Patriots coaches seem to be very impressed with Jamie Collins

Kyle Terada | USA TODAY Sports

When linebacker Jamie Collins was traded to the Cleveland Browns in the middle of the 2016 season, it came as a shock to a lot of people.

Collins had a very solid 2015 season in which he had career-highs in forced fumbles (5), sacks (5.5) and passes deflected (6), so the trade to the Browns seemed to come out of nowhere.

But that was then, and this is now.

Collins is back and better than ever for his second stint with the Patriots; and according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, the team is “fired up” over what they’ve seen from the veteran linebacker this offseason.

Sports Illustrated also had this to say about Collins:

“One name to watch in New England: Jamie Collins. The ex-Browns linebacker has lost weight, and his play speed has caught the attention of the staff in the spring. And the interesting thing with him is that, when the Patriots traded him to Cleveland in October 2016, there was the feeling that he was too caught up in his contract situation. At that point, he’d made about $3 million as a pro football player. Over the last two years alone, he made $27 million. So that’s less of a concern now.”

It seems as though things are going in the right direction for Collins and the Patriots, and we’re sure to hear more about him when training came comes up at the end of this month.

Follow Megan on Twitter: @carnahanmegan