Jamie Collins Sr. has seven years in the NFL under his belt, including two tenures with the New England Patriots. He knows former Patriots defensive coordinator and current Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia well, so it wasn’t surprising when the Lions brought him aboard in March on a multi-year contract.
“We’ve got a little history out there,” Collins said of Patricia. “Matty P, he’s a cool guy. Me and him can do some fun things – make some great things happen. I’m always looking for a different kind of challenge as well.
Patricia responded in kind earlier this week when asked about what Collins will be bringing to Detroit’s defense, praising Collins as an “amazing” athlete.
“Probably one of the most amazing athletes I’ve ever seen from the standpoint of someone that big, that strong, that powerful,” Patricia said. “Some of the things he does is amazing from an athletic standpoint.”
Collins had a career year with the Patriots last year, racking up 10 tackles for loss as well as three interceptions and seven sacks (both career highs).
Patricia was happy for the opportunity to bring Collins over to the Motor City, something that he didn’t expect to be possible before the free-agency period started.
“It was a great opportunity for us,” Patricia said of signing Collins. “It was something that happened during free agency. I didn’t think it would be an option, and it happened. I was just excited for us for it to be able to happen.”
– – Quotes via Mike O’Hara of DetroitLions.com Link – –
