Browns Sign Jamie Collins to a Huge Contract

Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reported Monday that the Cleveland Browns have agreed to a lucrative new contract extension with linebacker Jamie Collins.

Rapoport says that the deal is a four-year pact worth $50 million. There are $26 million in guarantees, as well.

Acquisition From Patriots

The Browns acquired Collins in a shocking midseason trade from the New England Patriots in exchange for a third-round pick. New England knew it would not have the cap space necessary to keep the Pro Bowler on a long-term deal so they opted to deal him for a draft asset on the day prior to the trade deadline.

The Patriots missed out on his production down the stretch, but his absence clearly did not negatively affect them all that much considering they will be appearing in yet another Super Bowl in a couple of weeks.

The Browns went just 1-15 this past season, but Collins told reporters he would be open to a return “if the money is right.” Apparently, the money is right.

Collins was solid in his half season with Cleveland, racking up 69 tackles along with a pair of sacks.

Unfortunately, adding Collins did not do much to help a Browns defense that was among the very worst in the league in 2016. Defensive coordinator Ray Horton was fired after the team finished with the 31^st ranked defense and allowed in excess of 28 points per game. They hired former Rams and Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to take his spot in an attempt to revamp the defense.

Collins’ Background

New England took Collins late in the second round of the 2013 draft out of Southern Miss. He was a part-time player as a rookie before really busting out in his second pro season. That year, Collins finished with 116 total tackles, four sacks and four forced fumbles across 15 games.

Collins recorded a career-high 5.5 sacks in 2015.

Active Offseason Ahead

The Browns are flush with cash to spend this offseason, as they reportedly have over $107 million in free money to spend as they choose. As a result, it made plenty of sense for them to bring Collins back into the fold.

It figures to be a fairly active offseason for the Browns. In addition to the boatloads of cash they will be able to spend on the free agent market, Cleveland also owns the No. 1 and No. 14 overall picks in the first round of the draft.

The Browns now have a few defensive building blocks with Collins, Joe Haden and Christian Kirksey. There is still a ton of work to be done, though, so stay tuned for the next in what should be a slew of moves for the Browns this offseason.