After acquiring Trent Brown, it appeared as if the Patriots would be moving on from Marcus Cannon. Less than a week later, that’s exactly what happened.

According to the Boston Globe, the Patriots are trading Cannon to the Houston Texans as both teams will be swapping draft picks in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds.

By trading Cannon, the Patriots add even more cap space. The team will clear $7,056,250 million off their salary cap while also occurring $2,566,668 of dead cap space. Add in the rule of 51, which the top 51 players salaries are counted toward the cap number, and the Patriots will officially save around $6.276 million. As of Saturday, the Patriots had just over $67 million in cap space – although that doesn’t count the contracts for Cam Newton or Brown – which is the fourth most in the NFL.

Cannon, 32, sat out last season, opting out due to COVID-19. The Patriots long-time right tackle is opting back in for this upcoming 2021 season, however, he never reported to Gillette Stadium for a physical, unlike the other seven opt outs, according ESPN. Cannon, who is from Odessa, Texas, also moved out of Massachusetts last season. Now, he returns back to Texas.

A fifth-round pick in 2011, Cannon worked his way up as a backup tackle to the team’s starter by 2016. His first year as a starter also marked his best year in the NFL, earning second-team All-Pro honors. Cannon, who dealt with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma during his 2011 season, has been a steady presence in the Patriots offensive line. However, when the Patriots traded for Brown, it seemed obvious that a move with Cannon was next.

For now, the Patriots seem set at tackle with Brown, Isaiah Wynn, Michael Onwenu, Justin Herron and Yodny Cajuste on the roster. The Pats could start Brown, Wynn or Onwenu at tackle next season. They could also move Wynn or Onwenu to left guard to replace Joe Thuney, who is expected to leave in free agency. The Patriots could always look to add more depth in free agency or the draft and that wouldn’t be surprising since Brown is on a one-year deal and Wynn could also be in a contract year if the Pats decline his fifth-year option this spring.

49ERS: The San Francisco 49ers agreed on a five-year, $27 million contract with Kyle Juszczyk that will make him the highest paid fullback in the NFL.

A person familiar with the deal confirmed the terms of the new deal on Sunday night, one day before Juszczyk would be allowed to start talking to other teams before becoming an unrestricted free agent. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the details haven’t been announced by the team.

The deal was first reported by NFL Network.

DOLPHINS-TEXANS TRADE: Benardrick McKinney was traded by the Houston Texans to the Miami Dolphins for Shaq Lawson in a swap of linebackers.

McKinney played in only four games last year because of a shoulder injury, but missed just two starts with Houston from 2016 to 2019 while totaling at least 95 tackles each season, and made the Pro Bowl in 2018.

He was a second-round pick by the Texans in 2015.

Lawson, a 2016 first-round pick by the Buffalo Bills, spent four seasons with them. He had four sacks in 14 games in his only season with Miami.

On Wednesday, the Dolphins released another veteran linebacker, Kyle Van Noy, after one season with the team.

PACKERS: Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones has agreed to a new deal with the Green Bay Packers and won’t be exploring free agency.

Drew Rosenhaus, Jones’ agent, confirmed that his client had agreed on a four-year deal worth $48 million that includes a $13 million signing bonus.

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