Patriots Trade LB Jamie Collins To Browns

The New England Patriots pulled off one of the most surprising trades in franchise history Monday, sending Pro Bowl linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a conditional third-round draft pick.

Patriots Trade LB Jamie Collins To Browns

Collins, 27, is in the final year of his contract and is one of a handful of Patriots due large pay raises in the offseason as free agents.

Fellow linebacker Dont’a Hightower, defensive end Jabaal Sheard, and cornerbacks Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan are also up after this season.

“In the end, we did what we felt was best for the football team,’’ said coach Bill Belichick during an afternoon appearance on WEEI radio. “There were a lot of things to take into consideration. I’m sure we could bring up a lot of points to talk about, but in the end, that’s really the bottom line.

Asked specifically if Collins’s contract status was the reason for the move, Belichick said, “I think you could bring up a lot of things and they all probably play into the conversation.’’

Several of Collins’ former teammates are still shocked by his departure.

“Jamie is a huge piece of our defense, arguably our best defensive player,” Pro Bowl safety Devin McCourty said in an interview with CSN New England. “So there’s gonna be a lot of changes that come from this move and I think as players that has to be our focus — how do we fix things and get things going in a positive direction.”

New England had offered Collins over $10 million annually, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday, although the imminent free agent sets his own value among the highest-paid linebackers in the league.

Former Patriots executive Michael Lombardi tweeted Monday that Collins was guilty of freelancing too much on defense, in other words frequently straying from the coaches’ script during games.

Lombardi suggests the Collins trade was Belichick’s wake-up call, sending a message to the locker room that the defense isn’t playing well enough against a string of mediocre quarterbacks.

Belichick added that neither the emergence off rookie Elandon Roberts nor the acquisitions of Barkevious Mingo and Kyle Van Noy affected the Collins trade decision.

The coach also addressed reports that the staff is growing frustrated with the Patriots defense.

“Look, we’re 7-1,’’ he said. “There’s always things we could do better. Believe me, I’ve been a lot more frustrated than what our record is right now.’’

Tuesday is the trading deadline, and Belichick didn’t close the door on the possibility of another move.

The Patriots defeated the Bills 41-25 in Buffalo on Sunday, and will next host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Nov. 13.

GLENDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 01: Jamie Collins #91 of the New England Patriots reacts after stopping Marshawn Lynch #24 of the Seattle Seahawks in the first quarter during Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium on February 1, 2015 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)