New England Patriots Acquire Defensive End Kony Ealy from Panthers

The New England Patriots have reportedly acquired defensive end Kony Ealy from the Carolina Panthers.

According to Adam Schefter, the New England Patriots have acquired Kony Ealy from the Carolina Panthers.

The deal for Ealy cost the Patriots their second round pick, however, they also acquired the Panthers’ third round pick with Ealy in the deal. The trade gives the Patriots some more depth at defensive end, while it only cost them eight spots in the draft.

In three seasons, Ealy has totaled 14 sacks, as he has proven to be a fairly good pass-rusher. According to Pro Football Focus, Ealy was ranked as the 78^th edge defender in the NFL last season.

However, he was ranked 58^th in pass rushing among edge defenders, which is where the Patriots will be utilizing him more. In recent years, the Patriots have done a nice job using a rotation at defensive end.

Last season, they used Trey Flowers, Chris Long, Rob Ninkovich, and Jabaal Sheard. With Long leaving New England, they had a need to replace him. Long was a better overall player last season than Ealy was, but they were nearly identical as pass rushers according to Pro Football Focus.

While acquiring Ealy might not be a flashy move by the Patriots, it will help add some depth to them without costing the team very much. Moving down just eight spots in the draft for a player that has proven to be a good pass rusher in the NFL will help New England.

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Coming into the offseason, the Patriots had a lot of question marks due to how many free agents they had. So far, the Patriots have been active with the signings of Stephon Gilmore and Duron Harmon in the secondary. Even though it isn’t a flashy move, the acquisition of Ealy helps add some depth for a minimal cost.