Why Didn’t Michael Bennett Work Out With Patriots? Devin McCourty Gives His Assessment

On paper, things should’ve worked out with the New England Patriots and Michael Bennett.

The veteran defensive lineman appeared to have plenty of good football left when the Pats acquired him from the Philadelphia Eagles over the offseason, and he presumably would help fill the void left by Trey Flowers.

Well, of course, the games aren’t played on paper. That’s why Bennett now plays for the Dallas Cowboys.

The Patriots on Thursday reportedly sent Bennett to Dallas for a late draft pick. Bill Belichick wouldn’t directly confirm the news Friday, but he talked about it enough to the point that it’s pretty clear the deal is done.

Right out of the chute Bennett’s snap counts were low in comparison to previous years of his career. When he was on the field his performance wasn’t necessarily bad, but it became clear his style of play didn’t align with what the Patriots wanted him to do. Meanwhile, other linemen (like Adam Butler and Danny Shelton) were more amenable to adhering to their respective roles were plenty fine doing just that.

During an appearance Friday on WEEI’s “Dale & Keefe,” Patriots safety Devin McCourty was asked why things didn’t work out with Bennett in New England.

“I just think that’s the way things go,” McCourty said. “I don’t think it’s a certain reason, like I got along really well with Mike. I think a lot of us, we — Saturday’s before games we’d sit downstairs and for an extra hour and a half after meetings, laughing and joking — but sometimes from a football standpoint it just doesn’t work out. That’s why there’s 32 teams in this league and guys play for different teams I think because of that. Whether it’s scheme, personnel, it could be a bunch of different things, but whatever happens, I wish him the best in Dallas. I think he’s obviously a great player, he’s been great for years, so I’m sure he’ll help them.”

Bennett will return to Foxboro in less than a month, as the Patriots will host the Cowboys at Gillette Stadium on Nov. 24.