Veteran linkebacker Jamie Collins accepted a huge pay cut to return to the New England Patriots, who drafted him in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Collins was a low-risk acquisition for the Patriots as he signed just a one-year deal worth $1.05 million with just $250,000 in guaranteed money. The 29-year-old Collins will have a chance to pad his income to $5 million through incentives.
Collins’ latest contract was way below compared to the $10.6 million salary that he received from the Cleveland Browns last season.
In fact, it was lower than the $1.15 million signing bonus that Collins received when he was taken in the second round by the Patriots in 2013. After he was taken in the second round, Collins emerged as one of the key players on the Patriots’ defense and earned a Pro Bowl spot in 2015. However, he was traded the following year to the Browns in 2016. Several Patriots players criticized the move, including linebacker Dont’a Hightower and safety Duron Harmon.
The Browns signed him to a four-year extension worth $50 million, but his stint was marked with injuries and inconsistency, forcing Cleveland to release him in the offseason with two years remaining on his deal. The Patriots saw the opportunity to add a key piece to their defensive line, signing Collins to a contract.
The move was welcomed by quarterback Tom Brady, Hightower and Harmon.
Brady congratulates Bruins
Even if he’s busy training in the offseason, Brady has taken his time to monitor the other Boston professional teams. He recently shared a video of him taking a break from training to watch the Boston Celtics’ campaign in the NBA Playoffs.
He even expressed his admiration for Celtics superstar Kyrie Irving for carrying the team to a close win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of their first-round series. However, the Celtics lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference semifinals.
Now, Brady is focused on the Boston Bruins, who reached the Stanley Cup Final with a 4-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Brady took to Instagram to congratulate the Bruins, saying “I’m so proud to be part of this team and organization. Back in the finals again and I can’t wait to start! LETS GO BOSTON!!!” The Bruins will take on the winner of the San Jose Sharks-St. Louis Blues clash.
Special teamer inks contract extension
According to Rapoport, the Patriots agreed to a two-year contract extension with linebacker Brandon King, one of their core special teams players. The 26-year-old King recorded a career-high 12 tackles last season mostly playing on special teams.An undrafted free agent out of Auburn, King has played in 57 games with the Patriots and emerged as one of the team’s highly-rated special teamers, joining Matthew Slater and Nate Ebner.
