{"id":317477,"date":"2025-08-25T22:48:15","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T22:48:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/317477\/"},"modified":"2025-08-25T22:48:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T22:48:15","slug":"espn-maps-out-patriots-trade-where-lions-get-their-revenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/317477\/","title":{"rendered":"ESPN maps out Patriots trade where Lions get their \u2018revenge\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPatriots\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t“He isn’t a great pass rusher, but he can still be a valuable part of a roster as an early-down edge defender.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"New
\n\tAnfernee Jennings’ time in Foxborough could be coming to a close. (Danielle Parhizkaran\/Globe Staff)\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBy Conor Ryan<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAugust 25, 2025 | 6:19 PM\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

2 minutes to read<\/p>\n

As the Patriots continue to assess their options ahead of Tuesday\u2019s roster cutdown day, the future of Anfernee Jennings in Foxborough remains uncertain.<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old veteran has said all of the right things about wanting to stay in New England as of late<\/a>, with the 2020 third-round pick also producing on the field during preseason action (three sacks against Minnesota).\u00a0<\/p>\n

Still, the fact that Jennings was playing well into the fourth quarter of several preseason games doesn\u2019t bode well for the pass-rusher when it comes to how he meshes with Mike Vrabel\u2019s revamped defensive unit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But, rather than opt to just cut Jennings before Tuesday\u2019s deadline, could New England try and recoup some assets by sending him to a team that could use his services?<\/p>\n

ESPN\u2019s Bill Barnwell mapped out several trade proposals<\/a> across the NFL on Monday, including one swap where New England trades Jennings to the Lions.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Moving up slightly in the 2026 NFL Draft is better than just cutting Jennings outright on Tuesday, but it\u2019s not exactly a string haul back for a player in Jennings who could still help out a defense like Detroit\u2019s.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a time when New England once looted the Lions for a talented, two-way linebacker who didn\u2019t fit their system and landed an underrated player in Kyle Van Noy. The Lions are here to get their revenge,\u201d Barnwell said. \u201cA 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe isn\u2019t a great pass rusher, but he can still be a valuable part of a roster as an early-down edge defender.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Patriots paid a similar price to acquire Van Noy from Detroit in 2016 \u2014 acquiring the then-Lions linebacker and a seventh-round pick in exchange for a sixth-round pick in 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A former second-round selection by Detroit that wasn\u2019t fitting in with the Lions\u2019 defensive scheme, Van Noy thrived in his new surroundings in Foxborough \u2014 becoming a key cog to a defense that won two Super Bowl titles during the 2016 and 2018 campaigns.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Across two stints with New England (five seasons), Van Noy recorded 316 combined tackles, 21.5 sacks, 19 pass breakups, and seven forced fumbles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\u2019 time with the Patriots is likely coming to a close.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\"Profile\t<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.<\/p>\n

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