The New England Patriots have traded linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns for a draft pick.The trade is for a third-round compensatory pick if the Browns are awarded one, a source told ESPNs Pat McManamon. If the Browns dont get that pick from the league, the trade is for a fourth-round pick, the source said.In the end, we did what we thought was best for the football team. There are a lot of things to take into consideration. Im sure we could bring up a lot of points to talk about, but in the end, thats really the bottom line, Bill Belichick said on sports radio WEEI when asked about the trade.Collins four-year rookie contract will expire after the season, and he was at one point asking for what one league source described to ESPNs Adam Schefter as Von Miller money. The Denver Broncos gave Miller a six-year, $114.5 million deal in July, including $70 million guaranteed.For the Browns, the trade is designed to help a defense that has struggled to stop teams this season and is especially thin at outside linebacker. No team has scored fewer than 25 points on the Browns this season, and four of eight have scored more than 30 -- including the New York Jets, who defeated the Browns 31-28 on Sunday.The outside linebacker spot has been thin in Cleveland since Paul Kruger was released during the preseason and Nate Orchard went on injured reserve early in the season. The Browns are tied for 21st in the NFL with 14 sacks in eight games, and Collins could help there.There is risk involved for Cleveland. Collins can become a free agent after the season; the Browns will have to convince him its worth staying with a team that is currently winless. The Browns (0-8) would have the option of using the franchise tag on Collins.Wed love to keep him, obviously, Browns coach Hue Jackson told reporters. Its got to be mutual and hopefully we can move in that direction. But I think its getting him here, having him get to know us, us getting to know him. We know what he is. We know what he brings to the table. I dont think we would have done this if we didnt think there was an opportunity to move forward with him.Collins played 48 of 78 defensive snaps against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, which was unusual because he has typically been an every-down player.The Patriots (7-1) took him off the field when the Bills used fullback Jerome Felton in run-based packages, perhaps indicating that New England no longer viewed Collins as a three-down linebacker.If the Browns are awarded a compensatory pick, it will be made at the end of the third round. The Browns would receive the pick based on an NFL formula evaluating the free agents the team signs and loses during the offseason.This is the second trade between the Patriots and Browns this season. In August, the Browns traded linebacker Barkevious Mingo, a former first-round pick, to the Patriots for a 2017 fifth-round pick.Collins, 27, appeared in seven games for the Patriots this season and had 43 tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble. He missed Week 6 against the Cincinnati Bengals because of a hip injury and had been listed on the injury report the past two weeks before coming off it Friday.A fourth-year veteran, Collins made his first Pro Bowl last season.I think hes a tremendous pass-rusher, Jackson said. He can play linebacker. I think there are several things he can do. He has a real versatile skill set.Collins is the second high-profile defensive player the Patriots have traded this year. In March, New England dealt defensive end Chandler Jones to the Arizona Cardinals. Like Collins, Jones will be a free agent after the season.Jones appeared to react to the trade of his former teammate with a tweet shortly after news of the deal was reported.Patriots safety Devin McCourty also seemed shocked by the move.?Jamies a huge piece of our defense, arguably our best defensive player, McCourty said during an appearance on Comcast SportsNet. So its going to be a lot of changes that come from this move, and as players, that has to be our focus -- how do we fix things and get things going in a positive direction.Obviously, in New England theres always a lot of changes, theres always guys coming in and out. But when you get a guy like Jamie who was here for four years on the team, very productive player, to lose him is a bit shocking, I think, to everybody on the team.Since Sept. 1, 2014, the Patriots have made 21 trades that involved a player either leaving or coming to New England, the most of any team in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information.ESPNs Mike Reiss and Pat McManamon contributed to this report. Cheap Lions Jerseys .