Patriots Deal Ellis Hobbs

The Patriots just sent cornerback Ellis Hobbs to the Eagles in exchange for the 137th and 141st overall picks. Hobbs, a staple of the Patriots secondary since 2005, was originally a third-round pick out of Iowa State. Hobbs, an excellent kickoff returner for the Pats (he holds the NFL record for longest kickoff return, 108 yards in 2007) gets boxed out from a secondary that has had six players added to it in this offseason.

New England added Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs in free agency. They also took corner Darius Butler from UConn in the second round and took a safety, Patrick Chung, in the second round as well. The Pats also took Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite, another pair of corners, in last year's draft.

Hobbs joins former Pats secondary mate Asante Samuel in Philly and good be insurance if Sheldon Brown continues to agitate  (or escalates) about his contract.

Hobbs is not a good matchup on the outside because he's very short but his speed makes him an excellent nickel guy who can match up very well on slot receivers.