New England Patriots trade Michael Bennett to Dallas Cowboys

The New England Patriots have traded veteran defensive end Michael Bennett to the Dallas Cowboys for a conditional 2021 seventh-round draft pick.

Michael Bennett’s tenure as a New England Patriot came to a swift and anticlimactic end on Thursday when the team traded the veteran defensive end to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2021 draft pick, according to sources cited in an ESPN report. The pick is reportedly a seventh-rounder that could become a sixth-rounder if certain conditions are met.

Bennett was the Patriots’ signature offseason acquisition this year, coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles via trade back in March. New England gave Philly a 2020 fifth-round selection in exchange for Bennett and a 2020 seventh-round selection.

After Thursday’s trade, the Patriots have in essence lost a 2020 fifth-round pick for two seventh-round picks, one in 2020 and one in 2021.

The news comes fast on the heels of Bennett’s one-week suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Bennett claimed he had a “philosophical disagreement” with Bret Bielema, the New England defensive line coach, that led to a heated argument and his subsequent suspension for the Patriots’ Monday Night Football contest against the New York Jets.

Many have speculated that the disagreement may have stemmed from Bennett’s frustration at his lack of playing time. Since making his debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, Bennett has steadily seen his snaps on defense decrease. The season-low came in Week 6 against the New York Giants, when Bennett was only on the field for 11 of a possible 50 snaps.

“It’s America. You can voice your opinion about how you feel about certain situations. That’s what I did,” Bennett told reporters earlier this week, again per ESPN. “I got suspended. Lost money. What am I supposed to take away from that? There’s no love lost. It’s just how it is.”

Asked whether or not he had repaired his relationship with Bielema, head coach Bill Belichick, and the Patriots organization in general, Bennett deferred to his coaches and the New England brass. He also repeatedly refused to speculate or comment on his name coming up in trade rumors, especially with the NFL trade deadline fast-approaching on October 29.

Bennett’s final stat-line from his six games with the Patriots is five tackles, one pass defended, and 2.5 sacks. He’ll presumably now have more of a chance to make an impact on the Cowboys defense, who lost starting defensive end Tyrone Crawford to injured reserve with a hip injury this past week.

As good of a player as Bennett has been throughout his career, it’s hard to argue that the Patriots are in the wrong for moving on from him. The New England defense is off to a historic start this season, and a major aspect of their success has been the play of versatile linebackers like Jamie Collins, Dont’a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy, John Simon, and Chase Winovich, who can all rush the passer just as easily as they can drop back into coverage and defend the run.

Bennett’s skill-sets haven’t been nearly as useful to the Patriots in their current defensive alignments, so it often felt like it was just a matter of time until he was either cut or traded. By sending him to Dallas, New England is able to at least recoup some draft capital while also gaining valuable cap relief at the same time.