The Patriots added another big piece for the offense on Wednesday with ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting that the Bears and Patriots agreed to a deal that will move TE Martellus Bennett to the Patriots.
With reports that the Bears and Bennett were heading for a split, it now appears that the two teams have made the deal for only draft considerations. Reports are surfacing that the teams will also swap draft picks. Schefter is reporting that the teams will swap mid-to-late draft picks.
Bennett 29, broke in with the Dallas Cowboys before moving on to the Chicago Bears where he’s spent the past three seasons. He has 348 career receptions for 3586 yards and 23 touchdowns. In 2015, he played only 11 games after suffering a fractured rib which eventually led to him being placed on IR. He caught 53 passes for 439 yards and three touchdowns last season.
With Bennett in the fold, the Patriots can be expected to play with a lot of the two-TE offense once again. Two years ago, a healthy Bennett caught 90 passes for the Bears. The team was looking for depth at TE to back up Rob Gronkowski. Now they have bookend tight ends who have been very productive.
Bennett is slated to make $5.2 million dollars in 2016. He will be a free agent in 2017.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Patriots signed former Colt and Charger RB Donald Brown to a one-year contract as well.
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A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
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