Don't Be Surprised If Patriots Sign 'Finisher' At Edge Rusher
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The New England Patriots find themselves in an interesting position going into the 2026 NFL season. On one hand, they are fresh off a Super Bowl run as the reigning AFC Champions. On the other hand, their roster needed a lot of work when free agency kicked off.
The Patriots were able to fill their needs and make several key signings in the first two weeks of the new season, for the most part.
Edge rusher remains a position of need ahead of next month’s NFL Draft.
While I fully expect the Patriots to use their first-round pick on a pass rusher, I still can see a future in which New England makes national headlines by signing a big-name defensive end.
It feels weird to put the Patriots, who finished 4-13 in back-to-back seasons before hiring head coach Mike Vrabel, in the conversation to make a luxury signing like this. But it seems as though he and Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf have elevated this roster to a point that spending $10 million on a handful of sacks could be a realistic ask.
In past years, we’ve seen teams like the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens buy low on proven sack getters who have seen other aspects of their overall game deteriorate.
Could the Patriots be the latest team to buy in on this trend? NFL.com’s Matt Okada thinks so.
“New England could shift that trade capital to acquire Maxx Crosby from the Raiders. Mike Vrabel's defense would be an absolute terror with the five-time Pro Bowler on the edge,” Okada wrote. “The more mild and realistic option is to draft an edge rusher in the first round and sign one of the well-seasoned rotational veterans still on the market -- Joey Bosa, Haason Reddick, Cameron Jordan or former Patriot Kyle Van Noy.”
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