The Eagles had the No. 5 defense last season, and the unit played a big part in their first-ever Super Bowl title. And that defense got better on Wednesday when they landed Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett in a trade.

The specifics of the deal are important; the Eagles reportedly got Bennett and a seventh-round pick while the Seahawks received a fifth-rounder and wide receiver Marcus Johnson. But according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, the Patriots (who, incidentally, cut Bennett's brother, Martellus, on Wednesday) made a late push to land the defensive end.

In fact, Rapoport told Seattle's KJR Radio that New England offered a third-round pick.

The Super Bowl exposed the Patriots' lack of a pass rush so Bennett makes sense. But Rapoport reports that the Seahawks and Eagles had all but agreed to the deal before the Patriots made a late push with a better offer. But after "hitting pause" the original trade went through.

The move could be the beginning of the end of Seattle's vaunted defense; Richard Sherman is expected to be released in the coming days and safety Earl Thomas is reportedly available for trade. In Philadelphia, the Eagles will now likely cut pass rusher Vinny Curry, who's scheduled to make $9 million in 2018, if they can't trade him first.

Meanwhile, the Patriots will have to turn to free agency or the draft to find defensive help. According to the most recent round of CBSSports.com mock drafts, the experts have New England using its first-round pick on pass rushers or cornerbacks.