Report: Pats acquire linebacker Jon Bostic from Bears


According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Patriots have acquired linebacker Jon Bostic from the Chicago Bears in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick, pending a physical.

Bostic has yet to play this season as he's recovering from an ankle injury.

The Bears have opened the season 0-3, and coming off their utterly embarrassing performance against the Seahawks in which they punted on all 10 of their possessions, management is already waiving the white flag and burning the operation to the ground. They dealt defensive end Jarred Allen early in the day to the Panthers, and reports indicate the team is looking to deal off more pieces left over from the Marc Trestman regime. 

A second-round pick back in 2013, Bostic is an athletic and gifted backer that hasn't quite yet lived up to expectations. In two seasons, he's appeared in 29 games and started 17, recording 140 total tackles, four pass breakups, one interception and one fumble recovery. He often gets swallowed up in the run game and has trouble keeping up in pass coverage, yet overall, he's a solid player that can fill a depth role in the unit.

This is now the second year in a row the Patriots have brought in mid-season linebacker help, mirroring their moves to acquire Jonathan Casillas and Akeem Ayers last year.

It'll be curious to see where Bostic fits into the Patriots' plans, but it's hard not to draw a line to Jerod Mayo. Mayo has seen limited time thus far this season, partly because of the scheme the defense is playing and partly because he's still recovering from back-to-back season-ending surgeries he suffered. We don't believe that the team is looking to move on from Mayo just yet, rather they're making sure they're covered in case Mayo begins to trend downward through the season.