The New England Patriots added yet another downfield weapon for quarterback Tom Brady by acquiring tight end Martellus Bennett from the Chicago Bears.
Chicago announced the deal Thursday after reports surfaced about the potential trade Wednesday. The Bears will receive fourth- and sixth-round picks in next month’s NFL Draft in exchange for Bennett, who caught 208 passes for 2,114 yards and 14 touchdowns in 43 games over three seasons for Chicago.
In New England, Bennett joins an offense that already includes All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski and wide receivers Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola. However, there was little proven depth behind Gronkowski after veteran Scott Chandler had his contract terminated earlier this month. Michael Williams, with three receptions, was the only other tight end on the roster who had a catch in 2015.
Bennett, who turned 29 on March 10, is a 6-foot-6, 273-pound receiving tight end who has 19 touchdowns over his past four seasons. He missed five games last season and finished the year on injured reserve due to injured ribs, finishing with 53 catches for 439 yards and three touchdowns.
Bennett is signed through the 2016 season and is scheduled to earn $5.085 million in base salary.
It is the second significant deal this week for the Patriots, who also shipped defensive end Chandler Jones to the Arizona Cardinals for guard Jonathan Cooper and a second-round pick next month.
The Bears gained the No. 127 and No. 204 overall picks in the 2016 NFL Draft, and re-signed tight end Zach Miller, who is coming off a career year with 34 catches for 439 yards and five touchdowns in his first season in Chicago.
“We will continue to pursue all avenues to make our team better as we prepare for the 2016 season,” Bears general manager Ryan Pace said. “In a perfect world a trade is a win-win for both sides and we believe there is upside to all parties involved in this deal. We were able to acquire a higher pick to help us continue to build our team. We wish Martellus nothing but the best as he continues his career in New England.”
Miller has 79 receptions for 909 yards and nine touchdowns in 48 games in four seasons with Jacksonville from 2009-2011 and Chicago last season. He missed the previous three seasons. He spent 2012 on injured reserve with the Jaguars, failed to make the Buccaneers roster in 2013 and 2014 was on injured reserve again, that time with the Bears.
Chicago also has veteran Rob Housler, who caught three passes for 27 yards last season.
The Patriots also signed former Bears linebacker Shea McClellin to a multiyear deal, multiple media outlets reported.
McClellin’s deal reportedly spans three years and was first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
McClellin, a 26-year-old entering his fifth year in the league, had a career-high 81 total tackles (53 solo, 28 assists) over 12 games last season.
McClellin was believed to be a target of the Patriots in the 2012 draft, according to Schefter, but was selected by the Bears at No. 19 overall– two spots ahead of New England’s pick.