In Retrospect, How Do You View The Collins Trade?

[Brit patriot]

It is fair to say, there was a general level of shock when JC got sent to Cleveland, but it seems to have worked out pretty fine.

Hightower, Kyle Van Noy and Shea seem to have done a fantastic job and have brought an extra level of physicality to the position. True, Jamie was an incredible physical specimen, but it seem that Bill wanted to go in a different direction, maybe with a harder edge.

Has anyone who questioned the move at the time come to see it as BB just being ahead of the curve? Or do some still hate the move?

 

[Froob]

Hard not to like the move now. Van Noy is nowhere near the athlete Collins is (and I'm not sure there is another in the NFL), but he's more disciplined and does his job.

 

[archstanton543]

I don't know yet. First, let's see how far the Pats go in the playoffs and if not having Collins hurt or helped them. Second, let's see where in the third round they'll be picking and who they pick. Third, let's see where Collins ends up next year and what his production is.

 

[Kontradiction]

Hard to view that trade in any way but a win. It was looking iffy at first. This board, for the most part, always vastly overrated both Collins and Jones. They're no doubt talented, but not among the best at their position. But I've always been fine with any trade/outright release as long as the departed player's production could be replaced. That has been the case with the Collins trade thus far so, so far, it's a win.

 

[RobertWeathers]

The trade has been a winner. There is no doubt to this.

 

[Bill Lee]

I don't know yet. First, let's see how far the Pats go in the playoffs and if not having Collins hurt or helped them. Second, let's see where in the third round they'll be picking and who they pick. Third, let's see where Collins ends up next year and what his production is.

Personally I won't wait to see who the draft pick is, IMHO the trade gets made not knowing what the pick will be and that's how it should be evaluated. The trade was mainly about getting rid of someone who wasn't fitting in and who wasn't going to be resigned off the books before the off-season, and to a lesser degree, about getting something in return.

 

[nabwong]

Patriots have won 13 games. Win.
Browns have won 1 game. Win.

Looks like a win win.

 

[BlueThunder]

You either do it my way or it's the highway..... BB

That is why BB is a HOF Coach...

He is paid to make the tough decisions.....

A lot of key players up for contracts in next year or two. BB planning for the present AND the future.....

I think most coaches only thinking about the NOW.......

BB has already secured his future as a Patriot coach.....

 

[PittPatriot]

As much as I doubted the move the day it happened...then liked it when Lombardi talked to everyone who would listen about how poorly Collins was playing since last year.
...then I disliked when it became apparent that that Elandon Roberts is JAG.
....but liked it when I saw how solid the defense has been playing.
If the pick is used on the next Shawn Crable, I will be pissed...but that's not fair.
So I guess I like it.

 

[farn]

Winning is key. Mankins trade was awesome after the Butler pick ! All that counts is winning. Once you win as often as NE does, it becomes all about winning the big one. Let's see in February.

 

[willard]

A bit early to label Robert a JAG. He has made some impactful plays and is a rookie from a small school.

Not a fan at the time because this seemed like one of our better teams and why weaken it. As time has gone on it has seemed much better and certainly our record has not been impacted which is the bottom line.

 

[oldrover]

Want a fun read?

PATS TRADE JAMIE COLLINS!!!

Lots of hand-wringing... before I linked it, I reviewed it carefully for comedy relief...






...and to make sure I didn't say anything then that I'd have to apologize for now.

 

[BobDigital]

The trade is not about the pick really. It is about was the trade addition by subtraction. This is hard to say cause we don't know for sure what this team would look like right now with Collins.

We do know a few things though. We know what the team looks like now on D. We know talent without proper play execution is generally meaningless. We know the LBs right now McCellin/Van Noy are playing at a good level particularly against the run where Collins was average at best. We know Collins was not happy here and though he played borderline elite at times last year it was rare this year and really only vs Houston's horrible O. Other times he was ineffective and down right run over or beat in coverage (1 on 1 plays he was in position to make if played well) even with all his talent.

When it came to Collins we kept waiting for his head to catch up to his body. Sometimes it did and you saw the elite difference maker but it was never consistent and rarely did he carry it through long stretches. Also it came and went for no rhyme or reason. Year 3 was his best but he wasn't good at times either and regressed this year.

Overall I would say this D today is pretty good. That is what we know. We don't know how Collins would effect it be it good or bad. However at this point I am happy where we are and if i could add Collins today for free I would not cause I don't want to risk messing up what we have which maybe he could.

Also it is clear to me by the eye test and stats this D is playing better now for a longer stretch than it ever did with him. I have to conclude getting rid of Collins was the right thing even not counting compensation. I have to say it was a case of addition by subtraction.

 

[Kontradiction]

Want a fun read?

PATS TRADE JAMIE COLLINS!!!

Lots of hand-wringing... before I linked it, I reviewed it carefully for comedy relief...






...and to make sure I didn't say anything then that I'd have to apologize for now.

Pretty pleased with my production in that thread as well.

 

[The Gr8est]

The trade is not about the pick really. It is about was the trade addition by subtraction. This is hard to say cause we don't know for sure what this team would look like right now with Collins.

We do know a few things though. We know what the team looks like now on D. We know talent without proper play execution is generally meaningless. We know the LBs right now McCellin/Van Noy are playing at a good level particularly against the run where Collins was average at best. We know Collins was not happy here and though he played borderline elite at times last year it was rare this year and really only vs Houston's horrible O. Other times he was ineffective and down right run over or beat in coverage (1 on 1 plays he was in position to make if played well) even with all his talent.

When it came to Collins we kept waiting for his head to catch up to his body. Sometimes it did and you saw the elite difference maker but it was never consistent and rarely did he carry it through long stretches. Also it came and went for no rhyme or reason. Year 3 was his best but he wasn't good at times either and regressed this year.

Overall I would say this D today is pretty good. That is what we know. We don't know how Collins would effect it be it good or bad. However at this point I am happy where we are and if i could add Collins today for free I would not cause I don't want to risk messing up what we have which maybe he could.

Also it is clear to me by the eye test and stats this D is playing better now for a longer stretch than it ever did with him. I have to conclude getting rid of Collins was the right thing even not counting compensation. I have to say it was a case of addition by subtraction.

Yeah, this BB guy is pretty good.

 

[chasa]

in retrospective it doesnt appear to have hurt the team, in fact they seem to be playing better, so it was a good trade, surprising, shocking, but good.

 

[VrabelJr]

It's a bad trade if we traded the 2014 or 2015 version of Jamie Collins. But we didn't, we traded the 2016 freelancing, lackadaisical version of Janie Collins.

At least now we know what he would have been like after receiving a pay day.

 

[doesntmatter1]

I didn't like the trade but can't argue with the results. Fwiw I loved the Mankins trade the instant it happened.

I still wonder about him though. What professional athlete catches a virus that isn't hiv(lol) and causes him to miss multiple games and drop 20 pounds? Just fishy. I wonder if some behind the scene things like that played a role in his departure.

 

[varjao]

A pick in exchange for 8 games sounds good, the thing is a player of his caliber can make a decisive play on the SB and we are in a SB run, so the people complaining always argued about this kind of thing not the 8 regular season games he wouldn't make a huge difference against terrible NFL teams.

The jury is still out because we don't know and we will never know what kind of difference he would make in a playoff game. Remember that sack + forced fumble + recovery against Joe Flacco in 2014 that was nullified because of a Revis holding? That kind of play only a freak like him can deliver and it was a game changing play, if not by the holding the game would not came down to the wire.

 

[BritPat]

I disliked it then and I still dislike it now.

Collins was and remains a very good player.

The biggest test for the defense is still to come.