We’re at the halfway point of the week, and here’s a look at this morning’s top stories.
Still sifting through the rubble of the Collins trade – The shock of the Jamie Collins trade continued on Tuesday as media members in New England tried to make sense of a deal that will go down as yet another memorable one after the team shipped the veteran linebacker off to Cleveland.
One that was the most interesting came from Mike Reiss, which given Reiss’ backstory when it comes to these types of moves, he tends to be someone who gathers all the facts before really forming and giving any type of strong opinion to make sure he’s 100% accurate with his assessment. That being said, Reiss believes that the move was likely made because head coach Bill Belichick “had concluded that the Patriots and Collins were headed for a split after the season” due to the fact he was in the last year of his contract. As a result, the trade helped “extinguish a potentially volatile situation down the road.”
Some players play out their deal and have the right attitude where they don’t let their contract affect their play or their attitude while they’re showing up for work each day. Reiss’ assessment and the belief that the situation has headed in the wrong direction is enough to make you wonder if Collins was already showing signs of frustration and it was affecting his day-to-day routine. If that was the case, as much as the Patriots obviously didn’t want to lose him without getting something in return, they likely wouldn’t have traded him had he been coming in, working hard and had continued being productive on the football field.
It’s an interesting assessment of a situation that in the immediate aftermath was tough to make much sense of. But if what Reiss writes is true, it sheds a little more light on why Belichick would make such a bold – and seemingly necessary in this context – move at this point in the season.
Players Coming to Terms With the Move – Anytime a move of that significance is made, it’s always curious to know the reactions of players in the locker room and it sounds like most of them are disappointed, but they understand the reasoning behind it.
Veteran Rob Ninkovich has obviously seen some things over the course of his long career, and he knows that it’s going to be up to the guys who are still here to try and get it done now that Collins is no longer with them.
“It’s just part of the game,” Ninkovich said via the Boston Herald. “It’s not really a surprise to me to see things happen. It’s just the way the business works, and I’ve seen it. You just have to really not let anything affect the group. We’re a great group. We’re a great team. We have to continue to work to get better. I know there are things we need to work as a defense to get better at. The guys we have here, we definitely have the talent to be what we want to be.”
Collins was apparently good friends with safety Duron Harmon, who was really disappointed to see his friend and teammate be moved, calling it just part of the “crazy stuff” that comes with playing in the NFL.
You just digest it,” Harmon told the Herald. “Crazy stuff like that happens all the time in the league. It’s part of the business. It sucks. Jamie is a good friend of mine. I’m going to miss having him around. I wish the best for him. Hopefully, he continues his dominant play.”
Fortunately with the bye week, they’ll all have the opportunity to digest it and turn the page before they play their next game one week from Sunday.
Moss “Cussed Out Belichick” when the Patriots first Acquired Him – ESPN Analyst Randy Moss took some time to recount what was going through his mind when the Patriots first acquired him from the Oakland Raiders back in April of 2007, which was certainly a shocking move here locally when everyone learned the dynamic receiver would be part of the Patriots’ offense.
Moss admits that when he first got the call, he couldn’t believe it and he actually cursed out Belichick until he realized the call was real.
“I got a phone call and it was Bill Belichick,” said Moss. “I thought it was a friend or somebody playing with my phone. I actually cussed him out. When he kept saying it was Bill Belichick, I knew he was serious. I started being apologetic because I had cussed the man. Then he told me the Raiders were thinking about trading me. I had to be in Foxborough by 10 p.m. Eastern, or the trade would void. So, I just did everything that I could possibly do to get up there by 10 p.m.”
“After I got off the phone with him, I was excited. I was hyped. I was in a club that night. Defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, who played for the Detroit Lions at the time, was there, so I went up there, high-fiving him, hugging random people. Shaun asked me what was going on and I said to him, “I’m getting ready to be a Patriot.” The first thing that came out of his mouth was, “Man, that’s cheatin’.”
Moss admitted his one regret was not leaving New England with a ring.
“Having an undefeated season, doing so many great things, then, when the game counted for us to really bring it home in the Super Bowl,” said Moss. “We couldn’t bring it home.”
Brady Rewards His Teammates – Tom Brady has expressed repeatedly that he’s happy to be back playing quarterback for his team after missing the first four games, but he apparently gave his teammates something special that likely made some guys pretty happy.
According to the Boston Globe’s Nora Princiotti, Brady left a fresh pair of Uggs in every locker on Tuesday, which are generally regarded as pretty comfortable from those who have worn them.
Sign of a happy Brady: Fresh pair of Uggs in every locker. pic.twitter.com/Xfa8xqqrHd
— Nora Princiotti (@NoraPrinciotti) November 1, 2016
Despite the fact Brady may get them for free, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s still likely a welcomed gesture and a nice surprise after a chaotic Monday.
Perfect Attendance on Tuesday – The Patriots reportedly had all players present on Tuesday during the team’s first practice of the bye week and they also made a couple of transactions.
According to the Providence Journal, the team added a couple of players to the practice squad after bringing back offensive guard Chase Farris, as well as signing tight end Austin Taylor.
Running back Dion Lewis was also reportedly again at practice, which will likely become the key storyline to keep an eye on over the next week before they play their next game again on November 13th.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
