Patriots bringing back linebacker Jamie Collins

It doesn’t look like the Patriots are done adding to their defense or bringing back former players.

According to multiple sources, the Patriots are bringing back linebacker Jamie Collins. Collins will reportedly be on the field on Thursday for the Patriots' voluntary workout. The 29-year-old was a free agent after being released by the Cleveland Browns this offseason.

Last year, Collins finished with 104 tackles and four sacks. Those numbers would’ve placed [...]

It doesn’t look like the Patriots are done adding to their defense or bringing back former players.

According to multiple sources, the Patriots are bringing back linebacker Jamie Collins. Collins will reportedly be on the field on Thursday for the Patriots' voluntary workout. The 29-year-old was a free agent after being released by the Cleveland Browns this offseason.

Last year, Collins finished with 104 tackles and four sacks. Those numbers would’ve placed him first and third on the Patriots defense.

Collins brings more versatility to the Patriots defense. He'll join linebackers Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy, Ja’Whaun Bentley, John Simon and Elandon Roberts. He will also be the second former Patriot to rejoin the team this offseason, joining tight end Ben Watson who signed last week.

Although Collins and the Patriots didn’t end on the best of terms, his return isn’t surprising. Last year, the Pats reportedly talked to the Browns about trading for Collins at the trade deadline.

A second-round pick by the Patriots in 2013, Collins developed into an ultra-athletic Pro Bowl linebacker in Foxboro. He turned into a starter by the end of his rookie year. By 2014, he was one of the best linebackers in the NFL. That season, he finished with a career-high 138 tackles, four sacks and four forced fumbles.

Collins became a Pro Bowler in 2015. He made 89 tackles, 5.5 sacks and led the NFL with five forced fumbles that season.

In 2016, Bill Belichick shocked many — including his own players — when he traded Collins to the Browns for a third-round comp pick. The thought at the time was that Collins spent too much time “freelancing” and wasn’t on the same page with the Patriots coaching staff. He finished with 112 tackles that season.

In 2017, Collins signed a four-year, $50-million extension with the Browns. His season ended early that year after suffering a torn MCL. Despite putting up solid numbers in Cleveland last year, the Browns released him in March.