The Browns May Not Have Made Blockbuster Trades, but Collins Could Be Perfect for Them
With all the talk of multiple players on the trading block, the Cleveland Browns made few significant moves before Tuesday’s trade deadline. Aside from the blockbuster trade with the Eagles that turned into Carson Wentz, there was not a lot of action. The one significant trade was for Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins.
The reason this is surprising is because of all the recent rumors about pretty much every good player on the roster being traded. Rumors have circulated for weeks that All-Pro OT Joe Thomas was to be traded, despite coach Hue Jackson’s denials.
Earlier this week, rumors also circulated that both cornerbacks, Joe Haden and Tramon Williams, were also available. Troubled wide receiver Josh Gordon, who was recently released from rehab and is still serving an indefinite suspension by the NFL, was also said to be available. It was assumed he would be either traded or released before the deadline.
Of these players, three are among the most talented players on the Cleveland roster– if you still include Josh Gordon. However, despite all the talk, none of these trades ended up occurring. It is unclear whether there was lack of interest or whether the trade rumors were overstated. But whatever reason, all of these players are still going to be Browns this year.
The one interesting move that was made was the acquisition of linebacker Jamie Collins for a conditional draft pick. While seemingly low-risk compared to the rumors, this trade surprised many. Collins led the Patriots in tackles in 2014 and 2015 and made the Pro Bowl last year. He’s also only 27 years old.
However, when you look a little deeper, the trade begins to make more sense. Collins will be a free agent at the end of this year. He was quoted as wanting “Von Miller money” when asked about future contract negotiations. Anyone who knows how Bill Belichick roles knew this was not going to happen.
This could be an obvious problem for the Browns. If he does not resign with them at the end of the year, they will have given away the pick to have Collins for eight games. However, even this scenario would not be catastrophic, as they would probably get a compensatory pick for it in 2018.
When taking all this into consideration, the trade seems like a very good mood. The Browns defense has been horrible this year, and Collins is the kind of guy one could build a solid group around. VP of football operations Sashi Brown says, “Our coaches and personnel staff think (Collins) can be a great fit for our defense.”
Defensive coordinator Ray Horton has been vocal about wanting more athletic players, and Collins definitely fits this description. Considering how much cap space the Browns have, they may be willing to pay Collins more than anyone else if he is a good fit and productive for these final eight games.
Although we did not see the blockbuster trades that some were expecting for the Browns,
they did the right thing. Trading Joe Thomas for anything less than a first would have been stupid. Joe Haden is still one of the best and one of the most popular Browns with fans and teammates alike. It would have been nice to get something for Josh Gordon, but it’s hard to imagine any team wanting to give much, if anything.
Collins could turn out to be huge for a team that needs all the help they can get on defense. He’s young, fast and a great tackler. If he fits in, it will prove to be a great move. If not, they did not give up much for him anyway.
It’s not exciting, but Cleveland did the right thing by not going nuts with trades this year. The Browns need stability. Sashi Brown seems to have a real plan in place to build through the draft and apply the analytical approach. They have gathered multiple picks and have plenty of cap space to build a good team. Collins should be a great addition, and although it’s not going to show this year, the Browns seem to have a real direction for the future.
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