Linebacker Jamie Collins earning veteran's minimum with Patriots

The Lions cut Collins in late September when they couldn’t find a suitable trade for him. That also left them on the hook for much of his three-year, $30 million deal. The Lions ate $11 million-plus in dead money by releasing the 31-year-old (32 this week), and Collins could easily afford to take less with the Patriots.

It’s a story similar to Collins’ last deal with New England. The Browns cut Collins after paying him big bucks; the Patriots brought him back on a cheap one-year pact. He went on to deliver a seven-sack 2019, which he parlayed into a lucrative Lions contract. Between that and his early New England work — 5.5 sacks in 2015 — the Patriots are pretty jazzed about their recent pickup.

Collins notched a sack in his Week 5 debut against the Texans, his first of 2021. On Sunday he was trying to help his new club top the Cowboys and move to 3-3 on the year.