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Patriots gridiron news: Push for Michael Bennett means big moves ahead

By Tarringo Basile-vaughan

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 04: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first quarter in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The New England Patriots lost to the Philadelphia Eagles again.  This time for the services of defensive lineman Michael Bennett.

Just over a month after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LII, the New England Patriots lost out again for the services of one of the best defensive linemen in the game.

Let’s start with Wednesday’s big news in the NFL.

In what appears to be the start of some house cleaning, the Seattle Seahawks have agreed to send pass rusher Michael Bennett and a seventh-round pick to the Super Bowl champions in exchange for wide receiver Marcus Johnson and a fifth-round pick.

The bigger news around New England is that the Patriots were not only interested, but reportedly came in with a bigger offer for Bennett.

Apparently, that offer was a third-round pick which made the Seahawks actually “pause” before completing the deal.  Despite not landing Bennett, this means Bill Belichick is at it again and Patriots fans should be encouraged that the team is going after some beef along the defensive line.

While Bennett’s 8.5 sacks last season would’ve fit nicely opposite a young, rising star like Trey Flowers, losing out on the deal could open the door for a bigger move.

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What will that move be?  With Belichick, no one can even predict what he may be up to, but at least he is trying to address one of the team’s biggest needs this offseason.

If Belichick lands an elite pass rusher, perhaps it will soften some of the ridicule he has taken over the last few months starting with the Jimmy Garoppolo deal and ending with the Malcolm Butler drama in Super Bowl LII.

Brian Flores to lead team’s defense

According to a report by Yahoo! Sports on Tuesday, the Patriots will go without a defensive coordinator this upcoming season, but will hand the primary playcalling duties to linebackers coach Brian Flores.

While Flores was a leading candidate to take over as DC when Matt Patricia left for the Detroit Lions head coach job, this is not unusual for Bill Belichick.

The Patriots went without a defensive coordinator in 2010-11 after Dean Pees left.  During that time, Patricia handled the defense before officially taking the title in 2012.

Next: Kenny Britt will excel in New England’s offense

That also appears to be the same path Brian Flores is taking, unless he actually gets a head coaching job in 2019.

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