The New England Patriots have traded star linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns for a conditional draft pick.
ESPN's Adam Schefter was first to report the trade, which has since been confirmed by the Patriots and Browns. Collins was set to become a free agent at the end of this year, and the talks were reportedly going nowhere.
A second-round draft pick in 2013, the 27-year-old Collins has been one of the Patriots' better defensive players for just over three seasons.
Michael Lombardi of Fox Sports - a former Patriots employee - said on Twitter that he was not surprised by the trade.
Mike Giardi of CSNNE echoed those sentiments, saying Collins "hasn't played well since the Texans game" in Week 3, and he was not willing to take a hometown discount to resign with the Patriots.
Collins missed one game this season due to injury. He has 43 combined tackles and two interceptions.
Browns head coach Hue Jackson called Collins "a really good football player" and said he's happy to add him to the team.
New England Patriots
"He's played at an extremely high level with toughness and playmaking ability for his entire career," Jackson said. "We look forward to him being an important piece of our defense."
