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Jets claim DE Kony Ealy after he is cut by rival Patriots

Kony Ealy, cut by the Patriots on Saturday, was claimed by the New York Jets. (AP)
Kony Ealy, cut by the Patriots on Saturday, was claimed by the New York Jets. (AP)

If defensive end Kony Ealy felt wronged by the New England Patriots, who cut him on Saturday, Ealy will have a chance to get his revenge twice a season.

Ealy, perhaps the most surprising cut of the preseason so far, was claimed off waivers by the New York Jets on Sunday according to numerous reports including ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Patriots seem to constantly poach their AFC East rivals for talented players, so we’ll see if the Jets can turn the tables.

The Patriots had started to shop Ealy in a trade after deciding he wasn’t a great fit for their scheme. Not finding a trade partner, the Patriots cut him. While it seemed like the Patriots were admitting a mistake, they didn’t give up too much to get Ealy. They traded a late second-round pick to the Carolina Panthers for Ealy and a third-round pick, only moving down eight spots in the draft. Still, it seemed like Ealy was a nice acquisition for the Patriots and was a bit surprising they moved on so quickly.

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Instead, Ealy will go to the Jets, who don’t have many strengths but do have a strong defensive line. Ealy was mostly disappointing for the Panthers, aside from a great performance in Super Bowl 50, but he did have five sacks in each of the last two seasons and is just 25 years old. It’s a smart move by the Jets to grab him off waivers.

If it ends up being a mistake for the Patriots to cut Ealy loose so quickly, they’ll get to see it firsthand, twice a season.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!