Patriots Trade Chandler Jones to AZ for Jonathan Cooper & 2nd Rounder

[Donoghus]

Pats couldn't keep them all between Jones, Collins, Hightower, and lingering Butler extensions.

Personally, I'm fine with it.

‏@AdamSchefter
Cards-Pats blockbuster from @diannaESPN and me: Cards trade G Jonathan Cooper + 2nd-rd pick to NE for DE Chandler Jones, per sources.

[Quetzalcoatl]

I liked him but the whole "wandering around the police station half naked and in an incomprehensible state right before the playoffs" was kind of a knock against him. 

Plus, Cooper is an injury risk, but he's no slouch. 

[jambr380]

That's a bummer, but I understand that we are loaded on the defensive front and we can definitely use some protection for Brady...although I admittedly know nothing about Cooper.

It's not a first rounder, but at least we have an additional high draft pick to help replace the one our favorite commissioner stole from us.

Also, there is this:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/nfl-union-closer-to-deal-stripping-roger-goodell-of-discipline-power-1458001524

Could we possibly get a compensatory pick for next year?

[Donoghus]

Could we possibly get a compensatory pick for next year?

No chance.  31 other NFL owners will never let it happen.

[PhoSita]

I guess I understand it, but can't help feel like this is a typical Patriots, "We can get by with depth, saving money always works out," move.

Brady is old, getting older.  Need a stacked, physical defense with athletic rushers.

Why can't the Pats ever get and hold onto elite defensive ends?  Instead we get a line made up of "bargain" tackles and a "versatile" linebacking corps that is very good at keeping the score reasonable, but not dominating the line of scrimmage against good opponents.


Maybe they'll go ahead and sign Chris Long.

[Donoghus]

I guess I understand it, but can't help feel like this is a typical Patriots, "We can get by with depth, saving money always works out," move.

Brady is old, getting older.  Need a stacked, physical defense with athletic rushers.

Why can't the Pats ever get and hold onto elite defensive ends?  Instead we get a line made up of "bargain" tackles and a "versatile" linebacking corps that is very good at keeping the score reasonable, but not dominating the line of scrimmage against good opponents.


Maybe they'll go ahead and sign Chris Long.

Because the FA market for defensive linemen is crazy town.  Teams flush with cap room are overpaying the heck for these guys and it almost always proves to be a mistake.   That's what happens when you deal with a hard cap; tough decisions on who to extend & who not to.

Trade is made to try & get value for a guy who was not going to get resigned by the Pats next offseason given what the open market price tag for defensive linemen currently is. 

They also have extensions to work out with three other key pieces of their defense & guys who are more difficult to replace (given their positions) in Collins, Hightowner, & Butler.  Sheard is also due to be a FA next spring.

[Ilikesports17]

Love the deal. We weren't going to keep jones anyways. Cooper solves a lot of O line issues. He was 7th overall in '13 and we add a second rounder.

Hopefully this facilitates the extending of Collins butler and  Hightower.

Plus I always felt chandler jones was overrated.

[Evantime34]

My gut reaction is that I'm sad to see a player I like get traded.

After reading about it I have now talked myself into it. Apparently Jones was going to leave next year in free agency. So getting a 2nd and taking a flier on a top 10 prospect from a few years ago isn't terrible. It also apparently frees up cap space.

In the pre season last year Grissom and Flowers looked really good. If they can sign Chris Long and bring the other two guys along then I don't think you see much of a drop off on the defensive end.

I didn't realize it, but Jones only had two sacks in the last 6 games.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

So there was no way they were going to be able to re-sign all four defensive studs? If that's the case, why not trade Hightower, who's the most injury-prone? Why trade your best pass rusher? Especially when the Patriots hardly ever have a decent pass rush?

Sometimes I feel like the Patriots are like the Bruins—always letting go of "pricey" players, always watching other teams get and keep stud players. The Bruins are always (it seems) getting rid of players for "cap reasons," yet despite all those "cost-saving" moves, they never have money to sign a big-time player. I'm sure I don't understand everything about the cap system of the NHL or NFL, but the Patriots aren't going to win another title with Tom Brady and "positional depth" that crumbles when half the starters go down with injury.

