Kyle Van Noy proved his doubters wrong after the New England Patriots acquired him during the 2016 season in a trade with the Detroit Lions.
Four years later, the veteran linebacker parlayed his success in New England into a major payday with the Miami Dolphins in NFL free agency.
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Van Noy, during a recent appearance on the "Double Coverage" podcast hosted by Patriots defensive backs Devin and Jason McCourty, explained the Dolphins' approach to signing him as a free agent and how it became clear Miami was the spot for him.
“Obviously there was a lot of unknowns, but I was confident in my play,” Van Noy said. “And then it was Miami all the way. They came out strong out of the gates.
They made it clear they wanted me as a priority, that they wanted me to come in and be a leader. Really just came strong and everybody else kind of backed off or didn’t even come in at all. So, that made my decision pretty clear.
Van Noy signed a four-year contract with the Dolphins worth a reported $51 million. The 29-year-old linebacker spent a little more than three seasons with the Patriots and helped them win three Super Bowl championships. He played well in 2019 with 6.5 sacks, 56 total tackles, three forced fumbles and three passes defensed in 15 games.
Van Noy wasn't the only Patriots player to head down to Miami in free agency. Linebacker Elandon Roberts and center Ted Karras also signed with the Dolphins. All three of them will be reunited with Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who spent 15 seasons in the New England organization before leaving for Miami following Super Bowl LIII.