The Patriots continue to adjust their roster in the early portion of the season, building depth where they can find it in order to try to strengthen their team.
According to ESPN, the Patriots dealt a sixth-round pick to the Bears to receive linebacker Jon Bostic in return. The Bears, who are 0-3 to start the season, traded defensive end Jared Allen earlier in the day to the Panthers.
For the Patriots, it's their second trade in the last two weeks. In the days leading up to their Week 2 game against the Bills, the Patriots dealt a fifth-round pick to the Texans in exchange for receiver Keshawn Martin and a sixth-rounder. Martin caught three passes, including Tom Brady's 401st career touchdown pass, in New England's Week 3 win over the Jaguars.
Bostic measures in at 6-foot-1, 245 pounds and could provide the Patriots depth at middle linebacker. The University of Florida product was the 50th overall pick in the 2013 draft, taken two spots before the Patriots drafted Jamie Collins in the second round.
In 2014, Bostic started eight of the 13 games in which he played and made 127 tackles to lead the team. Bostic has not appeared in a game this season as the Bears have shifted from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense. He dealt with shin, hip and back injuries in the offseason that limited his participation in camp.
The Patriots have five off-the-line linebackers on their roster in Collins, Dont'a Hightower, Jerod Mayo, Dekoda Watson and Jonathan Freeny. The clear leaders in terms of snaps through three games at that spot have been Collins (192) and Hightower (171). Mayo has played in 44 defensive plays, while Freeny got 13 of his 15 snaps so far this season against the Jaguars. Watson -- a core special teamer who spent camp with the team, was released and resigned earlier this month -- played three snaps against the Jaguars.