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New England Patriots: Two mock trades we’d love to see happen

By Marcus Stanois

FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 24: A New England Patriots helmet during the first half of the game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA - DECEMBER 24: A New England Patriots helmet during the first half of the game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium on December 24, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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New England Patriots
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Patriots trade 2018 fourth-round pick for Titans OLB Kevin Dodd

Last offseason, the Patriots made a trade with the Carolina Panthers for defensive end Kony Ealy. Although the deal didn’t work out for New England — Ealy was released during training camp — that shouldn’t discourage the team from making a similar move this year.

Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Kevin Dodd hasn’t had the best start to his career. He was selected 33rd overall by the Titans in 2016 after racking up 12.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss in his junior season at Clemson.

Dodd was placed on injured reserve midway through his rookie season and was made inactive for seven games in 2017. He made his first and only NFL start in Week 2 of the 2016 season, finishing with six combined tackles, one tackle for loss, four quarterback pressures, and a sack. According to Pro Football Reference, Dodd played 43 defensive snaps in that game, and he hasn’t played as many in a game since.

Why it should happen: Dodd was extremely productive as a defensive end in college before being moved to outside linebacker in the pros. The defensive end position is an area of need for the Patriots and converting Dodd back into an end could be beneficial for both sides. At 6-foot-5, 277 pounds, he has a similar build to current Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. (6-5, 271lbs). Dodd also comes with a relatively low cap hit of $1.78-million in 2018 and $2.08-million in 2019, per Spotrac.

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Why it won’t happen: There aren’t any glaring reasons why New England wouldn’t pursue a trade for Dodd. New Titans head coach Mike Vrabel, however, has said he’s excited to work with Dodd and develop his skill set. If Tennessee sees him as part of their future plans, it’s unlikely they’ll entertain trade offers.

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