According to Philly.com's Jeff McLane, the Philadelphia Eagles are closing in on a trade that will send Michael Bennett to the New England Patriots.
An #Eagles trade of DE Michael Bennett to the Patriots is going down as of this writing, NFL sources said. Draft picks still be ironed out.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) March 8, 2019
ESPN's Adam Schefter followed up by reporting that the deal is being finalized.
Patriots and Eagles are finalizing a deal to send Michael Bennett to New England, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 8, 2019
Unlike the Antonio Brown-Buffalo Bills fiasco on Thursday evening, it appears this trade is in fact going through. Schefter is now reporting that New England and Philadelphia are swapping fifth and seventh-round picks in the 2020 draft.
The Eagles initially put Bennett on the trade block after re-signing Brandon Graham to a three-year extension.
By acquiring Bennett, the Patriots fill a void that was going to be left by impending free agent Trey Flowers. Flowers was pivotal off the edge for New England's defense, and they're hoping the addition of Bennett will provide a similar presence.
The veteran's defensive end's best days may be behind him after his career blossomed with the Seattle Seahawks, but he was still a productive pass rusher for the Eagles in 2018. According to Pro Football Reference, he finished the 2018 season with nine sacks, 30 quarterback hits, and 15 tackles for loss.
New England still has a number of other needs to address with contributors from last season hitting the free agent market, headlined by offensive tackle Trent Brown, who stepped up big-time last year protecting Tom Brady after Nate Solder's departure to the New York Giants.
Bennett is under contract for the next two seasons, so this isn't necessarily a short-term rental for New England. Still, if things don't work out, the Patriots won't face a dead cap hit if they decide to release him.
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