FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – In the immortal words of William Shakespeare, parting is such sweet sorrow.
Earlier in the week, the New England Revolution announced the arrival of defender Will Sands, a talented young left back, from the Columbus Crew in a trade deal that included $600,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM). It is a move that will surely bolster both the Revolution’s roster and their plans for future moves. Heading the other way, however, was DeJuan Jones, who was drafted by New England in 2019 and had been a dedicated warrior for the badge in the years since.
Difficult decisions need to be made all the time in professional sports, and head coach Caleb Porter made clear on Friday that the Jones trade was a tough one to make, but one that ultimately was in the best interest of the club.
“It’s the worst part of the job, having to say goodbye to good players and a really good person,” Porter said. “I think the world of DeJuan – great player, great person. We weren’t looking to trade him; Columbus wanted him, and people don’t trade for bad players, they trade for really good players. In the end we always have to do the right thing for the club, and this offered some [salary] cap and roster flexibility for the front office to be able to make moves. We need to improve, so, as tough as it was, it was necessary for us to add more players.
“As I told him personally, I wish DeJuan all the best. I know he’s going to do great in Columbus. He’s a really good player and an even better person. I really enjoyed working with him. He’s done a lot for this club, and that won’t be forgotten.”
As obviously talented as he is, Jones came to face pressure in recent weeks for his starting spot at left back from Peyton Miller, the 16-year-old Homegrown defender who can only be said to be in the midst of his breakout season. Miller needed the early part of the campaign to recover from an injury, but when Jones came to face his own spell on the sidelines, the Academy product slotted straight into the lineup and gave Porter a lot to think about.
Now, with the move to swap Jones for Sands, Porter felt that the two young talents were ready to hold down the position while allowing for the roster flexibility that the Revs gained from the trade. He also pointed out his experience with Sands from his time coaching the Crew, and said that the New York native brought a profile that would solidify the depth on the left side.
“Peyton Miller, his emergence was a factor, as well,” Porter said. “And we were able to pick up a really solid depth piece in Will Sands … I know Will very well. I like his age – he’s 24 – he’s very hungry, he fits really well in a back four at left back, he’s left footed, good defender. He’s a really solid depth piece. We feel like, with Peyton and Will, that we have the left back position covered. And again, with the assets we acquire, that allows us to add one or two really good pieces.”
