CHARLOTTE – The Panthers have traded defensive end Kony Ealy to the Patriots while swapping draft picks with the Super Bowl champions.
Carolina traded Ealy and their third-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft (72nd overall) in exchange for the Patriots' second-round pick (64th overall).
The rookie contract of Ealy, the Panthers' second-round draft choice in the 2014 draft, is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2017 season. Ealy had 14 sacks over his three regular seasons and tied a record with three sacks in Super Bowl 50 while becoming the first player in the game's history to have multiple sacks and an interception.
Ealy had 30 tackles and five sacks this past season and totaled 73 tackles in his three years.
