Locked On Patriots - Daily Podcast On The New England Patriots - LOCKED ON PATRIOTS- 11/1/16- Why Did The Patriots Trade Jamie Collins?

Episode Date: November 1, 2016

Chris Simoneau discusses the Jamie Collins trade and also scours the league for possible future Patriots with the trde deadline approaching shortly. #shockingtrade Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Patriots. Today is Tuesday, November 1st, 2016. Typically our Tuesdays are reserved for the All-22 film review, but things got a little bit different today after the shocking trade of Jamie Collins yesterday, which occurred about 10 minutes after I recorded the podcast for Halloween. So because there is a 4 p.m. trade deadline today, that might actually matter to the Patriots who have been rumored to not be done. That's what we're going to focus on today. So we'll get to the All-22 tomorrow. Today is all about the trade. So today is our trade deadline special. First and foremost, let's talk about the Collins deal and some possible deals that could occur in the next, well, about 2 hours and 45 minutes now.

I'll admit that I was stunned by the trade of Jamie Collins at first, but then I remembered who we're dealing with here. So as soon as the trade went down, Michael Lombardi, who was with the Patriots front office the last few seasons and has inside knowledge of the operation, he ripped Collins for not playing within the system. And he also referred to him as inconsistent. So Lombardi was also on WEI this morning,

one of Boston's top sports radio stations, and he was discussing the trade. And he also had more comments, not very nice ones, about Collins. Belichick has a strong relationship with Lombardi, and Lombardi hasn't been hushed yet, which makes me think that Belichick feels the same way about Collins that Lombardi's speaking right now in the media. So I'm assuming that both sides are happy with the trade.

Tom Curran, who I have a great deal of respect for, he's a writer and reporter for Comcast Sports New England, he mostly blames Collin for the AFC title game loss in Denver last season because he gave up two touchdowns to a wide-open Owen Daniels. But he also seemed a little bit on the fence as far as the move in general. Former Patriot and now analyst Matt Chatham also discussed the trade on Twitter, and he did it in a rational way.

He's in the similar belief that I am. They knew they weren't going to come close to a contract agreement because the Patriots, they didn't value him as a $15-18 million player, and he's going to get that either with Cleveland or on the open market. So they get a draft pick, which fans thought wasn't enough, which I'll get to in a minute.

And they send a message to the locker room and the defense in particular that freelancing isn't going to work and they have to play within the system. As far as a pick, they weren't going to get a lot unless they traded him to a contender, which they obviously were not going to do. Why trade him to a team with an opportunity to affect his season? I don't think you should do that, and the Patriots thought the same thing. Now, why trade him at all? I'm going to get to that in a minute, too. They got what they thought was the best pick they could possibly get. Cleveland's on the highway to the number one pick, and the

Patriots are on the way to hosting the AFC Championship in Foxborough. It's a pretty big swing for Jamie Collins. Again, the Patriots are sending him to a place that can't hurt them, at least not this season. Cleveland may be terrible, but they're not going to give up more than a late third-round pick for a guy that they might not have beyond 2018. That's assuming they can't re-sign him

if they choose to use the franchise tag on him for next year. I get the feeling they're going to offer him a huge deal and build the defense around him, and I do think he's going to end up staying there. They're going to give him a ton of money. As far as my opinion on the move in general, I don't like it. You trade the best athlete from your defense because of a contract disagreement and the player missing some assignments when you're 7-1 and you have an opportunity to win a fifth Super Bowl?

I just, I don't get that. Collins had to have become a distraction behind the scenes, way behind the scenes, beyond the locker room, in the meeting room, things like that. That's where this must have come to fruition because, you know, it's not anything anybody saw

outside in the locker room or anything like that. So this is something that went deep, and unfortunately it's the reason why he was sent packing for basically, you know, they get a compensatory third-round pick. I just, I don't know. They're going to get a compensatory pick if he signed elsewhere anyways. So it doesn't really make a lot of sense to give the guy up when you know if he walks in free agency, you're going to get a compensatory pick in return. So I just, I'm not happy about that.

And unfortunately, this team's track record after making these type of trades, everyone says, you know, in Belichick they trust and things of that nature, but they've had a pretty spotty record in this situation. So I'm not in the belief that this won't hurt them. They traded Richard Seymour right when the preseason was about to end in 2009, and granted it ended up netting them Nate Solder in the long run, but it didn't help them there in 2009, and certainly the 2009 defense was awful, and losing Seymour was a huge part of the

problem. In 2006, they traded Deion Branch after a contract dispute to Seattle, and that really hurt the passing game. The best receiver that year was Rasheed Caldwell, who had a drop against Indianapolis in the 2006 AFC title game, which cost the Patriots a trip to the Super Bowl. So these type of things, you're trading away players that have Super Bowl experience and superior skills, and you're doing it in season,

it can really derail the train pretty quickly. But I do believe they'll be okay because of how good their offense is and how bad the rest of the league is. I mean, the NFL is terrible. I've never seen anything like it. There's not a lot of competition in the league right now. You look at teams like the Raiders and the Steelers and the Broncos, and those are supposed to be the three next best teams in the AFC.

