The New England Patriots traded away Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons on Wednesday night in a move that sent shockwaves throughout the NFL.
Many Patriots fans were upset by the move, as Judon had been a staple of the Patriots’ pass-rushing attack for the last three seasons. However, there were reportedly at least two executives who were surprised by the return the Patriots got in the trade.
NBC Sports Boston’s Phil A. Perry shared his insights on the move Wednesday night.
“I talked to a couple of executives just tonight about an hour or so ago. One of them use the word ‘shocked’ to describe the return that the Patriots got, figured that it would be a later round pick,” said Perry. “I think even the Patriots, if you gave them some truth serum, were surprised that they ended up getting a third-round pick for Matthew Judon.”
"I talked to a couple of executives tonight, one of them used the words 'shocked' to describe the return the Patriots got."@PhilAPerry on Matthew Judon trade 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/ljzOdYbFho
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) August 15, 2024
The move undoubtedly was a tough pill to swallow for Patriots fans, who enjoyed both Judon’s production on the field and personality off it.
This could be one of those hard moves that ends up paying off in the long run for a Patriots organization currently undergoing a rebuild.