Chandler Jones traded for G Jonathan Cooper & Arizona's 2016 Rd. 2 pick

nattysez

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From Schefter:

Cards-Pats blockbuster from @diannaESPN and me: Cards trade G Jonathan Cooper + 2nd-rd pick to NE for DE Chandler Jones, per sources.
Edit:

I was pretty surprised to see multiple Pats reporters discussing the possibility of moving Jones this morning, but I guess with the expectation that he was about to get expensive, this was the right time to strike. That AZ defense is going to be something else.
 

jsinger121

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That's a great trade for the Patriots. They get guard drafted in the Top 10 and a 2nd round pick which would be higher than they comp pick they would have received.
 

Curll

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Over/under on number of months before he's released, re-signs with the Pats, and contributes again?

I'll say 20 months
 

E5 Yaz

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schefter uses DiannaESPN as a source ... but her Twitter feed doesn't have it
 

MICHAELG63

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Love the trade, Jones a great defender, but strengthened out line and got a 2nd round pick. Could not ask for more and now if we also sign Long this is a win-win-win
 

jablo1312

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Love it. Once concern is that they're going to have to pay Cooper a whole lot of money in a couple of years...
 

SeoulSoxFan

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Quick note on Cooper, per wiki:
Cooper was widely considered one of the top guard prospects in the 2013 NFL Draft, along with Chance Warmack. After the NFL Combine, Sports Illustrated projected him as the No. 10 overall selection.[8] North Carolina had not seen one of their offensive lineman taken in the first round since tackle Harris Barton was drafted in the first round (No. 22 overall) by the San Francisco 49ers in 1987. Cooper was drafted seventh overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2013 NFL Draft. He is the highest selected offensive guard since Jim Dombrowski in 1986 NFL Draft.
 

tims4wins

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Love it. Once concern is that they're going to have to pay Cooper a whole lot of money in a couple of years...
Well they would have the 5th year option next year, and then if he works out, you either let him walk for a compensatory pick, or sign him. It wouldn't be a bad problem to have.
 

Shelterdog

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Anyone watch Cooper at all last year? He was supposedly an unbelievable athlete and prospect but then he missed his first season and barely played his second. If he's anything like the player he was supposed to be coming out of college then with Mason and Cooper we have not only two guys whose names are occupations at Sturbidge Village but also as athletic a pair of guards as you'll find anywhere.
 
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Can Cooper play? I'm at a loss for evaluating Olinemen.

top 10 pick in 2013 is meaningless at this point in his career. What he has done in the NFL trumps that draft status many many times over by now.
 

Jeff Van GULLY

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Pats gain $7.79 million in cap space in trading Jones and add in $4.63 million by adding Cooper, gaining $3.16 million total.

Edit: Or may not. May actually be more savings. Miguel from Pats cap is saying Cooper's hit to the Pats is only $2.3 mil
 

E5 Yaz

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One Twitter feed suggested the Cardinals were going to move Cooper to center for next season
 

Smiling Joe Hesketh

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I wonder if the team's concerns about Jones after that bizarre synth weed episode indirectly led to this trade. When his head is on straight he's a helluva player, but I wonder if his head wasn't on straight.
 

SeoulSoxFan

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Is Cooper any good? He lost his job after an injury this year, IIRC.
From Roto (yeah, yeah, I know):
Cooper began 2015 as the starting right guard but lost his job to Ted Larsen halfway through the year. Incumbent C Lyle Sendlein is a free agent and beat writer Kent Somers doesn't see Arizona making a push for Alex Mack. Some draftniks viewed Cooper as a better fit at center than guard coming out of UNC.

Including the playoffs, Cardinals RG Jonathan Cooper was benched for the final seven games of the season. Cooper missed two games with a knee injury, and was then banished to the bench because Ted Larsen was "playing better," in the words of coach Bruce Arians. The No. 7 overall pick of the 2013 draft, injuries and ineffectiveness have limited Cooper to 11 total starts through three seasons. With Larsen heading to free agency, Cooper should get another shot at a starting job, but it's far from a guarantee he earns it.
Losing starting job to the corpse of Ted Larson isn't a good sign, but

 

C4CRVT

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Pff re-grading the 2013 draft:

7. Jonathan Cooper, OG, Cardinals

Key Stat: Just 189 snaps on the field in his first two years.

Grade: Incomplete

Cooper suffered a horrible injury during his rookie preseason, and it’s been a struggle getting back since then. Too soon to judge, in this case.
 

E5 Yaz

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Lots-o-picks:

@DanHellie .@Patriots are stockpiling picks. NE now has 4 picks in top 100: 60,61,91,96 (2 2nd rounders & 2 3rd rounders) @nflnetwork
Any doubt they try to move up in the top half of the second round
 

SeoulSoxFan

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I wonder if the team's concerns about Jones after that bizarre synth weed episode indirectly led to this trade. When his head is on straight he's a helluva player, but I wonder if his head wasn't on straight.
Also, lots of "leaks" on various Pats sources on how they're excited about Grissom & Flowers.
 

jsinger121

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I wonder if the team's concerns about Jones after that bizarre synth weed episode indirectly led to this trade. When his head is on straight he's a helluva player, but I wonder if his head wasn't on straight.
Jones disappeared at times in games. He isn't Von Miller and was going to get paid more than Vernon. They got a top 10 pick in 2013 and a 2nd round pick. That was more than they would have gotten via a 3rd round comp pick.
 

soxfan121

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Cooper has barely played, and when he has, it has not been particularly impressive. He's probably better at pass blocking than mason right now, but that's not saying much.
 

