Report: Patriots Trade Michael Bennett To Cowboys
BOSTON (CBS) -- Michael Bennett's time in New England is over.
The veteran defensive lineman was traded to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
New England is trading DE Michael Bennett to the Dallas Cowboys for 7th-round pick that can go to a 6th-round pick in 2021, league sources tell @Schultz_Report and me.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 24, 2019
Bennett, 33, had seen decreased playing time as the season went on this year, and he was suspended for a week by the team after getting into a "philosophical" disagreement.
The Boston Globe's Ben Volin noted that Bennett's trade should clear some much-needed salary cap room.
Patriots should clear about $2.6m in cap space by trading Bennett. Perhaps a prelude to another move before Tuesday's deadline
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) October 24, 2019
Bennett returned from that suspension this week, but he sounded less than enthusiastic when speaking with reporters on Wednesday about his place on the team.
"I mean, that's up to them," Bennett said Wednesday when asked if he wanted to be traded. "It's up to the team or how they feel about it. I mean, I like playing here."
In six games played this season, Bennett has 2.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, and five total tackles.
Bennett was on the field for 55 percent of the defensive snaps in Week 1, 40 percent in Week 2, 38 percent in Week 3, 30 percent in Week 4, 25 percent in Week 5, and 22 percent in Week 6, before being suspended for Week 7.
The Patriots traded a fifth-round pick to Philadelphia in exchange for Bennett and a seventh-round pick back in March.