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. T.J. Hockenson Jersey Large . Perhaps Carroll was so prepared for a break because he believes there is very little the Seattle Seahawks need heading into the off-season. "I dont see anything that we need to add. We just have to get better," Carroll said. http://www.customlionsjersey.com/ . -- Jacksonville wide receiver Cecil Shorts will likely be a game-time decision whether hell play Sunday in the Jaguars home game against the San Diego Chargers. Cheap Custom Lions Jersey . Belfort (24-10) needed just 77 seconds to down Henderson in the headlining bout of Saturdays "UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Henderson" event at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil. The fight served as a rematch of the pairs 2006 meeting, which Henderson won by decision. Wholesale Custom Lions Shirts . Ivanovic was leading 7-5, 1-0 when Hantuchova withdrew after falling 0-40 behind in the second game. The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead. OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Bay Bridge series has brought out the best of the Oakland Athletics and the worst of the San Francisco Giants.Jed Lowrie and Yonder Alonso each hit two-run homers and the As took advantage of sloppy play from the Giants to win their third straight game in the series, 7-1 on Wednesday night.We always have this series marked on the calendar, Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. Theres always a different intensity to it so you can kind of throw things out when these two teams play.Sean Manaea (3-4) came off the disabled list to throw pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings and Billy Burns drove in two runs for the As, who have won six of seven and will go for a sweep in the two-city series against their cross-bay rivals on Thursday night.The Giants committed three errors that led to four unearned runs and botched a few other plays in the field that left starting pitcher Jake Peavy (4-7) fuming on the mound. Peavy allowed seven runs -- three earned -- and five hits in 3 1/3 innings, but could have had a better fate with more support from his fielders.We just have to clean it up, manager Bruce Bochy said. Thats the one thing we were doing very well, is catching the ball. You deal with the streaks where you have trouble scoring runs but the one thing we should be consistent at is catching the ball.The problems started early for the Giants, who have three starters on the disabled list with second baseman Joe Panik (concussion) joining right fielder Hunter Pence and third baseman Matt Duffy there earlier in the day.Marcus Semiens popup in the third inning turned into a three-base error on second baseman Ramiro Pena, who collided with right fielder Mac Williamson on the play. Pena ended up leaving the game with an ankle injury that will sideline him for up to a week.Semien then scored on Billy Burns bunt. After Coco Crisp tripled, Lowrie hit a high fly to right field that Williamson tried to catch at the wall. But the ball hit his glove and fell over the fence for a two-run homer that put Oakland up 3-0.They certainly didnt play a very tight defensive game today and we took advantage of it, Lowrie said.That was part of a rough night for Williamson. He was called for interference when he slid past second base in the second inning, turning a potential rally into an inning-ending double play. Williamson then hit into an inning-ending double play with the bases loadded in the fourth and Manaea cruised from there.ddddddddddddIts the best weve seen him, catcher Stephen Vogt said. He was hitting 96, throwing change-ups for strikes, bouncing them. Same with his slider. I thought he was very, very, very good, especially coming back from a DL stint. He stepped up for us big.Things unraveled for the Giants in the bottom half after Alonsos homer made it 5-0. Semien hit a drive to left-center that Angel Pagan dropped at the wall for another three-base error. Burns followed with an RBI hit that Pagan misplayed into a double, leading Peavy to curse on the mound.Coco Crisp followed with an RBI single that made it 7-0 and ended Peavys night.It was certainly a frustrating night just on all fronts, Peavy said. We didnt play our best. Just one of those nights. Not fun to endure.BATTING BUMGARNERBochy said he plans to bat Madison Bumgarner instead of a designated hitter Thursday night at the Oakland Coliseum. It will be the first time a team intentionally used a pitcher to hit instead of a DH since the Chicago White Sox allowed Ken Brett to do it in 1976 -- the Rays were forced to bat pitcher Andy Sonnanstine in 2009 because of a lineup card mix-up.Bumgarner is batting .175 this season with two homers and five RBI in 40 at-bats. He has nine homers in 183 at-bats the past three seasons, a rate that would lead to about 36 home runs if he had a full season as a hitter. Bumgarner has even made a public plea to enter into the All-Star Home Run Derby.TRAINERS ROOMGiants: RHP Sergio Romo will (flexor strain) will make rehab appearances Thursday and Friday at Sacramento and then would be scheduled to be activated Sunday.Athletics: OF Khris Davis was scratched from the lineup with a bruised left shoulder after running into the wall Tuesday.SLUGGING ASOakland has scored at least six runs in six straight games and homered in a season-high eight straight.UP NEXTGiants: After winning 10 straight games started by Bumgarner (8-4), San Francisco has dropped the last two. Bumgarner gave up three last Saturday to the Phillies, marking the first time since April 15 he allowed more than two earned runs in a start.Athletics: Dillon Overton (1-0) is looking to follow up a win in his major league debut when he pitches the series finale. ' ' '