The New England Patriots are finalizing a deal to acquire Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett, according to Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane.
The teams can agree to the transaction, but it will not be official until the 2019 league year begins on March 13.
The Patriots won a Super Bowl with Martellus Bennett, Michael’s brother, in 2016. Martellus also joined the team for a brief stint in 2017 before suffering a season-ending hamstring injury and retiring during the following offseason.
With the Eagles in 2018, Michael Bennett played 16 games. He recorded nine sacks, 34 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 30 quarterback hits. The 33-year-old’s nine sacks were the second-most in his career.
Bennett’s contract extends through the 2020 season. He can make up $7.2 million in 2019 and up to $8 million in 2020. New England can cut him at any point during the next two seasons without incurring any dead money.
The acquisition of Bennett comes at an interesting time for New England. Starting defensive end Trey Flowers is set to enter free agency. Recent acquisition Adrian Clayborn was a disappointment in 2018, and could be a cap casualty. Meanwhile, Bennett has the versatility to play inside and outside on the defensive line, not unlike Flowers. Bennett could help the Patriots brace for the potential departures of the team’s pending free agents in Flowers and defensive tackles Danny Shelton and Malcom Brown.
