The New England Patriots continue to be predictably unpredictable.
The Patriots shocked the NFL world Monday, trading Pro Bowl linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns for a compensatory 2017 third-round draft pick. Head coach Bill Belichick has been known to make unconventional moves, but this trade still caught everyone by surprise, and it didn’t take long for the reactions to flood in.
Among the first to react was Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Chandler Jones, another high-profile defensive player whom the Patriots dealt in a surprise move back in March.
Sounds about right.
So, what would drive New England to make what on the surface is a pretty bizarre trade? Former Patriots assistant and longtime Belichick confidant Michael Lombardi offered his insight in a series of interesting tweets.
Lombardi no longer is employed by the team, but these still are telling tweets. The rest of the league reacted quite differently, though, as several NFL players expressed their shock and disappointment with New England for abruptly trading Collins.
Opinions aside, it’s hard to argue with longtime NFL writer Don Banks:
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
