Offensive lineman Josh Kline was thought to be part of the Eagles’ return for cornerback Eric Rowe, but Kline will instead be sticking with the Patriots, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Rowe is still heading to New England, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link), and it’s possible that New England cuts Kline, per Schefter.
Kline, 26, joined the Patriots in 2013 as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State. After getting four starts in his first two seasons, Kline became a full-time starter last year. In November, the Pats extended the guard through the 2017 season, but he was beat out for a starting job this offseason by trade acquisition Jonathan Cooper and rookie Joe Thuney.
Had he gone to the Eagles, Kline would have been immediately shopped, as reports this morning indicated that Philadelphia was looking to trade the offensive line mere minutes after acquiring him. The Eagles were apparently in “deep discussions” about a trade that would have sent Kline elsewhere, but that clearly won’t happen now.
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