It wasn't that long ago that Jamie Collins was a young, stud, second-round pick linebacker with a Pro Bowl nod under his belt and a huge contract in his future.
He got that contract – a four-year, $50 million deal – following a surprise trade from New England to the Browns in exchange for a third-round pick on Halloween 2016.
Now, two seasons later, Collins returns to his first NFL home in Foxborough a much richer, more mature man looking to reestablish himself on the Patriots defense.
While Collins has seemingly seamlessly fit back into the defensive mix on the training camp practice field this summer – he's shown his trademark athletic versatility with plenty of reps in the middle and on the edge with the top unit – he's undertaken a newfound role as a go-to interview as well.
"Talking to you guys more," Collins responded with a smile when asked how he's different this time around. "I mean this is like my fifth or sixth (interview) I've done, I don't think I did that many when I was here (from 2013-16). So I'm trying to change. I'm doing a little bit better with that. Just overall, just in general and as a man."
Whether you want to say soon-to-be-30-year-old Collins has grown as a man or simply grown up, he admits that becoming a father has brought a different kind of drive to his work.
"That's always a point of emphasis. Just playing for your family, especially when you have kids," Collins said. "You always have to find that 'why?' and sometimes when it's just you it's hard for you to dig down but as long as you have somebody else to play for you are good. And I do."
Asked whether he's seen growth in others on the Patriots in his two-plus years away from the team, Collins' answered in general fashion that could just as easily pertain to himself.
"A lot of guys grow. That's the process. That's life," Collins said. "Hopefully everyone grows. No one stays the same. That's what we are all here for, that's to mature and keep pushing and learn stuff every day. Just keep improving and that's what these guys do every day."
As he moves forward back in New England, Collins seems to be very much at peace with his career path and current lot in NFL life. He may be talking to the media a bit more, but he's not talking about his Browns tenure nor in any detail in regards to what he hopes to accomplish in the future playing on a 1-year, $2 million contract.
"Cleveland is the past. I'm here. I'm in New England. I'm back here. So I'd rather focus on right now," Collins declared. "Just go out and play football and be me. Do what I do, and hopefully that's good enough.
"I come out here put my head down and work. I look up at the finish line. Whatever it is, it is."
