The beginning of the new NFL league year on Wednesday did not just represent the official start of free agency, it also opened up the trading window. While teams already agreed to some moves prior to that day, they were not allowed to make them official until the clock struck 4 pm yesterday.
The New England Patriots made two trades last week that fall into this category. After re-acquiring Trent Brown from the Las Vegas Raiders, the Patriots later also sent fellow offensive tackle Marcus Cannon to the Houston Texans.
The Patriots announced both of those trades on Thursday morning, with the NFL transaction wire revealing the final terms.