The New England Patriots have pulled off a massive trade involving defensive lineman Chandler Jones.
The Patriots traded Jones to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper and a second-round pick.
Jones had 12.5 sacks for the Patriots in 2015, a career high, and forced four fumbles on the season. But a large cap hit for the last year of his deal and an off-the-field incident were reason enough for the Patriots to shop the talented pass-rusher.
The fourth-year-player out of Syracuse has 36 career sacks.
#Birdgang what up??
— Chandler Jones (@Chan95Jones) March 15, 2016
I want to thank the @Patriots, the Kraft family, and all of Pats Nation for making my time in New England so special pic.twitter.com/HMFout878i
— Chandler Jones (@Chan95Jones) March 15, 2016
In exchange, the Patriots acquired much-needed offensive line help in the form of Cooper, a 26-year-old guard who was a first-round pick (No. 7 overall) out of North Carolina in 2013.
Cooper, 26, broke his fibula in 2013 and missed the duration of the season.
The Patriots were reportedly looking for offensive line help and picks heading into this offseason. The offensive line was an issue in the team’s AFC Championship Game loss to the Denver Broncos.
In addition, a Deflategate-related penalty stripped the team of a first-round pick. The Patriots will now pick twice in the second round with the 60th and 61st overall picks.
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