Patriots getting the band back together, sign Jamie Collins

TheRainMaker said:

The myth that Adalius Thomas was bust continues.

He filled a need that lost them the 2006 AFCCG and set the tone defensively in the 2007 season taking back a Phillip Rivers INT with ease week 2.

He was a terror in the 2007 Super Bowl and was so close getting a 3rd sack that may have put the Giants in a 4th in 10+ situation. Unfortunately, the entire O-line held everyone and the Tyree catch happened.

Click to expand...

Sure he had some good games but based on being the highest paid LB in the NFL, he was a bust. He gave them 28 good games and the rest were IR and in Mr Spacely's office

ChrisR2223 said:

Mccourty is a stud do people remember the secondary that used to get trashed on every third and long.
God Mccourty could arguably be the most important player on the defense since he's been drafted.
STUD class act and has taken discounts to stay with us vs go to the Eagles he's one of the Patriots best picks ever.

Click to expand...

McCourty never took a single discount to stay with the Patriots. He's entering the final year of the only contract he's signed with the Pats outside of his rookie deal, in fact. Otherwise, good post .

DarrylS said:

If I remember correctly BB traded Collins not because he was not a good player, he did it because he freelanced and failed to "hold the edge", and not doing his job.

I vaguely remember the game, as the camera's panned to a disgusted and angry BB on the sidelines..

Click to expand...

Jamie was shipped out for a variety of reasons. I think we can all agree with that.

I remember that game. They gave up a weak TD and Bill was ********.

Ivan said:

If you go back to 2014 you will find thousands of posts claiming Belichick the GM had destroyed the roster. The Patriots went on to win 3 of the next 5 Lombardi’s, but they were right nonetheless.

Click to expand...

3 of 5 but also a few plays away from 4 of 5 and an XP for being in the SB the last 5 of 5.

Has there ever been a team in football to be that close to 5 straight?

PatsBoy12 said:

McCourty never took a single discount to stay with the Patriots. He's entering the final year of the only contract he's signed with the Pats outside of his rookie deal, in fact. Otherwise, good post .

Click to expand...

Eagles offered more when Chip Kelly hosted him.
He called BB and told him the offer then BB came close enough to it.
That's considered a discount in my opinion

This 2016 (half) season with Collins was really weird. I remember how well he started into the season including that monster of a game against Houston (the 27-0 shutout with Brissett starting) and people were hoping that he finally broke through as a top-tier LB. But then his play dropped off, strange reports came through (like him having coloured toe nails or so) and then everybody was thinking what was going on when he only played 60% of the snaps against Buffalo and next thing we knew he was gone.

ChrisR2223 said:

Eagles offered more when Chip Kelly hosted him.
He called BB and told him the offer then BB came close enough to it.
That's considered a discount in my opinion

Click to expand...

Respect. "Discounts" with an "s" is what you put in your post, sir. And the contract that he received was pretty much market value for a S at that time, which is why he took it. Otherwise he would have taken Kelly's offer. Kelly wanting to extend a bit higher doesn't necessarily mean McCourty took a discount to stay with NE.

In my opinion, a discount would signify a player taking something drastically lower than market value in favor of playing for a specific organization. That's not what happened with McCourty. He still got paid handsomely and what was the going rate for his position at that time, even if the final offer was lower than Kelly's offer.

ChrisR2223 said:

Eagles offered more when Chip Kelly hosted him.
He called BB and told him the offer then BB came close enough to it.
That's considered a discount in my opinion

Click to expand...

Correct. Additionally both the Giants and Titans also extended him offers greater than what he "settled" on with NE.

TommyD4207 said:

"Elite" is ridiculous. "Elite on the Patriots" sure, but that was a pretty low bar.

Click to expand...

Elite LB is a low bar with the Patriots? What?

Let's see, starting with HOF Andre Tippett, a few outstanding LBs that come to mind are Steve Nelson, Nick Buoniconti, Hightower, Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest, Ted Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Jerod Mayo, Vincent Brown, Rob Ninkovich, Roman Phifer, and maybe Junior Seau in the twilight of his career. For you old-timers, I'd throw Bob Golic and Steve Zabel on this list, although the game was so different back then.

Not making the list are some great players - Chris Slade, Rosey Colvin, Johnny Rembert, Todd Collins and Bryan Cox.

Looking back on the first three Super Bowls, linebacker was a core strength of those defenses. Guys like Phifer are underrated due to the talent around him, but he was solid. Those were other-worldly defenses looking back on them now.

Collins is good but he doesn't crack that list. Yet. With another season like 2018, Kyle Van Noy sneaks in there somewhere. He was such a key guy last year.

I’m against it. He’s been in Ohio too long

Not sure why people dislike this signing. He knows the system and the organization and he likely won't be a full time LB. For the first time in a while we may have solid depth at LB with Van Noy, Hightower, and Bentley as the main guys and Roberts, and Collins as rotational guys. I miss the days when we had Bruschi, Vrabel, and McGinest as well as Ted Johnson, Roman Phifer, Colvin and TBC. Not saying this group is the same but it is nice to have more than two solid LB's.

