Pats Trade For Martellus Bennett

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mikiemo83 said:
I think we are in agreement, I was only pointing out the great TE's combinations we had in NE.
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True. The only one I'd put up against Gronk/Bennett blocking-wise, would be Francis/Hasslebeck...

I dunno, let's see how it goes. I was excited about Chandler last year too.
 
Patriots-Lifer said:
Talk on Martellus' contract in Chicago media.
He's being underpaid for a Pro Bowl TE. If you trade for him, that's the contract you get. Now, it expires after this year, but still you get to save cap space for a season.
If he goes to free agency, he's going to command top dollar, and that's what you'll have to pay even if you don't end up in a bidding war (which could also happen.)

One of the reasons they're trying to get rid of him is probably because he wants a new contract. I imagine he'd be traded to a team that intends to give him a new contract right away, otherwise the trade probably wouldn't happen (see: report of them negotiating with his agent for an "agreeable" landing spot).
Trading for him may keep his price lower, but it won't be significantly so. He's going to want top dollar and clearly the Bears aren't willing to give it to him so he's going to get it elsewhere, whether that be after a trade or being released. Trading for him would simply grant a team the ability to actually get him, instead of competing with several others. They're still going to pay a ton.

If that's the case then I would argue that the Bears are incompetent.
You don't attract and keep talent by refusing to pay them. There's a salary cap, there is no advantage nor virtue to being cheap. The Bears in particular have more cap room than we know what to do with; most of our acquisitions this offseason are going to be on rookie contracts or one-year prove-it deals, which are very inexpensive. tl;dr: We can easily afford to pay Bennett a good new contract. Combined with losing Forte and Bushrod, neither of whom seem likely to be replaced with expensive veteran talent, it would be a net savings over last season, when we weren't paying him.
More importantly, we have absolutely nothing remotely resembling a Plan B. Even if we outbid everyone for Zach Miller, he's not as good as Martellus Bennett overall, and Lee would be generously described as, "unproven."
I hated (and still hate) the Marshall trade, but at least in that case we had Alshon Jeffery under contract and you could argue that we had some sort of replacement. Not the case here at all.
I hope that isn't the reason. I hope the reason is that Bennett rubs some players and/or coaches the wrong way. Well, actually I hope the whole thing is bunk, drama completely invented by the media. But there's not much evidence for that.
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Like I said, this trade is similar to the Revis one... :coffee:
 
TommyD420 said:
True. The only one I'd put up against Gronk/Bennett blocking-wise, would be Francis/Hasslebeck...

I dunno, let's see how it goes. I was excited about Chandler last year too.
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Chandler always a seemed to have his best games against the pats . He only had one highlight catch all year. That was in the final drive in denver. To set up the Game trying FG.
 
TommyD420 said:
True. The only one I'd put up against Gronk/Bennett blocking-wise, would be Francis/Hasslebeck...

I dunno, let's see how it goes. I was excited about Chandler last year too.
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I think the issue with Chandler was, he mostly only tore up the patriots. lol
 
Can I also just say, that this trade really sends a strong message to the Jets? :coffee:
 
I have to say that thus far I like what he is saying.

Mike Reiss
ESPN New England Patriots reporter

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- One day into his New England Patriots career, Martellus Bennett said Thursday that he's excited to team up with Rob Gronkowski to form what potentially could be the NFL's best 1-2 combination at the position.

"I think Gronk has always been an awesome tight end and I look forward to learning more from him," Bennett said on a conference call with reporters.

Patriots once again have dynamic tight end duo
Bill Belichick followed an old blueprint by acquiring Martellus Bennett. Now, like it did with Gronk and Aaron Hernandez, New England has myriad ways to attack defenses, writes Matt Bowen.
"There are some things that he does that I don't do, and I'm pretty sure there are a lot of things that I do that he doesn't do. So it will be a good challenge to push each other and continue to help us grow as individual players as well as a tandem, to do whatever we can to help the team."

Since 2013, the 6-foot-6, 273-pound Bennett is second in the NFL among tight ends in yards after contact, trailing only Gronkowski.

"One thing we both love to do is run with the ball in our hands," Bennett said.

The Patriots officially announced the acquisition of Bennett and a 2016 sixth-round draft choice from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2016 fourth-round pick, on Thursday.

Bennett, who had been in California with his wife and daughter when he learned of the deal, wasn't taken by surprise.

"So just like any other thing in life, you just be prepared to make sure you flow where the wind goes, try to be a dandelion."

Martellus Bennett on his trade to New England
"I didn't know where, what or when/how it was going to happen, but I knew the possibility was coming," he said. "So just like any other thing in life, you just be prepared to make sure you flow where the wind goes, try to be a dandelion."

Bennett's 2015 season with the Bears ended when he was placed on injured reserve Dec. 8 with fractured ribs. Asked about the health of his ribs Thursday, he said, "I'm healthy. I like my ribs barbecued."

