The Patriots used a second-round draft pick on cornerback Duke Dawson last season, but he suffered a hamstring injury and never got on the field. And now he’s leaving New England without having ever played a game.
Dawson was traded to the Broncos, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports. The Patriots are getting the Broncos’ sixth-round draft pick while the Broncos are getting Dawson plus the Patriots’ seventh-round draft pick.
The 23-year-old Dawson didn’t appear to have done enough to earn a 53-man roster spot in New England, so the Patriots were surely glad to get anything for him in a trade. The Broncos likely figured a player who went in the second round last year wouldn’t make it to them on waivers.
When Bill Belichick decides to move on from a player, he doesn’t wait. Most teams wouldn’t want to get rid of a second-round pick after one year, but the Patriots were ready to move on.