Trader Bill Belichick is back in the black after the deals the New England Patriots pulled off over the last nine months.
Despite making Super Bowl LII, “Belichick The General Manager” was panned for many of the trades he made last season and offseason. The Patriots seemingly were all-in on the 2017 season after dealing draft capital for veteran players.
Here’s the full list of moves the Patriots made:
2017
Patriots received:
TE Dwayne Allen and a sixth-round pick for a fourth-round pick
—Â Allen has 13 receptions for 113 yards with a touchdown in 26 games with the Patriots. He’s been one of the NFL’s better blocking tight ends in his two-season tenure with the Patriots despite his lack of statistical production.
WR Brandin Cooks and a fourth-round pick for first- and third-round picks.
— Cooks lasted one 1,000-yard season before the Patriots dealt him to the Los Angeles Rams for a first-round pick. This is clearly the best trade of 2017.
DE Kony Ealy and a third-round pick for a second-round pick
— Ealy didn’t make the Patriots out of training camp last season. He’s now a free agent.
TE James O’Shaughnessy and a sixth-round pick for a fifth-round pick
— O’Shaughnessy also didn’t make the Patriots out of training camp last season. He’s with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
LB Marquis Flowers for a seventh-round pick
— Flowers served as valuable linebacker depth last season and contributed on special teams. The Patriots re-signed him in the offseason but he was cut out of training camp. He’s currently a free agent.
WR Phillip Dorsett for QB Jacoby Brissett
— Dorsett serves as the Patriots’ No. 4/5 receiver. He has 39 catches for 450 yards with two touchdowns in 27 games.
CB Johnson Bademosi for a sixth-round pick
— Bademosi served as cornerback and special teams depth last season. He signed with the Houston Texans over the offseason.
DE Cassius Marsh for fifth- and seventh-round picks
— Marsh was cut midway through last season. He’s now on the San Franciso 49ers.
RB Mike Gillislee for a fifth-round pick (restricted free agent)
— Gillislee began last season as the Patriots’ starting running back. He lost the job to Dion Lewis and was cut after training camp this summer. He’s a free agent.
A seventh-round pick for CB Justin Coleman
— Coleman has emerged as the Seattle Seahawks’ top slot cornerback.
A second-round pick for Jimmy Garoppolo
— Garoppolo won five straight games with the 49ers last season. He tore his ACL three games into this season.
This year’s trades have fared much better.
2018
Patriots received:
DT Danny Shelton and a fifth-round pick for a third-round pick
— Shelton was a healthy scratch Sunday, but through the first 11 games of the season, he served as the Patriots’ No. 3 run-stuffing defensive tackle. The Patriots probably gave up too much for him.
CB Jason McCourty and a seventh-round pick for a sixth-round pick
— McCourty was a steal. He’s actually been one of the NFL’s most dependable cornerbacks. The Patriots gave up almost nothing to acquire him.
RB/WR/KR Cordarrelle Patterson and a sixth-round pick for a fifth-round pick
— Patterson hasn’t put up prolific numbers, but he has four total touchdowns this season while providing depth at receiver and running back. He’s also been the Patriots’ top kick returner all season.
LT Trent Brown and a fifth-round pick for a third-round pick
— Brown is the Patriots’ starting left tackle. The Patriots haven’t seen much, if any, drop off from last season’s starter Nate Solder to Brown this year.
WR Josh Gordon and a seventh-round pick for a fifth-round pick
— Gordon is another steal. He has 34 receptions for 604 yards with three touchdowns in nine games.
A first-round pick and a sixth-round pick for WR Brandin Cooks and a fourth-round pick
— Cooks has been terrific with the Rams. The Patriots drafted offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn with the first-round pick they received for Cooks. Wynn tore his Achilles in the preseason.
A seventh-round pick for SS Jordan Richards
— That the Patriots got anything for Richards should be considered highway robbery.
The Patriots have a first-round pick, two second-round picks, a third-round pick, a fourth-round pick and two seventh-round picks in 2019. They also are expected to receive two third-round picks, a fifth-round pick and a seventh-round pick through the compensatory draft formula.
So, despite moving a ton of draft capital for veteran players over a two-year span, the Patriots still have plenty of selections.
