Sorry, but I can't wade through 39 pages, but after the first 8 I get the drift. No question that it is a SHOCKER, and I'm trying to wrap my head around what just happened. Here are my thoughts in no particular order.
1. I'm not surprised the Pats were willing to part ways with him. I have opined on several occasions that I thought Collins would be very tough to re-sign because I had heard he wasn't that happy living more than half the year in New England. I think the Pats knew this too and realized that this was his last year here. It was kind of similar to the Revis situation, where the Pats would never pay a premium over value for a player simply to get him to stay where he wasn't happy.
2. So I'm not so surprised he's gone, as I am about the compensation. In the end it's going to be a pick in the late 90's and that seems awful low ......at first.
3. Remember there is also a lot of risk for the Browns, since they are giving up the pick for what might be just 8 games of service. They are obviously hoping to sell him on the rebuild, and the fact he will be paid top dollar to play there.
4. So while the value of the player is at a first or second round level of compensation, the buyer is taking a huge risk that what he gives the Pats will be totally wasted if Collins doesn't sign with them.
5. And there is the quality of play issue. There have been several posters who wondered where Collins was for several games this season. The fact was that when he flashed, he flashed big time, but it wasn't as consistent as last season. To the level that now it is coming out that BB was actually unhappy about the number of times his freelancing hurt the defense.
6. Collins believed (and maybe rightfully so) that this defensive system inhibits his talents to make individual plays. He has seen the example of what CJones is doing in AZ in a defense designed to let him rush the passer. Jones is piling up stats, even though the Cardinals are having trouble piling up wins. So it was ANOTHER reason for him not to resign here
7. I felt Bill was comfortable making this deal for a couple of reasons:
a. While there is no way to believe the defense will be better without Collins, in Bill's mind, the drop off won't be nearly as bad as most people think. Remember in NE the sum is ALWAYS greater the its individual parts.
b. Think about this comparison - This offense is deeper and more diverse than the offense of 2011 that got us to a Superbowl, while this defense, even without Collins, is SIGNIFICANTLY better than its counterpart in 2011.
c. So while the "sky is falling" for the mediots, Bill coldly calculated Collins' contribution and if that critically damaged the kind of defense HE believed was necessary to win a Superbowl with this offense and ST's.
d. I believe that for a lot of reasons, (some of which we discussed) Bill was unhappy with Collins' play and attitude this season. I'm guessing that for THIS season, Jamie had not been as coachable as he had been in the past.
e. Who knows that when the season is over and Collins becomes a FA, there will be no team with more cap space than the Pats, and if not Collins than some other high end FA.
f. In the end it was BB's belief that the Pats without Collins and a pick in the late 90's in 2017 were better than the Pats with Collins for the rest of the year and a pick in the 130's in 2018.
8. My biggest concern is NOT the loss of Collins for the rest season. I think we can overcome that. I am more concerned with how this plays out in the locker room. We shall see.