The New England Patriots brought a familiar face back into the fold on Wednesday when they re-signed linebacker Jamie Collins. The 29-year-old, of course, started his career in New England when the club made him the 52nd overall selection in the 2013 draft. Collins quickly became a defensive mainstay alongside fellow linebacker Dont’a Hightower, and was seen as one of the building blocks around which to form the unit long-term.
Things did not go that way, obviously. Midway through the 2016 season, the Patriots traded Collins — now in the final year of his rookie contract — to the Cleveland Browns for a conditional 2017 third-round draft selection.