Patriots: Chandler Jones still fueled by trade from New England

Chandler Jones, traded from the Patriots to the Cardinals back in 2016, said he’s still playing with a chip on his shoulder after experiencing “rejection.”

In a recent interview with the Arizona Cardinals’ official team site, outside linebacker and defensive standout Chandler Jones admitted that even three years after the fact, he still finds himself plenty motivated by the trade that brought him to Phoenix from Foxborough back in 2016.

“I feel like at any time I can be traded,” Jones told the site. “It might sound bizarre to say, but I’m someone who has been in that situation. I’ve been traded before and that little sense of rejection is a crappy feeling, honestly. That’s what drives me. That’s what motivates me. I never want to get traded again.”

Per the official story, the Patriots traded Jones not because of a lack of production on the field or because of any character problems in the locker room – the two major reasons most teams get rid of promising young players these days. Simply put, New England traded Jones “because he played so well on his rookie deal that they couldn’t afford his looming second contract.”

That’s a bit of an oversimplification, granted.

It’s true that Jones played phenomenally over his first four seasons as a Patriot, racking up 211 combined tackles and an eye-popping 36 sacks over just 55 games of action. That’s the kind of production that most teams would never want to see walk out the door, especially not when a player’s just 25 years old.

Perhaps Bill Belichick thought Jones’ hot streak wouldn’t last. Or perhaps he valued another player’s salary – or more likely, a combination of players – more than he did Jones’ expected payday.

Whatever his exact reasons were, Belichick did make the move, eventually shipping the talented pass-rusher to the desert for offensive guard Jonathan Cooper and a second-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. While Cooper proved to be a major bust for New England, the Patriots flipped the draft pick for two of the New Orleans Saints’ selections that they ended up using on receiver Malcolm Mitchell and another guard, Joe Thuney.

Mitchell obviously didn’t last with the Pats either, but he was sensational in the Super Bowl win over the Seattle Seahawks. It’s impossible to know what would have happened without his clutch receptions during that game, but it’s fair to suggest the Patriots might only have five Super Bowl rings instead of six if not for Mitchell.

And no one’s denying Thuney’s greatness, as he’s essentially become the team’s iron man – even taking snaps at left tackle during minicamp as Isaiah Wynn continues his physical rehabilitation.

So did the Patriots make a mistake in trading Jones?

Hard to say.

On the one hand, New England has been incredibly successful in the past three seasons since he departed, going to the Super Bowl all three times and winning it twice. During that same timespan though, the team has notably missed a consistent pass rush… and Jones has had double-digit sacks each year with the Cards (11 in 2016, 17 in 2017, and 13 in 2018).

What do you think? Should the Patriots have kept Jones, or did they make the right financial move in letting him go when they did?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.