Patriots: Who will lead the team in sacks this season?
1. Michael Bennett
New England fans who hoped their team would do more in free agency this offseason would do well to remember that the biggest name and best addition to the roster (outside of the draft, though maybe even including it) came via trade with the Eagles on March 14.
That’s the day Bill Belichick sent a fifth-round selection in next year’s draft to Philadelphia for a seventh-round pick in that same draft… as well as defensive end Michael Bennett.
Yes, Bennett is “a 33-year-old with 10 years of NFL wear-and-tear on his body.” He’s also one of the smartest defensive players in the league, a ferocious edge rusher with a decade of valuable experience playing in the NFL under his belt. The Patriots are the fourth stop in Bennett’s professional career, and regardless of how long he decides to stay in Foxborough, he’s bound to make an immediate impact in 2019 provided he can stay healthy.
Consider the following:
- In 2018, Bennett had 9.0 sacks as a member of the Eagles, even though he split time with a number of other premier defensive linemen and only ended up starting in 10 out of 16 games
- To repeat, Bennett had 9.0 sacks in 10 games he started… just last year
- In 2017, Bennett had 8.5 sacks playing with the Seattle Seahawks
- In 2016, Bennett missed five games due to injury and still finished with 5.0 sacks on the season
- From 2012-2015, Bennett didn’t miss a single NFL game, and over that timespan he averaged better than 8.5 sacks per season
To summarize, in the past seven seasons, Bennett has played a full 16-game season six times. During those six seasons, he has averaged better than 8.5 sacks per season. In the same window of time up in New England, only Chandler Jones has ever posted more sacks in a season: he had 12.5 in 2015 and 11.5 in 2013.
If you’re still not convinced to drink the Michael Bennett Kool-Aid, just compare his numbers to Flowers’ over the past four seasons when it comes to sack totals (Flowers has only been in the NFL since 2015).
2018: Bennett 9.0 sacks vs Flowers 7.5 sacks (missed one game)
2017: Bennett 8.5 sacks vs Flowers 6.5 sacks (missed two games)
2016: Bennett 5.0 sacks (missed five games) vs Flowers 7.0 sacks
2015: Bennett 10.0 sacks vs Flowers 0.0 sacks
In fairness, Flowers only played in one game his entire rookie season, but you get the point. Bennett has been ridiculously productive as an edge rusher over the course of his entire career, and he hasn’t shown any real signs of slowing down these past few seasons. Even better, he’s rarely missed time due to injuries over the past 10 years – something Flowers can’t really say so far.
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Again, this exercise is not meant to disparage the Lions in any shape or form. It may seem like it because Kyle Van Noy used to be with Detroit and Trey Flowers is now with Detroit.
It’s also not meant to discredit Flowers either, or all that he brought to the table in New England while he was up here. From everything we know, Flowers always was and likely will continue to be the consummate professional, as well as a versatile game-wrecker and tone-setter on the defensive edge. His exit from Foxborough was quite simply a matter of economics, and nothing more.
Let’s just not pretend that Michael Bennett isn’t already a better, more proven player. He should be considered an upgrade over Flowers, because that’s what he is – and he’s loads cheaper, too. Even if he only ends up being a one-year rental for the Patriots (a la 2014 Darrelle Revis), it should surprise no one if he finishes as the team leader in sacks.