Shelterdog

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Jones disappeared at times in games. He isn't Von Miller and was going to get paid. They got a top 10 pick in 2013 and a 2nd round pick. That was more than they would have gotten via a 3rd round comp pick.
He was very effective against lesser tackles but struggled against better ones (I'm thinking of how Peters and Tyron Smith shut him down). He's an asset to a team but somebody is going to give him way too much (80-100 million, much of it guaranteed?).
 

SeoulSoxFan

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Cooper has barely played, and when he has, it has not been particularly impressive. He's probably better at pass blocking than mason right now, but that's not saying much.
True, but Mason, Jackson (knee scope not withstanding), Stork, Andrews, and now Cooper are all really young. I believe in Scar.
 

j44thor

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If you aren't going to resign Jones then a late 2nd rd pick this year is better than a late 3rd rd pick in two years.
Cooper seems to be a reclamation project, perhaps depth.
 

E5 Yaz

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I think we have to look at Cooper as the third- or fourth-best part of the deal for the Pats

1. Second-round pick
2. Increased cap space
3. Contract and/or off-field headache removal
4. Cooper
 

SeoulSoxFan

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Miguel with an update cap number (man, he's fast):

@patscap New cap space number of $17,629,526 includes trading Chandler Jones and picking up Jonathan Cooper's 675K salary and $1,713,954 roster bonus
 

amarshal2

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I think we have to look at Cooper as the third- or fourth-best part of the deal for the Pats

1. Second-round pick
2. Increased cap space
3. Contract and/or off-field headache removal
4. Cooper
I don't think so. He's got a reasonably big cap hit for a G with a jump expected next year. The Pats aren't taking him if they don't believe he can be an asset. Either that and he's a total flier nobody believes in so, you're right, and he might not make it through camp.
 

ifmanis5

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Jones became a baggage player and those guys don't last with BB. Shame he couldn't keep it all together. Totally disappearing against the Broncos in the AFCCG probably didn't help him either.
 

Pandemonium67

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With the Pats strong on the D-line, C Jones was the most expendable of the holy Hightower, Collins, Butler, Jones quartet of guys coming up soon for new contracts. Throw in the bizarre weed issue -- in the post-season no less -- and I think Jones' fate was sealed.

I love the move. Stockpiling the 2nd and 3rd round picks is a prelude to more deals; BB will deal a 2nd rounder this year for a first in 2017. His long play is to have eight first round picks in 2019.
 

E5 Yaz

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I don't think so. He's got a reasonably big cap hit for a G with a jump expected next year. The Pats aren't taking him if they don't believe he can be an asset. Either that and he's a total flier nobody believes in so, you're right, and he might not make it through camp.
Up above, we've been told the tradeoff from Jones's salary gives the Pats more room
 

Joshv02

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Pats gain $7.79 million in cap space in trading Jones and add in $4.63 million by adding Cooper, gaining $3.16 million total.

Edit: Or may not. May actually be more savings. Miguel from Pats cap is saying Cooper's hit to the Pats is only $2.3 mil
The Pats are only on the hook for the annual salary (675,000) and any not-yet-paid bonuses, like the roster bonus he is due (~1.7m). The signing bonus he was already paid is included in AZ's salary cap. So, its a savings of about $5mm.

Or what the much more reputable Miguel already said.
 

j44thor

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Too bad we couldn't have grabbed one of AZ WR instead of Cooper. Almost wonder if NE had to take on Cooper for cap purposes.
 

Mooch

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With 4 picks in rounds 2/3, the Pats can roll the dice on at least two potential Jones replacements in a draft that is very deep at that position. Love this trade.
 

C4CRVT

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Chances are that if the Cardinals traded him plus a #2 for Jones, his injuries have robbed him of the athleticism that made him special. Of course there's a chance that he could regain his form but who would know better than Arizona whether or not he's healthy enough to do that?
 

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I don't think so. He's got a reasonably big cap hit for a G with a jump expected next year. The Pats aren't taking him if they don't believe he can be an asset. Either that and he's a total flier nobody believes in so, you're right, and he might not make it through camp.
Cooper doesn't have much leverage if the Pats ask him to restructure.
 

E5 Yaz

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Too bad we couldn't have grabbed one of AZ WR instead of Cooper. Almost wonder if NE had to take on Cooper for cap purposes.
The wideouts are better players and might have reduced the second-rounder to a third or fourth
 

amarshal2

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Up above, we've been told the tradeoff from Jones's salary gives the Pats more room
His cap hit is $3.5M which is not nothing. Knowing that the Patriots put a pretty high value on $3.5M in cap space, I would think that they see something in Cooper -- they're not throwing away $3.5M in cap. I also assume that, given his draft status, Cooper was of some value on the trade market. Therefore if the Pats didn't see value AZ would have been better off trading him somewhere else. Clearly the Pats saw some value.

Either that or the consensus on Cooper is that he's not worth much and the Pats are just taking a flier on a guy they can always cut. I'm guessing this isn't the case but you might be right.