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Patriots add some pass rush

Bennett still productive at 33

The Patriots swung a trade with the Eagles for Michael Bennett over the weekend, and that looks like a savvy move. Bennett will be with his third team the last three years, but it's mostly due to cap concerns that the Seahawks and now Eagles made him available (and maybe personality). But he fits a need for New England.

The Patriots will let pass rusher Trey Flowers walk in free agency, not inclined to pay him the big money some team will give him. That's long been their approach, trading away Chandler Jones a couple of years ago rather than pay him big bucks. It hasn't hurt their teams success, but even while winning two of the last three Super Bowls, they've struggled to find a pass rush.

Bennett is 33, but has at least 8.5 sacks in each of the last two seasons -- five of seven, as well. New England the last three years has averaged 35 sacks; bottom 3 a year ago and below average in two of those seasons.

TEAM SACKS, 2016-2018
Team'16'17'18Tot
Pittsburgh385652146
Arizona483749134
Carolina475035132
Chicago374250129
Minnesota413750128
Washington384246126
Jacksonville335537125
Seattle423943124
Tennessee404339122
New Orleans304249121
Green Bay403744121
LA Rams314841120
Denver423344119
LA Chargers354338116
Philadelphia343844116
Baltimore314143115
Dallas363839113
Kansas City283152111
Atlanta343937110
Cincinnati334134108
Houston313243106
New England344230106
Detroit263543104
Buffalo392736102
San Francisco333037100
Tampa Bay38223898
Cleveland26343797
Indianapolis33253896
Miami33303194
NY Jets27283994
NY Giants35273092
Oakland25311369

I saw a comment after the trade that looked at it as New England adding a piece to make one last Super Bowl run. Last? No, this is what they do every year -- add pieces for cheap that will help them go to another Super Bowl. They'll do it with Bennett in 2019, and somebody else, most likely, in 2020.

--Andy Richardson

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