In the last edition of “Patriots Free Agency Focus,” we took an in-depth look at the Patriots’ running back outlook. Today, we turn our focus to the defense.
As we saw in Super Bowl LII, the offense functioned very well, scoring 33 points on an Eagles defense that had given up a combined 17 points in the two previous rounds of the playoffs. The Patriots lost the Super Bowl because their defense allowed an embarrassing 41 points. Say what you want about the Malcolm Butler situation, but the team’s biggest weakness in that game was the pass rush.
Despite the fact that Nick Foles dropped back to pass a total of 43 times, the Patriots collected zero sacks. None. Nada. Zilch. Although it had respectable numbers during the regular season and in the divisional round of the playoffs, the Patriots’ pass rush was nonexistent when it mattered most. Conversely, it was the Eagles pass rush--with Brandon Graham’s strip sack of Brady--that all but won Philly the game.
If the Patriots are going to maximize the Brady/Belichick window and compete for another Super Bowl, they are going to have to upgrade the pass rush this offseason.
In today’s NFL, the line between defensive end and pass rush is so heavily blurred that for the purpose of this article I am just going to lump them together as edge defenders.
Patriots Free Agents
The Patriots actually have very few edge free rushers poised to enter free agency. These players include Geneo Grissom, James Harrison, and Marquis Flowers. At this point in their careers, none of these players are blue-chip talents, and none would command a big payday should they be re-signed. In my opinion, Harrison seems a little too past his prime to be a legitimate contributor going forward. His poor play in the Super Bowl was evident, as he seldom affected Nick Foles on passing downs. Grissom has primarily been a special teams player, and I have no problem re-signing him to a contract that fits that role. At this point, it is unlikely that Grissom develops into anything more than that. Flowers was a nice pickup in a trade with the Bengals, but signing him will have no strong bearing on the fortunes of the Patriots’ pass rush. I say let Harrison go and only sign Flowers or Grissom if it’s on the cheap. The addition of the injured Derek Rivers in 2018 could be a nice bonus, but this is a position in need of outside help.
Free Agent Targets
Given the significant need, it appears likely that the Patriots will target an edge rusher at some point in the draft. With that being said, there are several free agent targets that could bolster the team’s pass rush. The three targets I could see the Patriots pursuing are Ezekiel Ansah, Dee Ford, and Junior Gallette. Ansah and Ford are both talented players coming off rookie contracts, and both have had up and down careers as a result of injury and/or inconsistent play. Ansah is the premiere player of the bunch, with a pro bowl under his belt and a high level of pass rush production. Signing him would require clever cap management, but his pass rush tenacity could go a long way for the Patriots. Dee Ford is a younger player at age 26, and, given his first round pedigree, I could see him taking the next step in his career as a member of the Patriots. He has the versatility as an edge defender that the Patriots seem to covet, and he would likely be significantly less expensive than Ansah. Gallette is a different case: after recording back to back double-digit sack seasons for the Saints, he missed two consecutive years of football with domestic violence issues and injuries. He seems like a perfect candidate for a Patriots revival and could serve as a “diamond in the rough” type of signing.
Editor's note: Ezekiel Ansah has since been franchise tagged by the Detroit Lions
(Images Via Pats Pulpit and Sporting News)
Comments