We might as well call them the New England Crimson Tide at this point.
The Patriots acquired 24-year-old linebacker Mack Wilson from the Browns on Tuesday in a trade that sent edge rusher Chase Winovich to Cleveland. The player swap gives the Patriots a little more speed at linebacker as they aim to get more athletic at the position.
It also adds yet another Alabama product to a roster brimming with them.
What to make of Patriots swapping Winovich for Browns’ Mack Wilson
Among those Alabama products is quarterback Mac Jones, who immediately tweeted his approval of the Wilson trade Tuesday.
Jones spent one season as Wilson’s teammate in 2018, when he was a freshman and Wilson was a junior. That Crimson Tide team also featured current Patriots running back Damien Harris and linebacker Anfernee Jennings.
The New England-Alabama connection doesn’t stop there, of course: Add in promising defensive tackle Christian Barmore and veteran linebacker Dont’a Hightower and the Patriots now have a total of six players who went from Tuscaloosa to Foxboro.
Bill Belichick is close with Alabama head coach Nick Saban, so this pipeline isn’t surprising. And with the exception of a few busts (former cornerback Cyrus Jones tops the list), Crimson Tide players have generally found success playing for Belichick.
That’s something to keep in mind entering the 2022 NFL Draft, which features two wide receiver prospects who could interest the Patriots in John Metchie and Jameson Williams.