pick had they just kept him and let him walk? Now they move that up a year, big whoop.

Seems like a very bizarre trade for the SB fave to make.

It would depend on how big his contract and what else the Pats did in free agency.

 

[Hasbro]

I agree, I don't see it from the Browns perspective either. Collins is probably a top-5 linebacker, no question. But you're getting him, at most, for another year and a half and that's because they have to franchise him to keep him.

A 3rd rounder is great value to only have to give up, but seems pointless for a team like CLE. They're far more than a player away from being relevant.

It's Moneyball in Cleveland now!

It's not for us mortals to understand.

 

[Avs_19]

It's strange how we never heard about Collins playing loose, freelancing, taking plays off, etc prior to Schefter's tweet this morning.

 

[Shockmaster]

The Browns have a bunch of picks in the upcoming draft. This 3rd round pick was expendable I suppose in that sense.

But if your the Browns, maybe you look at this as a move to go out and get a very good player who will work his tail off this season and set a good example for the young guys. Collins will play hard given he wants as much leverage as possible in contract talks. Browns know that and even if they get him for only a season and a half the hope is that he'll be able to leave his mark and help young guys develop.

In other words, I sincerely doubt that anyone within the Browns' organization truly looks at this as a move that makes them a substantially better team. This isn't a move for now, it's a move for the future, even if Collins isn't a part of that future.

No. The players will likely realize he isn't going to be on the team long and tune out any example he tries to set.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

It's strange how we never heard about Collins playing loose, freelancing, taking plays off, etc prior to Schefter's tweet this morning.

Freelancing is acceptable in small doses. Every impact defensive player does it.

 

[sjsharks92]

No. The players will likely realize he isn't going to be on the team long and tune out any example he tries to set.

Not that I would know, but I don't think that's the way NFL players think. Particularly the young guys trying to earn a spot long term. If Collins could even motivate/mentor/lead a single Browns player to elevate his game to the next level this trade would be worth it. Now there's no tangible way to measure that, but again I don't really see anything wrong with this trade for Cleveland.

That said, I don't see anything wrong with it for the Pats either. You can't really question any move their FO makes.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

Yeah you can. Bill the coach>>>>>>Bill the GM.

 

[Street Hawk]

Not that I would know, but I don't think that's the way NFL players think. Particularly the young guys trying to earn a spot long term. If Collins could even motivate/mentor/lead a single Browns player to elevate his game to the next level this trade would be worth it. Now there's no tangible way to measure that, but again I don't really see anything wrong with this trade for Cleveland.

That said, I don't see anything wrong with it for the Pats either. You can't really question any move their FO makes.

Classic patriot move.

Move a pending free agent who wants big money for a pick that they don't have to wait for. Pick from Cleveland is in 2017, while any they get as comp for Collins signing elsewhere would be in 2018.

Sounds like Collins was straying from the game plan to make more plays to increase his value in the off season. Not cool with BB.

Collins can be franchised, which he knows, so it's sign that and hope they franchise someone else in 2018 or sign long term and cash in with guaranteed money.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

It's strange how we never heard about Collins playing loose, freelancing, taking plays off, etc prior to Schefter's tweet this morning.

These things rarely get out before a guy is moved. Damage control on the Pats' part, I guess.

 

[Avs_19]

Belichick is always going to get the benefit of the doubt and he has earned that. More often than not these types of moves work out well for them.

One of the reasons they traded Jones was because they had to pay Collins and Hightower. Now they sent Collins packing too and are expecting someone else to fill in for him. They have a good eye for talent and apparently really like this Roberts kid so maybe he'll step right in and they'll be fine. This move feels a little Josh Norman-ish though.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

I think its a bad move.

 

[Live in the Now]

Considering the nature of the position and the likelihood somebody gets hurt, that's where I'm at too. Collins wasn't a locker room problem, because we'd have heard about that by now. Those and players who won't play are the only players a contending team should trade in season.

That's without getting into the weaknesses of their defense. Those weaknesses have been masked by the schedule they've faced, and I don't see this move making it any better.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

And he's a rare weapon. He can play multiple positions. Elandon Roberts is a fine player but he's not Jamie Collins. Its Bill the GM betting on Bill the coach.

 

[Shockmaster]

Not that I would know, but I don't think that's the way NFL players think. Particularly the young guys trying to earn a spot long term. If Collins could even motivate/mentor/lead a single Browns player to elevate his game to the next level this trade would be worth it. Now there's no tangible way to measure that, but again I don't really see anything wrong with this trade for Cleveland.

That said, I don't see anything wrong with it for the Pats either. You can't really question any move their FO makes.

Most of them think about dollar signs. They aren't going to be extra motivated by this move at all.

 

[Gene Parmesan]

All professional athletes are motivated first and foremost by money.

 

[Voight]

At least this means they will likely keep Hightower, good for Pats fans.

While it is puzzling during a 7-1 start and Brady playing some damn good pigskin, I try not to second guess Belichik when it comes to these things. Its not unlike the Seymour trade, in a sense.

He does this all the time and has shown time and time again he wont be paying big money just to keep good players around (except in special cases like Gronk ). Heck, he got Chris Long off the scrap heap and he's looking pretty good this year.