upstater1
PatsFans.com Retired Jersey Club
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It's really funny to think that Belichick's trade for a 4th rounder blew up both the Jets and the Steelers and caused both teams to fail and strikeout.Looking at OverTheCap.com, the 2023 players who had their options declined were:
That's 10/31 [MIA lost their pick that year]. In 2022 it was 11/32.
- Richardson [IND 4]
- Wilson [NO 7]
- Jones [PIT 14]
- McDonald [JEST 15]
- Forbes [LAR 16]
- Campbell [DET 18]
- Banks [NYG 24]
- Smith [JEST 26]
- Murphy [CIN 28]
- Anudike-Uzomah [KC 31]
It still wasn't worth the risk of losing Gonzalez but in retrospect, that trade saved the Patriots (who might've taken Forbes) and killed the Jets and Steelers.
That was maybe the most successful accidental trade in Patriots history.












