The reunion between the New England Patriots and Jamie Collins might work out after all.
Early indications from Wednesday’s minicamp are that the former All-Pro linebacker might play a much bigger role in the defense than previously expected. He has been working in with the starting defense, and according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, he is looking like a key contributor on the field.
Those comments echo the same observations from The Athletic’s Nick Underhill on Tuesday.
A rapid decline in production came for Collins after he was traded by the Patriots to the Cleveland Browns, who signed him to a four-year, $50 million contract extension in 2017. The two sides only made it halfway through the deal before the Browns cut their losses and released the once-feared linebacker in March.
And then Belichick picked up the phone.
News of Collins’ return to the Patriots was a bit of a surprise initially considering the wealth of talent the team already has at linebacker. However, Collins has often been lauded for his versatility and freakish physical abilities. The decision to bring him back ultimately boiled down to Belichick refusing to pass on a good football player.
Most of the excitement around the Patriots defense so far has lingered on their defensive backfield, but the combination of Collins, Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy and Ja’Whaun Bentley could be something out of nightmares for opposing offenses.
