It’s fair to say that Monday’s trade of linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns took many by surprise. Expected to be part of the defensive core for the foreseeable future, Collins was traded for a relative pittance considering what was being said about him by both fans and experts alike over the past twelve months. Like any transaction, the long term winner of this deal will be determined down the line but the short term impact of this trade will certainly be felt in Foxborough.
Collins drew rave reviews during his three and a half year Patriots career for being a rare athletic talent that was able to do things people of his size should not.