Patriots trade DE Chandler Jones to Cardinals

bleacherreport.com

The New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals have agreed to a blockbuster trade that came as a surprise to many Tuesday afternoon.

The Patriots will send Pro Bowl defensive end Chandler Jones to Arizona in exchange for 2013 first round pick Jonathan Cooper and a second round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Jones is coming off of a career year in which he tallied up a career-high 12.5 sacks to go along with 44 tackles and one interception.

This trade is a win-win situation for both the Cardinals and Patriots, as the Cardinals, who finished 20th in sacks last season, are getting a player who can add yet another dimension to an already outstanding Arizona defense.

Meanwhile, the Patriots needed offensive line help, as shown by their inability to protect superstar quarterback Tom Brady throughout the season. The issue was certainly visible in the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos, as Brady was sacked and rushed throughout the game and was visibly thrown off his game due to the constant pressure.

The addition of Cooper should help the Patriots tremendously as long as he is healthy, as he has only started a combined 11 games over his first three seasons.

The second round pick was what the Patriots were really looking for, as without a first round pick due to the “Deflate-gate” scandal, New England will need all the picks they can get in order to acquire some solid young talent for the future.

In the end, New England is hoping Cooper can reach the potential he had coming out of North Carolina, and Arizona is relying on their ability to resign Jones to an extension after his contract expires when the season ends.