In the whole NFL in general, it's just the Cowboys, they're playing well, but I'd like to see them up against the Patriots because it's going to be a rude awakening for them. The NFL is bad right now, so I don't know if that goes into the way of thinking, too, as far as this trade, but again, I'm not a fan of it, and I just think it might have been a rush in judgment. I think they might have made a mistake here. So, again, I do think they're going to be okay. Landon Roberts has proven himself to be a strong inside linebacker, so he'll be good.

And Hightower's still there, and he's maybe the best linebacker in the NFL. Barquevious Mingo might get more opportunities, as will Van Noy. All of a sudden, they're going to have big roles in this defense. It's amazing. They go from Detroit and Cleveland to New England, and first they're special teams guys. Van Noy wasn't even active last week, and now they're going to be active and part of what the Patriots are trying to do. It's amazing how fast things can change in the NFL,

especially when you play in Foxborough. One last thought on the deal. This is just something that's kind of eaten at me in general. Robert Kraft is losing the trust of a lot of fans. First of the deflate gate thing was his lack of a fight. People weren't happy about that. That did not go over well in New England, and it's still definitely affected him. And this trade is not going to help either.

So when Daryl Rivas went back to the Jets, Kraft stated they needed the money. They needed the same money to lock up their young trio of defenders. That trio was Jamie Collins, Chandler Jones, and Dante Hightower. So, Jamie Collins was traded yesterday. Chandler Jones was traded in March, I believe it was March, but it was during the offseason. He was sent packing. And all they have now is Hightower, who still hasn't been extended yet. So, there's no guarantee that Hightower is going to be here beyond this season two. What happened to signing all three?

That's not a good look, Mr. Kraft. That's not a good look at all. The guaranteed money is the big thing with the Patriots. Everyone knows that they spend up to the cap. You hear it all the time. They spend to the cap, they spend to the cap. I get that. But when it comes to spending out in guaranteed money, they're not near the top, I'd have to go and take a look at the actual ranking,

but I'm willing to bet that it's not in the top half of the league, and that's one of the things that kind of irks Patriots fans, I know from just hearing from them, and some of the questions they're asking about this trade, I got blown up with questions about this trade. People are not happy. You know, if you don't pay out the guaranteed money, at some point it's going to catch up with you. And, yes, this team has won four Super Bowls in 15 years, which is incredible. But sometimes when you look at it, you think maybe they'd have seven or six or at least five if they had paid the guys at the time when they had the opportunity to pay them.

You know, Deion Branch. Deion Branch is the one that sticks out the most because in 2006, I think the Patriots would have won the Super Bowl. They're up 21-3, granted they blew that game, but when their top receiver is Rasheed Caldwell, and they throw to him, and he drops the ball at the end of it, and when they're trying to make a play, and the Patriots are trying to win and make up for their mistakes of blowing a 21-3 lead, which they had started to do when they were trying to make plays to get back to the Super Bowl, it's hard to do that with bad receivers. And when you have Rasheid Caldwell and Doug Gabriel

and the rest of that crew that they had in 2006, it doesn't make it any easier. And I do believe that that cost them a Super Bowl. Again, I mentioned Richard Seymour in 2009. I don't think that cost them a Super Bowl, but it definitely took away from the backbone of their defense that season. They were terrible. That was a terrible season.

That's probably the worst season in this era besides 2002. And 2002 was just one of those tough years coming off a Super Bowl hangover from the first time you've won it, and they had a tough schedule. I remember that like it was yesterday. Some bad luck, too. But 2009 was probably the worst team in this entire era. And a big, big reason why was because they traded away Richard Seymour. So, again, I just don't like the fact that they don't pay money

in guaranteed form to some of their veterans that they should take care of. I think that that's how they should be able to do it. Cap-wise, they are able to do it because that's how teams that spend more money do that. They spend more in bonuses. It's a gamble, but when you're talking about guys like the Patriots have had and you know that they're good players, I think it does make sense to spend the guaranteed money. But they don't, and it is what it is. So, again, this is how Mr. Kraft does business,

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It's 1.29 as I record this. So this will be up in about 15 minutes, so it's getting close to that time. So with the Patriots being the most active team in the NFL to date, it makes sense to take a look at a few possible targets for the always evolving New England squad. There are three areas they have to take a look at. Yesterday was two, but now it's three after what they did. Offensive line, particularly tackle, linebacker and cornerback. Finding a pass rusher wouldn't hurt either,

but like I said in our studs and duds segment yesterday, I believe they already have the talent on the roster to create a pass rush. It's just all about creating it now. So with all these other needs, who could possibly be on the trade block? Well, let's take a look. Joe Hayden, cornerback from the Browns. The Browns have been mentioned a lot in trade rumors, and Hayden has been one of the names we've heard the most.

