Last year Bill Belichick was asked about what his definition was of the ‘Patriot Way’.

“Yeah, I don’t know that I’ve ever used that term”, Belichick responded. “I appreciate you asking about it though, but I don’t know. It’s a good question”.

One thing is for sure in New England. The Patriots have a team first culture and if you don’t fall in line with it you’re not going to last long.

Patriots linebacker Jamie Collins is entering free agency after a stellar season back at the Patriots. His abrupt trade to the Cleveland Browns in 2016 and subsequent return makes things even more interesting.

The trade from New England for a conditional third-round pick was complicated and disappointing for Collins. The Super Bowl champion was being traded from perennial contenders to a 0-16 Cleveland Browns.

“Jamie’s a very special player. He’s very smart, instinctive”

He’d return to New England for the 2019 season and register 80 tackles, seven sacks, three forced fumbles and three interceptions. He was even in contention at one stage for the Defensive Player of the Year.

His athleticism, ability to cover the pass as well as his skill at blitzing has made him an exceptional defensive threat.

Belichick has massive wraps on the linebacker. “Jamie’s a very special player. He’s very smart, instinctive,” Belichick said, which will serve Collins well as a free agent.

His leadership and productivity at the Patriots is already attracting interest on the open market with the Saints hot on his tail.

“I didn’t grow up watching football, and I still don’t. I don’t really want to watch it”

In September 2016 in an interview with the Improper Bostonian, Collins was nonchalant about watching football. ”I didn’t grow up watching football, and I still don’t”, he said. He also threw ex-teammate Chandler Jones under the bus.

“Me and Chandler Jones have talked about this since I first got up here. I never watched football. I never thought I’d be here, and I’d rather play video games. I don’t really want to watch it”.

The nonchalance of Collins and his attitude toward watching football may have acted as the precursor for his trade to the Browns, traded only a month after his comments.

Collins’ performances did slip before his mid season trade. It also seemed that he was going off script, freelancing with his own defensive plays.

There were rumors the Patriots and Collins didn’t see eye to eye on his value, but his nonchalance and going rogue may have gone against the ‘Patriots Way’, and off to the Browns he went.

“I made a stupid mistake, and hopefully it can just blow by”

Chandler Jones was thrown into the conversation by Collins, but Jones was traded seven months before Collins’ trade to Cleveland.

Jones was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in a move that surprised many. An absolute freak of an athlete with sheer athleticism and talent, the trade seemingly came out of nowhere. Looking deeper, he too may have broken the ‘Patriot Way’.

A couple months before defensive end Pro Bowler Jones’ trade he was caught dabbling with synthetic marijuana, an incident that had reverberations through the organization.

“I want to start off by saying I made a pretty stupid mistake this weekend,” Jones said, via Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal. “I made a stupid mistake, and hopefully it can just blow by”

Jones seems to have settled well in Arizona, finishing second in total sacks in 2019 (19), 0.5 sacks behind Shaquil Barrett. “I’ve been traded before and that little sense of rejection is a crappy feeling”, Jones said during the season. “That’s what drives me”.

As for Collins, well he’s been a productive player and he’ll command big money come free agency.

The message is clear though. For those who will join the Patriots in free agency and the draft, you better abide by the ‘Patriot Way’.

Antonio Brown anyone?