There are a lot of reasons that Bill Belichick traded Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns.
For starters, he is probably prioritizing Hightower and Butler in the offseason, and has emerging talent to at least partially offset this loss. He does have around twenty mil in cap space, but Collins' initial demands were apparently in the Von Miller range, which would have wiped out MOST of that.
Next, if you accept Lombardi's opinion (and I do, because I'm objective), Collins freelances too often. Freelancers often make big plays, but they also ENABLE big plays, because the other ten guys don't know he won't be where he is supposed to be. Lombardi also referred to a lack of effort, but that's subjective, and sounds like piling on to me.
The "declining talent" assertion doesn't hold water. Period. But I hope people keep saying that, because the Von Miller stuff is a non-starter.
Had Bill allowed Collins to walk, his most likely compensation would have been a 2018 third round pick. This deal is conditional:
If the Browns get a compensatory pick (can't re-sign him), Bill gets a 2017 third rounder. I assume that there is more to this deal: If the Browns franchise or can extend Collins, I can't believe that Bill gets nothing. As the deal is being described, Bill screwed himself. No way, unless he's got Alzeimers or something.
Well...he does show his team, everybody is expendable, so "do your job" or else. This conversation might also have taken place between Collins' agent and Bill:
We were thinking of something along the lines of the Von Miller deal.
Best passrusher in the NFL? That Von Miller?
Yes.
Collins can rush the passer, but not like that. Passrushers earn more for a reason. Collins is a linebacker. A terrific linebacker yes, but he's no Von Miller. I mean...are you kidding?
No, we're quite serious. If you don't pay him, somebody will.
...think the uh...Browns would?
I don't think we'd have to go there.
I think you will. Tell Jamie, I'm sending him to Cleveland if you guys don't get realistic about this contract.
Come on, Bill. You know they won't give you anything just to rent him for half a season.
I'm serious. Tell him. Get reasonable or pack for Cleveland -click-.
So maybe Bill told the agents: He doesn't bluff.
From the Browns perspective, on the surface this still looks just as dumb for a rebuilding team IF IF IF the initial reports on Collins' salary demands are accurate.
Renting Collins for half a season, or even franchising him to get an additional season out of him, makes no sense.
One possibility is that negotiations have already taken place, and the Browns do believe they can retain him for several years.
Even if not, Collins is not Von Miller. He's as good a total-package linebacker as there is, but Miller is a passrusher first. They're in different categories. Even then, Miller makes interceptions in coverage and is decent vs the run himself. He's simply a better player than Collins is, period.
Whether or not Collins comes back to Earth and settles for being the highest paid true linebacker, instead of the highest paid passrusher, it's unhealthy for a team to go winless.
Collins could win them a game or two this season. He might even decide he likes it here, and believes in the Coach and the team's direction. And the Browns might just win the bidding war. They have the money, and it's even possible nobody will be stupid enough to pay him 12 mil/year.
Collins is actually more like Ray Lewis than Von Miller (though not as good as Ray either). Horton will use him the way he wanted to use Mingo---all over the place.
This guy was a star quarterback and safety in highschool. He was recruited as a safety, and became a linebacker later. He can cover, stop the run, and rush the passer...just not like Miller.
I guess if they can't re-sign him, they get a comensatory pick back. It might be a round lower, and would be a year later. This was kind of a no-brainer for them. If they can lock him up long-term, this turns into maybe the best move the new regime has made so far.
Collins isn't quite Ray Lewis (yet), and isn't Von Miller, but he is an All-Pro difference-making "joker" you can build a defense around.
The freelancing stuff is a concern, but Ray Horton is different, and after getting slapped down like this, Jamie might remember to "do his job" now. Ray won't let him get too bored.
Bill Belichick is a genius, but only human. He has let players go who prospered elsewhere. The Cleveland Browns just got a great player for peanuts. Really. It's true.
I know you are waiting for an alien to pop out of his guts or the FBI to bust him for kiddie porn or something, but no...it's real. Welcome to Cleveland, Jamie! You can scrape by on 9 mil/year! Take your shoes off! Make yourself at home!
This just in: Got the rest of Mike Lombardi's comments. Collins was being taken off the field on running downs. That's true. They were unhappy with his coverage. That's crap.
Belichick was breaking in Collins' eventual replacement. Unlike some coaches we have known, Bill rotates rookies in to give them experience and test them. He also plans ahead.
Also, Collins himself called the Von Miller money assertion crap, and went further to call it rediculous and actually say "I'm not Von Miller". That is truly refreshing to hear. The guy isn't an egomaniac. He might not even be hypergreedy. Yeah, it sounds like they have a good shot at extending him!
Lombardi objected to PFF ranking Collins 8th overall among linebackers. He said he prefers Bill Belichick's opinion.
You know what? I don't think Bill Belichick ever even discussed Collins with Lombardi. Lombardi keeps saying "watch the films", and has based his own opinions on film study. His conclusions about Bill's motives here are shaky (ie the fact that smart coaches think ahead and let rookies get reps never even occurred to him).
Odds are, Bill Belichick agrees with PFF, but simply knew he couldn't afford to keep all his free agents. He has a really good young linebacker really cheap, so Collins was the most expendable. Bill wanted his compensatory pick a year early, so he made a move he felt he could afford early.
Methinks Lombardi is overthinking this.
He's here just in time for them Cowboys. He probably can't prevent a massacre, but might make it interesting.
Now, those who assumed that now that Josh McCown is healthy, he's the starter, since he gives the Browns the best chance to win, are wrong.
Cody Kessler has outplayed Josh McCown. Haven't you been paying attention? Kessler gives the Browns the best chance to win.
Now I'm going to read "Browns Name Kessler and McCown Co-Starters". That Hue Jackson! He a wildman!
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