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Patriots acquire LB Kyle Van Noy in trade with Lions, send TE A.J. Derby to Broncos

Trader Bill was back in business on Tuesday, as Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots acquired linebacker Kyle Van Noy from the Detroit Lions.

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Via multiple reports, the Patriots sent a sixth-round pick to Detroit, with the Lions sending Van Noy and a seventh-round pick in the exchange.

Kyle Van Noy, here tackling Green Bay's Eddie Lacy, is headed for New England. (AP)
Kyle Van Noy, here tackling Green Bay’s Eddie Lacy, is headed for New England. (AP)

A second-round pick out of BYU in 2014, Van Noy was finally starting in his third season with the Lions, part of the opening 11 on defense for each of the team’s seven games. He was credited with 23 total tackles and a pass breakup. In his first two years, Van Noy played in 23 games with zero starts.

It’s not a surprise to see the Patriots and Detroit swing a deal: the Lions’ first-year general manager, Bob Quinn, spent 16 years with New England before being hired by Detroit.

The Patriots are one of the few teams that are consistently active before the NFL trade deadline, which this year is Nov. 1, and they are also fond of dealing for linebackers – in 2014, they traded for Jonathan Casillas in-season, and last year it was Jon Bostic.

Not long after word came New England was part of one trade came news it was part of a second: via Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Patriots have agreed to send TE A.J. Derby to the Denver Broncos. Derby, a sixth-round pick in 2015, did not play as a rookie, spending the season on injured reserve. He has played in four games this season.

The Broncos must have really wanted Derby: the Patriots will reportedly receive a 2017 fifth-round pick in return.