I'm sure the Patriots would love to have him, but Cleveland is going to be looking for a strong return on him. I think they're going to want a big bounty, and that just doesn't seem like the Patriots are interested in. In fact, I know it's not something they're interested in. So Hayden, unless the price comes way down, don't expect to see him in New England. But I know he's a guy that they would like. Another Brown, Joe Thomas, left tackle.

Another guy who's perpetually on the trade block here. He's been on the block for a few years now, but with this team on the verge of landing the top pick, trading the aging left tackle, it makes sense now. As for the Browns, they'll most likely get a second-round pick or even more, and they can clear more cap space, which they could use to spend on newly acquired linebackers like Jamie Collins. The Patriots would receive a steadying presence on their offensive line,

although there would be a need for some adjustments, some major ones too, because if they pick up Joe Thomas, that means that Nate Solder has to move to the right side I think Solder could do it I really don't think it'd be that big of a problem for him but it is something to keep in mind if Thomas was acquired another guy this one's kind of out of left field but I've talked to you guys about this gentleman before DeMarco Murray running back Titans yeah I know he's a running back and it's you know one of those hood ornament type things where they look good they're good to have. But running backs are more important than wide receivers,

and I think Murray is a guy that could really help the Patriots. He did get hurt Thursday against the Jaguars, but he came back in, and reportedly he is okay. I know the Patriots don't really need a lot more weapons, like I said, but if he becomes available, he could make the Patriots running game scary, and that has to be taken into account. If the price tag is too high, again, they'll probably pass. But Murray, if he can be had for a third-round pick, I think that's something the Patriots might do, and that would be worth it to do.

Another guy I was looking at, and I don't think the Titans would trade him just because he's one of the leaders of the defense, but he's a veteran, and he could be one of those guys that's kind of asking possibly to be shipped out so he can have a chance to win. Brian Arakpo. Arakpo would be the best possible addition New England could make, but they'd have to do some maneuvering with the salary cap to acquire him, and they'd have to give up a higher pick.

He has seven sacks in the first half of the season, so he'd immediately upgrade the pass rush, and he'd also provide a talent upgrade for the linebacking core. So keep him in mind. I don't think that's going to happen. Obviously, it's two hours and 28 minutes from now, so if it's going to happen, it better happen soon. But he would make up for the trade of Collins, and he would add an element to this team that they don't have on defense right now.

So Brian Arakpo is one to keep in mind. Lastly, another guy that, you know, kind of out of left field, but just someone to keep an eye on because of how much money he makes and what his situation is contract-wise and his age, Paul Puzlesny, linebacker from the Jaguars, I think is a guy the Patriots could be interested in. He'd be a great fit in New England. He's another one that they'd have to work the cap a little bit, but it would give him a chance, again,

to play for a winner for the first time in his career. His production is still excellent. He's still a really good player. So, again, keep those five names in mind. Again, Joe Hayden, Joe Thomas, DeMarco Murray, Brian Arakpo, and Paul Puzlesny. Those are five of the big names that I can see the Patriots possibly targeting. But, again, we're going to know in the next couple hours. So that's a great part about Locked On Patriots,

which is a quick little half-an-hour show. We provide everything for you guys. We give you some inside information. And we might give you guys the information that happens within the next few minutes because we give it to you every day. So keep that in mind. Another thing to keep in mind is fan duel we're eight weeks deep we're halfway through this thing so a lot of teams in the

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You could come away coming to $1,000. It's definitely something to check out. FanDuel, fantasy football for everyday fans. You know, you don't have to be somebody that's an expert. You know, I have a lot of guys that I'm friends with that think that they know everything and they go into FanDuel and they're like, oh, you know, this isn't so hard. And they go up against some of the experts and they get dominated. Then I got some friends that don't have a clue as to what they're talking about. They'll go in and try it. They do great. So FanDuel, you know, anybody can win. When it comes to fantasy football in general, I think it's all luck. And as long as you pay attention

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FanDuel.com, promo code LOPatriots. That's Fanduel.com. Promo code LOPatriots. Void where prohibited. I want to thank you all for joining us today on the fastest growing podcast network in the entire world. I'm Chris Simino for Locked On Patriots. Make sure you join us tomorrow. We're going to go through the All-22. Again, I know that's usually on Tuesdays, but we couldn't pass up going through the trade stuff today. It's just too hot right now. A lot going on in Foxborough. Again, Jamie Collins sent out trade deadlines in an hour and 24 minutes and make sure you join us tomorrow.

Join us on your drive to work. Join us on your ride home. Whenever you got some free time, come check us out. Tomorrow's all 22 review. Thanks again for joining us. Have a good day. Is democracy in danger or decline? Condoleezza Rice, William Galston, and Carlos Gutierrez and others take on this question in the fall edition of The Catalyst, a journal of ideas from the Bush Institute. Surveys show Americans place less trust in institutions like the media and business. Others contend America has faced far more challenging periods and emerged strong. Leading policymakers, Bush Institute experts, and respected journalists take on this debate. Read about it at bushcenter.org slash catalyst.