Panthers trade Ealy to New England

Kony Ealy has a new home after spending his first four years in the National Football League with the team that drafted him.

The Carolina Panthers traded Ealy and a third-round draft pick to the New England Patriots for New England's second-round pick on Friday.

Ealy, a former New Madrid County Central and University of Missouri standout, finished with five sacks with the Panthers and lost his starting job to Wes Horton last season. Ealy was a second-round pick for the Panthers in 2014 and had 14 sacks through his first three seasons.