As for his three seasons with the Bears, Bennett disagreed with a question framed in the context of things not working out.

"I don't think it didn't work out in Chicago. I thought I played very well in Chicago. I put up great numbers, did some great things, made my first Pro Bowl there," he said. "Statistically, I thought it was a great job."

Otherwise, Bennett didn't seem overly interested in looking back to his time with the Bears, deflecting a question on if it was fair to say the relationship between him and Bears management soured.

"I'm all about the future," he answered. "I'm a progressive person."
 
TommyD420 said:
Can I also just say, that this trade really sends a strong message to the Jets? :coffee:
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I'm thinking the whole past Patriot week has sent one ginormous message to the Jests.

Dear Jests:

Nutkick

Enjoy your offseason.

NEPatriots
 
I think his addition is almost being undersold. Aside from Revis this could be one of the best pickups in some time. Chandler was never the TE Bennett is. Gronk is so ridiculously good that we sometimes forget how far ahead of most TEs he really is. Bennett would be a massive stud for basically any team but the Pats. Having them together is truly nuts.
 
FWIW, he does seem like a really nice guy...

https://www.reddit.com/r/Patriots/comments/4au523/bears_fan_here_sharing_a_story_about_martellus/

Then the most amazing thing happened. He also spent the next 2-hours joking around with the kids, telling them about being creative, things they can enjoy in life, how art and science are really important, he told them that football was a fun sport, but it was just for fun, and there was so much in life they could enjoy. He said that he played football so he could do the things that he was passionate about, like drawing, cartoons, clothing design, kids’ books, etc... He shared stories with them that were genuine about him growing up and how he struggled as a kid to fit in, how him and his sister and brother were really close and looked out for each other. He told a story about how his sister was the most amazing athlete in their family – and pointed out all the girls in the room that were sisters of the players. He passed a marker around and had people with the marker ask questions, he would answer anything you asked. He talked about how when he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys he was stupid and didn’t take money seriously, but then told the kids that he learned quickly that money was not important for status, but it should be respected. This was 90-minutes into the evening already.
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chevss454 said:
Jeff Howe ‏<s>@</s>jeffphowe

Bennett on getting traded: "Just flow where the wind blows, try to be a dandelion."


Dude, I don't want you to be a frickin dandelion!

I want you to be a freaking Redwood!


He's a bit esoteric for me but if he plays well who cares?
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A mighty tree!

iliketopaintbecauseipaintsq-1024x1024.jpg
 
German_Patriot said:
More likely a 5th, maybe a 4th. A 3rd would mean his next contract is north of $9M/year.
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Either way the gain is more than what we gave up. So we gain a very good player for a year and a gain in draft pickings...

So why isn't there a line of other teams doing this??
 
This means we have 2 TE'S that can attack the middle of the field. McDaniels isolation routes that can't being failures with chandler.
 
PatsFanLisa said:
Oh boy. Might be a bit of a head case.

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/September-2015/Martellus-Bennett/
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Wow. I knew enough about Bennett to be concerned with whether or not he'd be a fit in Foxboro, but this article was simply off the hook. It was long enough and well-written enough to give me a better perspective on what kind of guy he really is and while it doesn't guarantee that he is going to really feel comfortable with the requirements of being a Patriot, I've decided that I have probably misjudged him.

My take now is that Bennett is very bright and an iconoclast. He isn't self-conscious about who he is and rolls with creative inspiration as a part of his daily routine regardless of what people may expect from a top athlete in a macho sport such as football. He simply doesn't give a flying fvck as to what most folks think.

I think it is pretty likely that he will be fascinated and inspired with what it means to be immersed in a culture of excellence and winning. I think any artistic free-thinker would be completely stoked for the experience, but one big corollary to this situation is that it is no sure thing whether he wil react well to being second-fiddle to Gronk.

I suppose it could go either way. He could see himself as McCartney to Gronk's Lennon and the dynamic tension could make them the finest TE combo in football history. Or, he could become frustrated that he isn't the straw that stirs the drink.

God, this is one fascinating signing by the Pats. I cannot wait to see how it plays out and I see no reason not to feel stoked about it despite just how different and unique Bennett's personality is from the Foxboro archetype.

Thanks, Lisa. I really enjoyed that.

:thumb:
 
sg14 said:
Either way the gain is more than what we gave up. So we gain a very good player for a year and a gain in draft pickings...

So why isn't there a line of other teams doing this??
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Following the old rule of thumb that a 4th next year is worth a 5th this year we'll probably stay about even on draft pick.

Many teams don't fully understand the value of the comp pick concept. And most of them don't have BB's ability to get the best out of those one-year rentals in a way that would increase the players value enough to get them a high comp pick anyway. Besides, many decision makers in the NFL are not as smart as one would expect, considering how much money is involved.
 
PatsFanLisa said:
Oh boy. Might be a bit of a head case.

http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/September-2015/Martellus-Bennett/
Click to expand...

