The New England Patriots acquired linebacker Keith Van Noy from the Detroit Lions and shipped tight end A.J. Derby to the Denver Broncos in two separate trades on Tuesday.
New England received a fifth-round draft pick from the Broncos in the deal for Derby. The Patriots sent a sixth-rounder to the Lions and received Van Noy plus a seventh-round pick.
Van Noy, a second-round pick in 2014, has been considered an underachiever with the Lions. But New England was looking for insurance at linebacker with Jamie Collins (hip) and Dont’a Hightower (knee) both playing through injuries.
Derby was a sixth-round pick in 2015 and doesn’t have an NFL catch. But Broncos general manager John Elway is high on the 25-year-old.
“A.J. is a young tight end who can help us immediately,” Elway said in a press release. “He has tremendous upside and will fit in well on our team.”
Denver waived safety Shiloh Keo to open up a roster spot. Keo has played with the Houston Texans and the Broncos since reaching the NFL in 2011.
Detroit re-signed linebacker Josh Bynes to fill the opening created by Van Noy’s trade.
Bynes had a career-best 82 tackles for the Lions last season but was released with an injury settlement after suffering a knee injury in the preseason.
