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New England Patriots Win Chandler Jones Trade with Cardinals

By Dan Schmelzer

ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 11: Defensive end Chandler Jones #95 of the New England Patriots during the second half of the NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 11, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 11: Defensive end Chandler Jones #95 of the New England Patriots during the second half of the NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 11, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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The New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals came together on a trade on Tuesday. While the Cardinals are getting the most established player in the deal, the Patriots are the ones walking away as winners.

First reported by Adam Schefter and Dianno Russini of ESPN, the New England Patriots have sent defensive end Chandler Jones to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for offensive lineman Jonathan Cooper and the Cardinals’ second round pick in the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft. Jones gives the Cardinals a legitimate pass rush threat on the outside, but the Patriots should be extremely happy with their end of the deal.

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Jones is coming off of the best season of his four-year career, finishing the 2015 season with a career high of 12.5 sacks, and earning his first ever Pro Bowl selection. Jones is an athletic presence on the outside, and is considered to be a strong pass rusher from the defensive end position.

That being said, Jones has not been a consistent player for the Patriots. His sack total was nice in 2015, but it probably makes him look like a better player than he is. Jones struggles to get consistent pressure on the quarterback. Sure, he gets there from time to time, but he is not a scary threat to make the quarterback feel uncomfortable in the pocket.

Jones had a great 2015 season, but his numbers should have looked much better. Jones clearly faded down the stretch for New England, finishing with only two sacks in the last six regular season games. Jones can make an impact on the field, but his sacks seem to come in bunches. The Patriots probably would like to see more consistency.

After the 2016 season, Jones is set to become an unrestricted free agent. With the gaudy sack numbers and pass rushers being paid a high premium, the Patriots were always unlikely to re-sign Jones. By grabbing that value on Jones now, the Patriots will likely turn their attention to linebackers Dont’a Hightower and Jamie Collins, who are also set to hit free agency next off season.

New England Patriots
Oct 25, 2015; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots outside linebacker Dont’a Hightower (54) celebrates with outside linebacker Jamie Collins (91) and outside linebacker Geneo Grissom (92) after sacking New York Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (not pictured) during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /

With his upcoming free agency and the Patriots strong depth at the defensive end position, I have touted a possible Jones trade for some time now. This is always something that made sense, and while I am sure the Patriots tried to re-coup that lost first round pick, landing a second round pick and a first-round talent at a position of need is not a bad second option.

Jones could come in and make an impact for the Cardinals, but the Patriots did well to get some serious value in this trade. First, the trade opens up over $5.4 million in cap space for the Patriots this off season, according to cap space ace Miguel Benzan of PatsFan.com.

This deal could allow the Patriots to be more aggressive in free agency, or they could use the savings to lock down someone like Collins or CB Malcom Butler, who would both get a raise in 2016 on a contract extension. It is hard to predict exactly what it will be, but expect the Patriots to use these saving to do something.

Jonathan Cooper
GLENDALE, AZ – AUGUST 24: Quarterback Carson Palmer #3 of the Arizona Cardinals drops back to pass behind offensive guard Jonathan Cooper #61 during the preseason NFL game against the San Diego Chargers at the University of Phoenix Stadium on August 24, 2013 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

The acquisition of Cooper could also quickly pay huge dividends. Cooper was the seventh overall pick of the Cardinals in the 2013 NFL Draft, and while he has under-performed through his first two seasons, Cooper still has obvious skill and upside on the offensive line. Getting Cooper to work with Patriots’ offensive line guru Dante Scarnecchia is going to do wonders for his career.

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As long as Cooper can stay away from injury, I think he will become an elite option at the offensive guard position for New England. The Patriots’ offensive line struggled mightily last season, and adding an improved Cooper to the mix could drastically improve their fortunes up front.

Last but not least, the Patriots scored a late second round pick, which will be the 61st overall selection. The Patriots do not hold a first-round selection, but they now have 11 total picks, including back-to-back selections (60th and 61st overall) in the second round. They will have some serious draft compensation to work with if they are interesting in making an aggressive move up.

In exchange for a relatively-overrated defensive lineman who the Patriots are in a good position to replace and would probably lose next off season anyway, the Patriots picked up some huge upside at a major area of need, a valuable 2016 NFL Draft selection and some extra cap room.

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I am not saying the Cardinals made a bad trade, because I can see why they made the deal, but make no mistake; the Patriots were the ones who came out on top of this one.

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