A year removed from one of the greatest defensive Super Bowl performances ever, Kony Ealy has been traded to the New England Patriots for a second-round draft pick. The Panthers moved Ealy and a third-round selection (#72 Overall) to advance into the second round (#64 Overall). Carolina now has a first-round, two second-round, and a third-round selection. in the 2017 draft.
Ealy's time in Carolina has been interesting at the very least. He was the "blue goose" tackle, Gettleman claimed, teams had to jump on when available. The Panthers had Ealy graded as a first-round talent, according to Gettleman, which created high expectations for both fans and the organization.