New England acquired Martellus Bennett and a sixth-round pick…
New England acquired Martellus Bennett and a sixth-round pick from Chicago for a fourth-round selection. Bennett caught 55 passes for 701 yards and seven touchdowns in 2016, then became especially important after Rob Gronkowski was lost for the season and contributed throughout the Patriots' Super Bowl LI run. Chicago used the fourth-rounder on Deiondre' Hall, who made only a limited impact. New England won comfortably.
Chicago Bears Received
- pick 2016 4th round pick (127th overall, Deiondre' Hall)
New England Patriots Received
- pick Martellus Bennett and 2016 6th round pick (204th overall subsequently traded, Jordan Lucas )
Trade Analysis
New England acquired Martellus Bennett at exactly the right point in its championship window. The Patriots sent a fourth-round pick to Chicago and received Bennett plus a sixth-round selection. The initial appeal was pairing Bennett with Rob Gronkowski, giving Tom Brady two large, versatile tight ends. The deal became even more important when Gronkowski's 2016 season ended because of back surgery.
Bennett responded with one of the best seasons of his career. He caught 55 passes for 701 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season, started 12 games and remained on the field throughout New England's postseason run. He played through injuries and gave the offense a reliable receiving and blocking option as the Patriots advanced to and won Super Bowl LI.
Chicago's return was pick No. 127, used on defensive back Deiondre' Hall. Hall appeared in 14 games as a rookie but never became a regular defensive starter for the Bears. He spent parts of three seasons with Chicago before being traded to Philadelphia in 2018. The Bears were clearly ready to move on from Bennett, but the draft return did not develop into a comparable contributor.
The sixth-round pick that went to New England was later moved, so it is not necessary to assign the Patriots additional star value from that piece. The core comparison is enough: one side received a productive starting tight end during a championship season, while the other received a reserve defensive back.
The original grades hold up well. New England earns an A because Bennett filled a major need, produced immediately and helped the team win a Super Bowl. Chicago earns a D+ because it extracted some draft value from a player it wanted to move but did not turn that selection into a meaningful long-term starter. The Patriots are the decisive winner.