Patriots Bring Back Jamie Collins

FOXBOROUGH, MA — The New England Patriots are bringing back a familiar face. Free agent linebacker Jamie Collins has signed with the Patriots, The Boston Globe's Jim McBride reported. The signing reunites Collins with his original team that drafted him in the second of the 2013 draft.

Collins played the previous three seasons with the Cleveland Browns after the Patriots traded him in the middle of the 2016 season. Prior to being traded, Collins was playing the best football of his NFL career, leading the 2014 Super Bowl-winning team with 138 tackles. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2015 with 89 tackles and 5.5 sacks. Although Collins led the Browns in tackles last year, he was released after the 2018 season.

Collins will hope to reignite the success he started with the Patriots and surrounded by a talented linebacker corp, this is probably his best opportunity to do so. The Patriots bring back two talented starters in Dont'a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy, both key factors to last season's Super Bowl run. Ja'Whaun Bentley, who flashed promise last year, is also expected to return after landing on injured reserve early in his rookie year.