Belichick Swats Away Jamie Collins Questions: 'It's My Professional Judgment'
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bill Belichick told reporters that "nothing's happened" between his Monday morning conference call and his Wednesday morning presser. Except something did happen, as the Patriots head coach traded Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns on Monday afternoon.
Perhaps he would have said the same things in his conference call if it came after the Collins trade, but Belichick took his "business as usual" approach to a new level in his Wednesday press conference. He declined to go into detail about the trade or what went into the decision, which was one of the most shocking and unexpected moves in Belichick's tenure.
He set out to swat away any follow-ups about the trade from reporters, starting with "I really don't have much to add, I've already talked about it" and then "We felt like it was best for the team, that's really it." When asked about former assistant Mike Lombardi's strong words for Collins and the rest of the Patriots defense, Belichick said, "I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who have an opinion."
When asked about the reasoning behind the Patriots' decision to cut bait with Collins now for something they could have gotten after the season if they simply let him walk in free agency, Belichick responded, "I don't agree with that assessment ... but regardless, we did what we did." As for why Belichick feels the defense is better off without Collins, he called it a "much longer conversation."
Belichick may have made subtle inferences on how Collins had been playing and absorbing his coaching when asked about how he balances a player's instincts with his ability to play within his defensive system.
"I mean, I've coached every player I've ever coached the same way. You have an assignment, you have something that you're responsible for, and then the instincts come after that. As long as you cover your guys, that's your job. ... There's a million different ways to do it. If you have him covered, I'm going to be happy about it, you're going to be happy about it, right? So that's the bottom line. After that, there's an instinctive part to every play."
He continued to elaborate by comparing his coaching style to (of all things) kickers and punters.
"As a special teams coach, I had different punters, different kickers, and they'd all kick it the same way. If they kick it far, they kick it high, I'm happy, they're happy, the team's happy, that's good. If they don't, then you've got to find a better way to do it."
Whether or not Belichick was subtly referring to Collins with those comments, it's clear that he felt the Patriots had to "find a better way to do it" on defense, and those plans did not include Collins.
The presser concluded with a reporter asking Belichick how he would answer those who ask, 'How is the team better now than it was before the trade?' Belichick responded simply, "It's my professional judgment." He had previously been asked if a lot of time goes into a decision like the Collins trade or if he just wakes up one day and decides to move on, to which he replied, "I don't really think impulsive decisions are the way to go on anything."
SEE ALSO: Patriots Coaches Reflect On Collins Trade: 'Jamie Was A Great Player'
Belichick, of course, did not make the Collins trade on a whim. It wasn't a rash decision. As frustrating as it can be for him to circle everything back to doing "what's best for the football team," that's clearly how he feels in this instance. He felt it was time to move on and that the defense (and the coaching staff) will do their jobs better without Collins on the team than with him.
It's a hard pill to swallow, considering Collins' off-the-charts talent and athleticism. But Belichick has said before that dependability is more important than ability, and it appears he didn't feel he could depend on Collins anymore. That was his "professional judgment."
It remains to be seen how the move will ultimately affect the Patriots' season. But Belichick has achieved enough as coach and has made enough tough decisions that turned out to be the right ones, that he's earned the right to be trusted on his judgment.
Still, Belichick is not perfect (nobody is) and there's no doubt that the Collins trade was a major risk that was fair to look at with a crooked eye. It won't be until the end of the season that we find out if the risk paid off.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.