Pete Carroll: Patriots 'Know Exactly What They Were Doing' With Jamie Collins Trade
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- You may be sick and tired of hearing about the Jamie Collins trade, and that's fair. When such a shocking and pivotal decision comes down during the Patriots' bye week, it was bound to be picked apart to the bone. But the Patriots defense has not lived up to expectations this year and now they really have something to prove after Bill Belichick took away one of its shiniest toys.
The defense's first big test comes Sunday night against the Seattle Seahawks in the rematch of Super Bowl XLIX. Whether or not you're exasperated by all the Collins talk that preceded this game, it's the kind of move that is going to be referred to for the rest of the season. The defense's performance from here on out, whether good or bad, will be inextricably tied to the trade. So apologies for bringing it back up, but the Collins trade is unarguably still worth bringing up, especially since you have yet to see what this year's defense looks like without the former All-Pro.
Conventional wisdom would suggest that the Patriots could use a player of Collins' skill set against Seattle's passing attack, led by Russell Wilson and bolstered by tight end Jimmy Graham. Belichick, obviously, believed the best decision for the team was to move on from Collins, probably for a range of behind-the-scenes reasons that will never be fully revealed.
Ask Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and he will tell you that the Collins trade was business as usual - and that the linebacker's best football might even be behind him already.
"I'm sure there's no uncertainty. They know exactly what they were doing or they wouldn't have done [the trade]," said Carroll in a Wednesday conference call with the New England media. "[Collins] was an excellent football player and guys who come through there play their best football when they play for you guys. That's always been clear."
Had Collins already peaked in his time in New England? Well, Belichick is 1-0 so far in that department. Collins struggled to cover Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten in his Cleveland Browns debut last Sunday, at one point blowing his coverage on a Witten touchdown. Of course, it's too early to know where Collins goes from here, but Belichick has the early advantage there.
Still, Collins is gone now. The bigger question for the Patriots is how the defense will make up for Collins' absence. Belichick obviously feels comfortable with Elandon Roberts getting a significant bump in snaps, while trade deadline addition Kyle Van Noy could also factor in. His sudden absence will not factor in, however, to Carroll's offensive game plan, particularly as it relates to how the Patriots will cover Graham.
"No, I didn't even think about that," said Carroll. "He's gone. No."
Collins may find success in Cleveland or with whatever team he ends up signing with long-term, but it's a rare case that a player would have as much or more success elsewhere as he did under Belichick. Kicker Adam Vinatieri, who won a Super Bowl with the Colts in the 2006 season and remains one of the league's best kickers, is one such example. Whether or not Collins ends up falling into that category, the reality is that they now need to find a way to play better without him.
If you need to know whether you should be confident that Belichick and the Patriots can find a way to do that, just ask the opposition.
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.