Patriots’ Trade of Jamie Collins Is as Risky as It Is Bizarre

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick views his players as commodities. That can often create an icy-cold vibe around everything that goes in Foxborough, but in principle he’s not wrong. In the salary-cap era, getting max value for each dollar is critically important, as is reeling in the best return for a player on an expiring contract if you don’t intend to re-sign him.

But at some point the two main visions of any team—managing the cap and doing so in a way that still provides the best opportunity to win championships—need to align. By trading linebacker Jamie Collins the Patriots may have gone beyond peak Belichick.

The emotionless hooded wizard has reached the summit of his roster-management approach, and he’s now teetering at the top. He risks tumbling down and shattering both his reputation as a shrewd team manager and, more importantly, the Patriots’ title chances in 2016.

The Patriots sent Collins, who was easily their best defensive playmaker, to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a third-round compensatory pick. Adam Schefter of ESPN first reported the stunning blockbuster completed one day before the NFL’s trade deadline.

As Schefter also reported, the rumored payday Collins is looking for after his rookie contract expires at the end of 2016 would reflect his unique talent.

With Jamie Collins contract coming up, he was at one point asking for what one league source described as “Von Miller money.” Von: 6-$114.5M

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 31, 2016

Whether the money eventually given to Collins comes close to the Broncos’ Von Miller and his massive deal is a question we’ll have answered in the offseason.

Right now we definitively know the answer to a different question: Did the Patriots want to invest heavily in Collins and commit to a long-term extension? (No.)

Sure, the franchise tag was always an option. But as former agent Joel Corry noted, towing that one-year contract anchor wasn’t appealing for a franchise that needs to secure Dont’a Hightower, another core linebacker playing through …

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