The New England Patriots made headlines with their decision to move defensive end Michael Bennett ahead of the trade deadline on Oct. 29. Head coach Bill Belichick has since weighed in on the decision.
The Patriots reportedly acquired a conditional seventh-round pick from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Bennett. Belichick provided some insight on what prompted them to pull the trigger on the deal, via Matt Vautour of MassLive.com:
“There’s some process going on there. I don’t know exactly where it is,” Belichick said. “There’s a lot of factors, multiple considerations on this. In the end, I think Mike is a good player. We brought him here. He helped our team. I think he would help us, but we have certain things we have to work with and work around. That’s what we have to do.”
New England had acquired Bennett from the Philadelphia Eagles prior to the 2019 NFL season. The veteran largely struggled to etch out an integral role on the edge and his frustration ultimately boiled over and this led to a verbal spat the defensive line coach Bret Bielema that resulted in a one-game suspension for him. His release will clear at least $2.5 million in salary-cap space.
Bennett registered five tackles and 2.5 sacks in six games during his brief tenure with the Patriots. He will now be looking to take advantage of a fresh start with a Cowboys defense that is in desperate need of some more depth on the edge given their recent rash of injuries.
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