According to Jim McBride from the Boston Globe, the New England Patriots have agreed to trade safety Jordan Richards to the Atlanta Falcons.
#Patriots are trading safety Jordan Richards to the Falcons, according to a league source.
— Jim McBride (@globejimmcbride) August 31, 2018
Richards, a fourth-year player out of Stanford, is expected to be exchanged for a seventh-round draft pick in 2020. He was selected in the second round of the NFL Draft in 2015. The organization had high expectations for Richards, but he was underwhelming in his time with the team.
In last year's Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles targeted Richards a total of three times. They connected on all three attempts for a total of 81 yards. One of his critical mistakes in this game was a missed tackled on a screen pass that Eagles running back Corey Clement took 55-yards.
Article Continues BelowWhile Richards wasn't consistently featured in the Patriots secondary, he did work his way in as a rotation player. Former Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, who made a game-clinching goal-line interception to secure victory over the Seattle Seahawks in 2014, did not record one defensive snap for the game.
In fact, he only got on the field for one play as a member of the special teams. This played a large part in Richards' increased exposure during the game.
In his three seasons in New England, Richards recorded a total of 49 tackles and three forced fumbles. Perhaps he can find new life in Atlanta and make more of an impact on the success of the Falcons by providing them with depth in their secondary and sharing his postseason experiences with his teammates.