Patriots Trade DE Chandler Jones For Cardinals G Jonathan Cooper

March 15, 2016

ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Dianna Marie Russini are reporting that the Cardinals and Patriots have agreed to a trade that will send G Jonathan Cooper and a second-round pick to New England for DE Chandler Jones.

Pro Football Talk reports that Cooper did not restructure his contract as part of this trade.
Albert Breer gets the sense that this trade centers around the Cardinals second-round pick for Jones, and Cooper is just a throw-in. Breer adds that the Patriots almost certainly won’t pick up his fifth-year option at $12 million.
Field Yates points out that the Patriots pick up $5,410,045 in cap space for the 2016 season.

There was actually some talk that Jones could be available for trade, but no reports connecting him to the Cardinals.

Arizona is really in need of a solid pass-rusher, and Jones gives them one of the most productive edge-rushers, who happens to still be on his rookie contract.

As for the Patriots, the sense among reporters is that Cooper is really just a through-in, rather than a core piece of the trade. The Patriots will almost certainly decline his fifth-year option in the coming months, which leaves him on a one-year deal with a lot to prove.

The Patriots did, however, pick up a second-round pick, which gives them 11 total selections to work with in this year’s draft.

Jones, 27, is a former first-round pick of the Patriots back in 2012. He’s in the final year of his four-year, $8.173 million rookie contract that includes $7.42 million guaranteed and stands to make a base salary of $7.8 million for the 2016 season.

In 2015, Jones appeared in 15 games for the Patriots and recorded 44 tackles, 12.5 sacks, an interception, four forced fumbles and two pass defenses.

Cooper, 26, is a former first-round pick of the Cardinals back in 2013. He’s entering the final year of his four-year, $14,549,000 rookie contract that included $14,549,000 guaranteed and stands to make a base salary of $675,000 for the 2016 season.

In 2015, Cooper appeared in 14 games for the Cardinals and was rated by Pro Football Focus as the No. 41 guard out of 81 qualifying players.