With Departure Of Jamie Collins, Spotlight Falls On Patriots' Elandon Roberts
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bill Belichick added to his deep history of surprising moves on Monday when he traded linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns for a conditional draft pick. The reaction, understandably, has been strong and polarizing. Barring another trade, the Patriots linebacking corps is now left with something of a committee at the spots behind defensive captain Dont'a Hightower.
The leader in the clubhouse to fill the void left by Collins is rookie Elandon Roberts.
A sixth-round pick out of Houston, Roberts was probably low on the list of players you'd expect to make an impact in his rookie season for the Patriots. Yet Roberts has leapfrogged higher-picked rookies like Cyrus Jones, Vincent Valentine, and Kamu Grugier-Hill (who did not make the team out of training camp) to carve out a meaningful role on the Patriots defense, even with Collins in the fold.
Roberts made a noticeable impact in Week 5 against Cleveland, his first significant action of the year, as he played 31 snaps and logged six tackles (Collins played 52 snaps and recorded three tackles and a forced fumble). In Week 6 against Cincinnati, Collins' only missed game of the season so far, Roberts played 50 snaps and logged seven total tackles, earning an 84.7 grade from Pro Football Focus in that game. An 85.0 grade would rate as "high-quality."
Roberts' season grade in 128 total snaps is 81.8. If he continues that pace long enough to qualify for PFF's season grades, he would rank 20th in the NFL among linebackers. Collins qualifies and is ranked ninth in the league with an 87.6 season grade (90 and above grades as "elite").
Can Roberts perform admirably in the absence of Collins? He has so far.
There's no doubt that Collins was an explosive athlete and dynamic talent who had the potential to change a game on a week-to-week basis. Roberts may ultimately be a "downgrade" from Collins, especially in the short term, but perhaps Belichick looks at Roberts and sees a player who will do his job in areas where Collins was not. It's perhaps the only reason you could explain the trade itself and the timing of the move.
How Roberts performs with an increased role, and how the defense performs as a unit from here on out, is anyone's guess. But with Collins gone to Cleveland, Roberts will likely be the one to take over his spot, and the spotlight will be on him in two weeks against Seattle.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
