Patriots and Eagles are finalizing a deal to send Michael Bennett to New England, per source.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 8, 2019

If the Michael Bennett-to-New-England trade is finalized – and it is expected to be – Patriots and Eagles will swap 5th- and 7th-round picks in the 2020 draft, per a league source.

Eagles get a 5th; Pats get Bennett and a 7th.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 8, 2019

News of the Patriots potentially acquiring Michael Bennett broke on Friday and the general consensus is that the Patriots once again pulled off a coup. While 2019 will be Bennett’s 11th NFL season and he will be 34 in November, he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. As Joey B pointed out on Friday, Bennett’s played in 16 games six of the last seven seasons and he recorded nine sacks last season, the second-best single-season total of his career. From that standpoint, this feels like a typical Patriots move. The Patriots see value in adding a veteran whom they believe can still play at a high level, even if other teams don’t.

There are many things that separate Bill Belichick from his contemporaries, but one thing that has allowed his teams to be so successful over the last 20 years is that he is not afraid to make the moves other coaches wouldn’t dare make. Playing Brady over Bledsoe. Cutting Lawyer Milloy. Bringing in Corey Dillon. Turning Troy Brown, a 12-year veteran at the time, into a two-way player. Trading away Jamie Collins. He’s not perfect – he moved on from Adam Vinatieri too soon and benching Malcolm Butler in Super bowl 52 was clearly the wrong move – but by and large his willingness to make unpopular decisions has won the Patriots far more games than it has lost them.

I bring this up because Michael Bennett could be a tough guy for Patriots fans to root for.

My favorite Michael Bennett play was watching Gronk beat the shit out of him at the end of SB49 after Bennett’s scumbag dirty play. Tough guy to like. https://t.co/qqPsBLHAFg

— Tom E. Curran (@tomecurran) March 8, 2019

End of Super Bowl #Seahawks vs #Patriots. Bruce Irvin ejected for throwing a punch. Bennett gets in on Gronk after, Please also watch Matt Slater. That part is amusing. pic.twitter.com/tRjC2FXIRq

— Michael Giardi (@MikeGiardi) March 8, 2019

.@RobGronkowski and @mosesbread72 Michael Bennett on the same team after Superbowl 49 ended with the two of them going at each other with haymakers will be fun.pic.twitter.com/DAox7x7C3G

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) March 8, 2019

District Attorney of Harris
County, Texas announced it has indicted Eagles’ DE Michael Bennett for felony charge for injuring a 66-year-old paraplegic working at NRG Stadium to control access to field at SuperBowl LI. A warrant has been issued for Bennett’s arrest.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 23, 2018

Also, Michael Bennett is generally an outspoken guy. There’s nothing wrong with being outspoken, but I don’t recall too many outspoken guys playing in Foxboro. The Patriots have mastered the art of saying as little as possible. Generally, Belichick and Patriots players never miss an opportunity to say nothing. It’d be interesting to find out how Michael Bennett feels about this type of locker room. I’m sure we’ll find out.

While I might not be the first guy in line at the Patriots Pro Shop to buy a Michael Bennett jersey this week, anyone who says they won’t root for the Patriots if they acquire him isn’t really a Patriots fan. It’s always business with Belichick. That being said, it may prove Jerry Seinfeld’s theory that we’re all just rooting for laundry.