Pats Trade for DE Derrick Burgess from Oakland

Patriots trade for Oakland's Derrick Burgess

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) The New England Patriots obtained defensive end Derrick Burgess on Thursday after the two-time Pro Bowl player held out of the Oakland Raiders training camp in hopes of being traded.

The Patriots gave up undisclosed draft considerations for Burgess, who is coming off an injury-plagued season in which he had 3 1/2 sacks in 10 games. New England released offensive lineman Al Johnson.

The trade was announced on the ninth day of Burgess' holdout from the team he recorded 38 1/2 sacks with in four seasons, including a club-record and league-best 16 in 2005. He had 11 the next year and made the Pro Bowl both times.

His total dropped to eight in 2007, but he missed two games.

"He chose not to be here for whatever reasons and now the deal is done and we move forward, as does he," Raiders coach Tom Cable said. "We just moved on without him and it is what it is."

In three seasons with Philadelphia and four with Oakland, the 6-foot-2, 260-pound Burgess had 47 sacks in 85 games. He also missed the 2003 season with a torn Achilles' tendon.

The Patriots were 11-5 last season but had 31 sacks, tied for 14th. The Raiders were 5-11 with 32 sacks.

Burgess is entering the final year of his contract with a $2 million salary and felt underpaid for most of his time with the Raiders. He joined them when he signed a five-year, $18 million contract as a free agent before the 2005 season.

New England and Oakland held discussions around the time of the draft in late April. Then Burgess stayed away from all the Raiders optional offseason workouts and did not go onto the field during May's mandatory minicamp because of a reported upset stomach.

"He'll be just fine in New England's system," Oakland defensive end Jay Richardson said. "I'm sure he'll probably love it out there, coming off the edge like he does. It's funny because it was actually kind of quiet (here), no one really knew. A lot of guys thought sooner or later he'll walk in those doors and we'll keep rolling."

The Eagles drafted Burgess in 2001 with the first pick of the third round out of Mississippi.

The Patriots signed Johnson in March after he spent four seasons with Dallas, which drafted him in the second round in 2003 out of Wisconsin. He played for Arizona in 2007 and was on the Cardinals injured reserve list in 2008 before they released him. He then signed with Miami where he played four games.

- Associated Press