The departures begin; Van Noy and Collins leaving.

With the beginning of  free agency, it appears the Patriot Way proved way too little (at least financially) for a couple of defensive standouts.

Kyle Van Noy, to Miami.

Linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Jamie Collins have agreed to lucrative contracts elsewhere according to published reports, Van Noy with the Miami Dolphins and Collins with the Detroit Lions.

Van Noy reportedly received a four-year deal worth $51 million, reports said. Traded to the Patriots from Detroit for a sixth-round draft pick in 2016, Van Noy eventually became an impact player and will be reunited with Brian Flores, the former Patriots’ linebackers coach, in Miami.

Collins apparently got a three-year deal worth $30 million, including $18 million in guaranteed money, from the Lions. Rescued off the scrap heap of football (i.e., the Cleveland Browns) during the last offseason, Collins had a fast start to the 2019 season but his performance tapered off after midseason. There were unconfirmed reports that he viewed 2019 as a stop-gap season for him to restore his stature and to parlay it into a larger contract elsewhere; he appears to have been successful.