After narrowly missing out on defensive end Michael Bennett from the Seahawks, Bill Belichick has secured defensive tackle Danny Shelton in a trade with the Cleveland Browns.
The Patriots dealt a 2019 3rd round pick in return for Shelton and a 2018 5th-rounder. This deal is beneficial for the Patriots in that it allows them to recoup a 5th round selection that they lost in a deal for Cassius Marsh last year, and it gives them an immediate upgrade on the defensive line. It’s also worth noting that Shelton comes with an inexpensive $2 million price tag for the 2018 season and a team option--worth about $7 million-- for the 2019 season.
Shelton was an AP First Team All-American selection back in 2014 while playing for the Washington Huskies before Cleveland selected him with the 12th pick in the 2015 draft. Shelton, a massive (he stands an impressive 6’2”, 335 pounds) yet nimble run-stuffing specialist, has not maximized his potential as a player with the Browns through his first three seasons as a professional. He has quietly started 44 out of a possible 48 games and has performed reliably, accumulating 71 tackles over that span. Of course, Shelton has only won four games in his three year career, which is fewer than the number of Patriots playoff wins over the past two seasons.
Although Shelton will likely never become the perennial Pro-Bowler many projected him to be coming out of the draft, a change of scenery could allow Shelton to flourish as a two-down role player. Considering the dearth of talent on the Patriots’ defensive front, Shelton will immediately slot in with Malcolm Brown and Lawrence Guy as the top dogs in the defensive tackle rotation.
After allowing a staggering 6.1 yards per rush and failing to register a single sack in Super Bowl LII, it’s reassuring that Belichick has already set his sights on improving the front seven. Shelton will play a large role in the run game, but by no means does his addition mean that all of the front seven’s needs have been addressed. Without question, the Patriots will continue to add talent on the edges and in the middle of the defense to prevent something like the 538 yard-41 point-zero sack Super Bowl fiasco from happening again. Shelton is certainly a piece of the puzzle, but free agency and the draft will hopefully provide more.
(Image via Sports Illustrated)
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