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ESPN maps out Patriots trade where Lions get their ‘revenge’ after prior fleecing
"He isn't a great pass rusher, but he can still be a valuable part of a roster as an early-down edge defender.”
As the Patriots continue to assess their options ahead of Tuesday’s roster cutdown day, the future of Anfernee Jennings in Foxborough remains uncertain.
The 28-year-old veteran has said all of the right things about wanting to stay in New England as of late, with the 2020 third-round pick also producing on the field during preseason action (three sacks against Minnesota).
Still, the fact that Jennings was playing well into the fourth quarter of several preseason games doesn’t bode well for the pass-rusher when it comes to how he meshes with Mike Vrabel’s revamped defensive unit.
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But, rather than opt to just cut Jennings before Tuesday’s deadline, could New England try and recoup some assets by sending him to a team that could use his services?
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell mapped out several trade proposals across the NFL on Monday, including one swap where New England trades Jennings to the Lions.
However, the return for the Patriots would be minimal, as Barnwell maps out a deal where the Patriots send Jennings and a 2026 seventh-round pick to Detroit in exchange for just a 2026 sixth-round pick.
Moving up slightly in the 2026 NFL Draft is better than just cutting Jennings outright on Tuesday, but it’s not exactly a string haul back for a player in Jennings who could still help out a defense like Detroit’s.
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But, Barnwell mapped out some parallels between his proposed trade and one that New England struck a few years back that plucked an impact player away from Detroit on the cheap.
“There was a time when New England once looted the Lions for a talented, two-way linebacker who didn’t fit their system and landed an underrated player in Kyle Van Noy. The Lions are here to get their revenge,” Barnwell said. “A former third-round pick by previous Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Jennings is a stout run defender on the edge who had nine quarterback knockdowns last season across 831 defensive snaps.
“He isn’t a great pass rusher, but he can still be a valuable part of a roster as an early-down edge defender.”
The Patriots paid a similar price to acquire Van Noy from Detroit in 2016 — acquiring the then-Lions linebacker and a seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2017.
A former second-round selection by Detroit that wasn’t fitting in with the Lions’ defensive scheme, Van Noy thrived in his new surroundings in Foxborough — becoming a key cog to a defense that won two Super Bowl titles during the 2016 and 2018 campaigns.
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Across two stints with New England (five seasons), Van Noy recorded 316 combined tackles, 21.5 sacks, 19 pass breakups, and seven forced fumbles.
It remains to be seen if Jennings would orchestrate a similar career renaissance with a team like Detroit. But, the writing is on the wall that Jennings’ time with the Patriots is likely coming to a close.
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