PatsBoy12 said:

Respect. "Discounts" with an "s" is what you put in your post, sir. And the contract that he received was pretty much market value for a S at that time, which is why he took it. Otherwise he would have taken Kelly's offer. Kelly wanting to extend a bit higher doesn't necessarily mean McCourty took a discount to stay with NE.

In my opinion, a discount would signify a player taking something drastically lower than market value in favor of playing for a specific organization. That's not what happened with McCourty. He still got paid handsomely and what was the going rate for his position at that time, even if the final offer was lower than Kelly's offer.

Click to expand...

I think you two are splitting hairs and are both right.

Personally I'm not a fan of the term, "hometown discount" as it misrepresents what the team and player both desire.

The Iggles, Giants and Titans offered him ~$48/$49m. IMO that is his market value. It was set right there.

The NEP offered him ~$47m. We can argue that is below market value.

Did DMc take a "below market" deal to stay with NE. He most certainly did (albeit a very small one)

Was it a "discount"? Depends how you look at it. I've turned down jobs for more money because I liked where I was and there was "value" to me, my family and my career to stay where I was. Clearly that is how Devin felt. He didn't stay with NE because he was being a nice guy. He stayed because a couple of extra bucks did not represent enough value to uproot his family and give up everything he had established and realized as Patriot.

robertweathers said:

Correct. Additionally both the Giants and Titans also extended him offers greater than what he "settled" on with NE.

Click to expand...

Respect, Rob, but he didn't "settle." Those offers may have been higher, but he got the fair rate for his position from NE. That's what NE usually offers a player. The fact that other teams reset the market with ridiculous offers is not the fault of the Patriots. McCourty took a market value deal from the Pats in the end. To me, that's not the definition of a discount or team-friendly deal. He still got paid what he felt his talent warranted at that time. A discount, at least to me, is when a player takes even less in favor of staying; for example, a player at the end of the line who simply wants to win a championship receiving more lucrative offers elsewhere but deciding to sign for far less with what he views a championship contender.

PatsBoy12 said:

Respect, Rob, but he didn't "settle." Those offers may have been higher, but he got the fair rate for his position from NE. That's what NE usually offers a player. The fact that other teams reset the market with ridiculous offers is not the fault of the Patriots. McCourty took a market value deal from the Pats in the end. To me, that's not the definition of a discount or team-friendly deal. He still got paid what he felt his talent warranted at that time. A discount, at least to me, is when a player takes even less in favor of staying; for example, a player at the end of the line who simply wants to win a championship receiving more lucrative offers elsewhere but deciding to sign for far less with what he views a championship contender.

Click to expand...

Read my response to your post above. I put "settle" in parentheses for a reason.

There is no such thing as a ridiculous offer in a free market.

robertweathers said:

I think you two are splitting hairs and are both right.

Personally I'm not a fan of the term, "hometown discount" as it misrepresents what the team and player both desire.

The Iggles, Giants and Titans offered him ~$48/$49m. IMO that is his market value. It was set right there.

The NEP offered him ~$47m. We can argue that is below market value.

Did DMc take a "below market" deal to stay with NE. He most certainly did (albeit a very small one)

Was it a "discount"? Depends how you look at it. I've turned down jobs for more money because I liked where I was and there was "value" to me, my family and my career to stay where I was. Clearly that is how Devin felt. He didn't stay with NE because he was being a nice guy. He stayed because a couple of extra bucks did not represent enough value to uproot his family and give up everything he had established and realized as Patriot.

Click to expand...

Thanks, Rob.

Edit: I just wanted to also add that I did drastically lower than market value, btw.

robertweathers said:

Read my response to your post above. I put "settle" in parentheses for a reason.

Click to expand...

I know you did, Rob. It's why I also put mine in parentheses too. Sorry for any misunderstanding.

robertweathers said:

You tell me.Thats where you took the discussion. You are coming across as saying BB was wrong to ditch Jamie.

Click to expand...

it's your lack of comprehension that has lead you to that conclusion.

IllegalContact said:

it's your lack of comprehension that has lead you to that conclusion.

Click to expand...

You didn't comprehend mine either. I'm out.

robertweathers said:

Correct. Additionally both the Giants and Titans also extended him offers greater than what he "settled" on with NE.

Click to expand...

I'll be honest I didn't like the pick originally I know this will be a surprise but I wanted Dez Bryant and was disgusted when I believe we traded the pick to Dallas they took Dez and we took Dev.
But he quickly won most of us over, he looked very Jagish as a DB I remember but is the golden standard for coverage safety in the NFL and erases long balls on the side of his field.
Who knew BB knew what he was doing. LOL.

ChrisR2223 said:

I'll be honest I didn't like the pick originally I know this will be a surprise but I wanted Dez Bryant and was disgusted when I believe we traded the pick to Dallas they took Dez and we took Dev.
But he quickly won most of us over, he looked very Jagish as a DB I remember but is the golden standard for coverage safety in the NFL and erases long balls on the side of his field.
Who knew BB knew what he was doing. LOL.

Click to expand...

I've learned not to judge BB to harshly on his draft picks. Hes nailed more than hes missed.

In Devin he saw a very good football player....and he was correct.