In a shocking move, the New England Patriots have decided to trade linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns just one day before the NFL trade deadline.
Browns fans across the country are feeling great. Their team just got one of the best linebackers in the league, and they barely have to pay him anything. But, after a second look, it appears as if yet again Bill Belichick was right and (again) the Browns are wrong.
It’s extremely unlikely that the Browns will benefit at all from Collins’ services. The primary reason of course being Collins’s contract situation. Collins is in the final year of his rookie contract, and there’s no telling where he will be playing next year. Collins may be a fantastic player and an extremely athletic linebacker, but there’s no guarantee he will re-sign with the Browns this offseason.
Essentially speaking, the Browns just gave up a third round draft pick for a player who may not even be on the roster next season.
Collins just went from a 7-1 team to an 0-8 team. He doesn’t know what it’s like to lose in the NFL. He has made the playoffs every year with the Patriots, and these final eight weeks with the Browns are going to be as agonizing as he could ever imagine, especially when you consider the Patriots will be competing in the playoffs without him. Unless the Browns are going to offer a max contract to him, it’s hard to imagine Collins staying in Cleveland past this season.
Rather than try to sign superstar players in the final year of their contracts, the Browns should try to get draft picks and build for the future. You can’t build a contender by overspending and trading, it’s done through the draft. Eventually the Browns will figure that out. Well, maybe.
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