Hawg73 said:
Wow. I knew enough about Bennett to be concerned with whether or not he'd be a fit in Foxboro, but this article was simply off the hook. It was long enough and well-written enough to give me a better perspective on what kind of guy he really is and while it doesn't guarantee that he is going to really feel comfortable with the requirements of being a Patriot, I've decided that I have probably misjudged him.

My take now is that Bennett is very bright and an iconoclast. He isn't self-conscious about who he is and rolls with creative inspiration as a part of his daily routine regardless of what people may expect from a top athlete in a macho sport such as football. He simply doesn't give a flying fvck as to what most folks think.

I think it is pretty likely that he will be fascinated and inspired with what it means to be immersed in a culture of excellence and winning. I think any artistic free-thinker would be completely stoked for the experience, but one big corollary to this situation is that it is no sure thing whether he wil react well to being second-fiddle to Gronk.

I suppose it could go either way. He could see himself as McCartney to Gronk's Lennon and the dynamic tension could make them the finest TE combo in football history. Or, he could become frustrated that he isn't the straw that stirs the drink.

God, this is one fascinating signing by the Pats. I cannot wait to see how it plays out and I see no reason not to feel stoked about it despite just how different and unique Bennett's personality is from the Foxboro archetype.

Thanks, Lisa. I really enjoyed that.

:thumb:
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Here's what I like about that article.

1. His Zoovie movie was deeply revealing about how he has always seen himself as an outsider with a theme park mind that is imagining 24/7.

2. He took meticulous notes (“Use my hands more in second-level releases . . . Two-point stance could be better . . . Don’t have to drop my weight . . . Brian McCaskey prefers to be called Brian”) and asked endless questions. “At first the coaches thought that I was a pain in the ass,” Bennett says. “But when they saw the way I went about my work, they knew I wasn’t just a know-it-all. I’m really curious.” On one page of his notebook, he scrawled two goals: “Top TE in NFL. Super Bowl.” “The biggest misconception is that he doesn’t take football seriously,” says Bears safety Ryan Mundy. “Sure, he’s got things he’s interested in outside the game, but when it’s football season, he’s all about football, just like anyone else.”


3. Bennett adds, “We’re all products. I’ve got to come back every year as a better product. You know, like the iPhone 7.”
Right now, if any tight end in the league is an iPhone 7, it’s Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots. Bennett is more of a Samsung Galaxy. When Gronkowski racked up 149 yards and three touchdowns against the Bears in a game last season, Bennett took it as a personal affront. How am I going to outplay this maniac? He’s rarely mentioned alongside Gronk or even Jimmy Graham, the new Seahawks tight end, a fact that obviously rankles him. Behind the goofy swagger, Bennett desperately wants to be acknowledged for his talents on the field. “They always talk about these other guys all around the league, so it’s kind of like a chip on my shoulder when I go out there and play because they never really mention me,” he told ESPN’s Web site last September after scoring two touchdowns in a 27–19 win over the New York Jets. “But that’s how it is sometimes. A lot of people who are geniuses, they really didn’t realize it until they were dead.”


4. Bears followers tend to be more interested in the past. “It’s ‘ ’85 Bears’ this and ‘ ’85 Bears’ that,” says Bennett. “ ‘Oh, if you had just done this or that like the ’85 Bears.’ Same with the organization. They stress the team’s history instead of the present.” Even if true, these are not the kinds of things you say publicly in the NFL. So why does Bennett say them? Because he sees football in a progressive way that few players do


5. It’s easy to believe Bennett when he says he doesn’t have many friends. While he’s undeniably magnetic, there’s a hint of the loner in him. One might assume Bennett’s teammates don’t know what to make of a guy who routinely tweets about Harry Potter and puts copies of The Power of Now and Creative Confidence in their lockers. But he’s become a sort of unhinged guru in the locker room. “He’s definitely a leader,” says Mundy. “He just doesn’t lead in the usual way. You have to expand your idea about what a leader is. Marty is a leader because he’s not afraid to be himself. To me, that’s more courageous than anything.”


6. “He seems cool to me,” Bennett says of Fox, whom he met after blinking first and reporting to the team’s not-so-voluntary minicamp in June. “All the guys from the Broncos said that I’ll love playing for him. Honestly, it doesn’t matter. I just want to win. It’s definitely a change from the last leader we had.”


Bennett IS different because he's driven by his inner fantasy-self to fulfill his dream of making animated movies & building a theme park one day. I say good for him...Walt Disney did pretty well. But at the same time he's driven to use his talents and skills to be the best TE he can be. He understands that football and the money he makes from it can be the springboard to his dream. He's serious about football but realizes it's a means to an end.



Belichick and Bennett are going to get along just fine imo. Both have highly functioning minds, both carry the weight of being 'different' bc of the way they think, both are driven towards rapid and continuous improvement in what they do and both are innovative leaders. They can learn a lot from each other.


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