Dont’a Hightower is the heart and soul of the New England Patriots defense. It would be an insane move if the Pats got rid of him.
Dont’a Hightower is one of the reasons the New England Patriots made the epic comeback in their last Super Bowl victory. Even though he is coming off a brutal pectoral injury, Hightower is one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Why on Earth would you want to trade him?
In the Patriots first preseason game, Hightower was out there for a while. Some would say this was to knock the rust off of Hightower who hasn’t played since last year, but Troy Brown thinks otherwise. The Patriot legend believes that the team was showing Hightower off as they may be looking to trade him.
That would be a bad idea.
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The Patriots are going to need Hightower this season. So here are 3 reasons the New England Patriots can’t get rid of Hightower.
He is their best defensive player
Looking at the Patriots roster right now, I would say Hightower is their best defensive player. Stephon Gilmore pulled it together at the end of the season, but I want him to have a full season of great work before I label him No. 1.
Hightower is a great pass rusher. We saw that in Super Bowl LI. His strip sack was a turning point in the game. Hightower is also serviceable going back in coverage.
I think Hightower should have a great season this year. The Patriots should have a solid pass rush and under Brian Flores, Hightower should flourish.
Also Hightower will play an important role off the field.
Hightower will be a mentor
With Hightower being a Patriots veteran he can pass on some valuable wisdom to some younger players. There is no doubt that Hightower will be the leader of the defense this year. You will see him with the green dot positioning players and reading the offense.
The Patriots have some young players who will be looking to make an impact this season. Ja’Whaun Bentley and Christian Sam are already receiving some high praise from Hightower.
"“Sam is a good kid. He’s obviously good at learning and willing to ask those extra questions, so anything I can do for those young boys — I guess I’m the old head.” “He’s going to be a good ballplayer,” Hightower said of Bentley. “The way he plays is the way he practices, so he’s definitely one of the guys who literally takes the practice execution becomes game reality to that extent. “He’s a young guy, he’s eager to learn, very smart in the classroom, always asking questions. I mean, he can cover, he can do a little bit of everything.”"
Bentley had a particular good game last week. He was one of the best players on defense racking up 6 tackles including two that resulted in a loss. If Bentley continues to play like he did vs the Washington Redskins, he will definitely have a spot on the final roster.
With Hightower’s knowledge of the game, these young players will get some great tips on how to be successful in the NFL. If the Patriots decided to get rid of him it would be a big loss in the locker room.
Hightower is in the prime of his career
Even though Hightower may be the “old head” now he is still in the prime of his career. I expect him to make a big impact this season.
Everyone has been talking about Brian Flores’s new look defense. Apparently the Patriots are going to be more aggressive and I think that suits Hightower’s game. I’m expecting Hightower to get plenty of sacks this season.
With the front 7 looking great, I think the Patriots could finally have a dominant defense. This would make things a lot easier for Tom Brady who will be missing his top wideout for the first month of the season.
So the Patriots would be stupid to trade Hightower. He isn’t like Jamie Collins. Hightower is a leader in the locker room and is still performing on the field. I’m very interested to see what Hightower does this season. I think he will be leaving Patriots fans smiling, and will be hopefully lifting up his 3rd Lombardi Trophy.