The Browns made a trade Monday to add an emerging, big-time playmaker to their defense.
The Browns acquired Pro Bowl linebacker Jamie Collins from New England via trade in exchange for a conditional draft pick.
"We are always looking for ways to improve our roster by acquiring talent and the trade deadline sometimes grants you that opportunity," said Browns Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown. "Jamie Collins is a talented-tough-young-playmaker that our coaches and personnel staff think can be a great fit for our defense. We feel really good about being able to add him to our team and look forward to getting him into our building and having him work with our coaches."
The Browns acquired Pro Bowl LB Jamie Collins from the New England Patriots on Monday. Take a look at his football career so far.
LB Jamie Collins (91) faces off against Cleveland Browns OL Joe Thomas in a game between the New England Patriots and the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 9, 2016.
LB Jamie Collins in action against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 9, 2016.
LB Jamie Collins (right) tackles Houston Texans TE Ryan Griffin in a game between the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans on Sept. 22, 2016.
LB Jamie Collins (91) runs after making an interception in a game between the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins on Sept. 18, 2016.
LB Jamie Collins (right) defends against Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton in a preseason game between the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers on Aug. 26, 2016.
LB Jamie Collins (91) celebrates his touchdown after an interception against the New Orleans Saints in a preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Saints on Aug. 11, 2016.
LB Jamie Collins stops Denver Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman during the AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and the Denver Broncos on Jan. 24, 2016.
LB Jamie Collins tries to tackle Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning in the AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and the Broncos on Jan. 24, 2016.
LB Jamie Collins picks up a fumble and runs for a touchdown against the New York Jets in a game between the New England Patriots and the Jets on Dec. 27, 2015.
LB Jamie Collins in action against the Tennessee Titans in a game between the New England Patriots and the Titans on Dec. 20, 2015.
LB Jamie Collins celebrates a defensive stop against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, 2015.
LB Jamie Collins during a Play 60 event at the Cleveland Browns practice facility in Berea, OH as part of the NFL's rookie symposium on June 25, 2013.
LB Jamie Collins runs a drill at the NFL scouting combine on Feb. 25, 2013.
LB Jamie Collins (22) tries to tackle Central Florida WR Jamar Newsome in a game between Southern Mississippi and Central Florida on Nov. 13, 2010.
Southern Mississippi LB Jamie Collins (22) runs an interception back for a touchdown against East Carolina on Oct. 9, 2010.
Southern Mississippi LB Jamie Collins (22) tries to tackle Houston RB Charles Sims on Oct. 31, 2009.
Collins, 27, is 6-3, 250 pounds and in his fourth NFL season out of Southern Mississippi. Originally selected by New England in the second round of the 2013 draft, he has appeared in 50 games with 41 starts. He has totaled 285 career tackles, 10.5 sacks, five interceptions, 10 forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, one defensive touchdown and one blocked extra point. In 2015, he earned his first career Pro Bowl selection and was named to the Associated Press All-Pro second team. He led New England in tackles and played every defensive snap during the team's win in Super Bowl XLIX. He led the Patriots in tackles in 2014 and 2015.
"Jamie Collins is a really good football player and we're excited to be able to add a player like him to our team," said Browns Head Coach Hue Jackson. "He's played at an extremely high level with toughness and playmaking ability for his entire career. We look forward to him being an important piece of our defense. The plan is for him to come in and learn our system quickly so he can make an immediate impact."
This season, Collins has opened six of his seven games and logged 43 tackles, two interceptions, one sack and one forced fumble.
In an August ESPN article, Collins was named one of the league's top five "monsterbacks," a hybrid label for players who have versatile skill sets that can be moved all around a defense. At the beginning of the season, Collins was labeled by Pro Football Focus as the AFC's top linebacker.
At Southern Miss, Collins was converted from a safety to linebacker before the start of his sophomore season. He racked up seven forced fumbles and 21 sacks, a total that ranks fifth in Southern Miss history.
