Jamie Collins will be guaranteed little in his return to the New England Patriots.
Collins’ new Patriots contract, the terms of which NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported Friday morning, is a one-year, $1.05 million deal that includes just $250,000 in guaranteed money. The 29-year-old can earn up to $5 million through incentives.
That’s great value for the Patriots, who are hoping Collins looks more like the player he was for them in 2014 and 2015 than the one who was cut by the Cleveland Browns just two years into a four-year, $50 million contract.
Based on those terms, Collins shouldn’t be considered a roster lock entering training camp. If he doesn’t pan out, the Patriots can release him with only a modest financial penalty.
Collins, who earned Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors for the Patriots in 2015, is coming off a moderately productive season for the Browns. He started all 16 games after missing 10 in 2017, leading the team in both tackles (104) and tackles for loss (13).
Collins also played 90.7 percent of defensive snaps last season, second-most among Cleveland defenders behind safety Damarious Randall.
While it’s unclear what Collins’ role in New England will be, he likely will begin as a reserve behind projected starters Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy and Ja’Whaun Bentley.