Edit: I guess the Pats' biggest area of need is offensive line, but this Cooper guy doesn't seem durable. Am I wrong?

[Donoghus]

I'd probably temper expectations on Cooper.  He's not exactly an ironman.  Lots of injury issues.

The 2nd rounder was the key.  Even serviceable play from Cooper would probably be a bonus.

Sounds like Cooper has a ridiculous option for '17 that I can't imagine will be picked up by the Pats. 

[Cman]

Sad to see Jones go. But economics a big issue here.
Also I wonder how much that bye weekend "incident" played into Pats thinking.

[PhoSita]

Because the FA market for defensive linemen is crazy town.  Teams flush with cap room are overpaying the heck for these guys and it almost always proves to be a mistake.   That's what happens when you deal with a hard cap; tough decisions on who to extend & who not to.

I understand this, and yet the toughest opponents the Pats face in any given season are typically tough because their defensive line is absolutely brutal, a matchup nightmare.  The story remains the same ... the Pats get beaten because Brady ends up on his butt, the Pats can't lay a finger on the opposing QB, or some mixture of the two.

I'd just like to see the Pats be a team with a pass rush that opponents fear, for once.

[Ilikesports17]

So there was no way they were going to be able to re-sign all four defensive studs? If that's the case, why not trade Hightower, who's the most injury-prone? Why trade your best pass rusher? Especially when the Patriots hardly ever have a decent pass rush?

Sometimes I feel like the Patriots are like the Bruins—always letting go of "pricey" players, always watching other teams get and keep stud players. The Bruins are always (it seems) getting rid of players for "cap reasons," yet despite all those "cost-saving" moves, they never have money to sign a big-time player. I'm sure I don't understand everything about the cap system of the NHL or NFL, but the Patriots aren't going to win another title with Tom Brady and "positional depth" that crumbles when half the starters go down with injury.

Edit: I guess the Pats' biggest area of need is offensive line, but this Cooper guy doesn't seem durable. Am I wrong?

Yea you are right on the last bit.

Jones was going to be gone, and has a nasty tendancy of slowing down at the end of the year and into the playoffs. hes got one year left so hes gone after that so the going rate for him was always likely to be a second rounder. I would not have been surprised to see him go for a second rounder or even a 3rd or a few 4th round picks. Instead we get a 2nd rounder and a really good guard who has injury issues.

As far as critiquing the strategy that may be fair but their cost cutting moves have kept them in the championship picture for the last decade where many other teams would not be. Also they dont make cost cutting moves to clear up cap to go after a big fish. They do it so they can keep Gronk and Hightower and Collins and Butler.

In the NFL it is really hard to build through FA. Everyone gets overpaid. I think the Broncos did a great job of it and they won a superbowl but now they dont have a QB and they are gonna find it really difficult to keep much of that team together.

[kozlodoev]

So there was no way they were going to be able to re-sign all four defensive studs? If that's the case, why not trade Hightower, who's the most injury-prone? Why trade your best pass rusher? Especially when the Patriots hardly ever have a decent pass rush?

Because while Hightower is, theoretically, the easiest to replace, the defense was absolutely brutal when he had to sit.

Also, there were all sort of question marks re: Jones (does he have a drug issue, does he really want to be here, does he have a tendency to play small in big games, etc.)

[Ilikesports17]

So there was no way they were going to be able to re-sign all four defensive studs? If that's the case, why not trade Hightower, who's the most injury-prone? Why trade your best pass rusher? Especially when the Patriots hardly ever have a decent pass rush?

Because while Hightower is, theoretically, the easiest to replace, the defense was absolutely brutal when he had to sit.

Also, there were all sort of question marks re: Jones (does he have a drug issue, does he really want to be here, does he have a tendency to play small in big games, etc.)

Hightower and Collins dominate MUST be resigned. 2 absolute studs.