Rob Gronkowski: 'Always Got Better' Practicing Against Jamie Collins
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Jamie Collins trade understandably blindsided the Patriots locker room, as would any team that suddenly loses a (reportedly) well-liked All-Pro teammate in the middle of the season without warning. Even Collins' teammates on the offensive side of the ball knew how much they appreciated his presence on the team, even if they're not saying much about it.
One skill player who certainly saw a lot of Collins is Rob Gronkowski, who regularly practiced against Collins with the other first-teamers. Regardless of what's been said about Collins "freelancing," being subpar against the run, or giving up two touchdowns to Owen Daniels in the 2015 AFC Championship Game, he was unquestionably a freakish athlete who often covered tight ends as well as any linebacker in the NFL.
There was value in that player to Gronk, who always commands the attention of everyone on opposing defenses. He was asked to react to the trade, but instead explained what Collins meant to him when he was still in New England.
"He's a great player and a great guy to always go against in practice," Gronk said of Collins. "You always got better going against a guy like Jamie Collins ... but [the trade]'s the coach's decision, so all questions with that will have to go through coach Belichick."
The trade came at the best possible time of the season, the Patriots' bye week, which itself comes at an ideal point in the season. It will give Belichick and the coaching staff ample time to reconvene the defense and get them ready for the second half of the season, which will start with a big challenge against the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 13 at Gillette Stadium. It will also give Gronk and the rest of the players time to physically and mentally reset, which would have been big for the team with or without Collins in the fold.
"You couldn't ask for a better bye, right halfway through the season, eight weeks," said Gronk. "Just good to rest your body, rest it up, get away for a little bit. So when you come back, it feels like you've been gone from football for a while and you're super-refreshed to get back."
There are few bigger ways Belichick could have hit the reset button on the Patriots defense than jettisoning arguably its most dynamic player. For the entire team - offense included - the bye came at the perfect time.
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.
