Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots ended up missing the playoffs this season in what was an all-around major disappointment of a year. From Mac Jones having a roller-coaster season to the rest of the team playing very inconsistent as well, the Patriots will enter the offseason with a long to do list. In order to get back into serious contention, some moves will need to be made.
One bright spot for New England was the pass-rush put on by Matthew Judon. However, the team should look to add another quality pass-rusher to take some pressure off of Judon from the other edge.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Patriots are the best potential free agency destination for veteran pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney. He would certainly from a lethal two-man pass-rushing game with Judon.
“The Patriots have earned a top-10 run-defense grade in three of the past four seasons, and Clowney can help them build on that strength. The former South Carolina product has earned a 91.0 run-defense grade for his career, which ranks fifth for his position since 2014. With Bill O’Brien also joining the Patriots coaching staff as offensive coordinator, Clowney would have the chance to reunite with the coach who helped draft him first overall eight years ago.”
Why The Patriots Should Pursue Jadeveon Clowney
During the 2022 season with the Cleveland Browns, Clowney ended up playing in just 12 games. His production was not great and a change of scenery would be ideal. Clowney ended up recording 28 total tackles to go along with two sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and three defended passes.
In 2021, he put together a much better stat line. He ended the year with 37 tackles, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, and two defended passes.
Clearly, Clowney still has some good football left in the tank. He simply needs to land in a position to be given the best chance to succeed. New England has always had a good ability to sign veteran players and get them back to playing at an elite level.
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At 29 years of age, Clowney is entering what could be his last chance to land a meaningful contract. There will be quite a few teams with interest in adding more pass-rushing, but he must be careful with his choice. Simply looking at the track record of the Patriots when it comes to signing veterans should be enough to make New England one his top choices.
For the Patriots, bringing in Clowney would give them a lethal pass-rush on paper. If he can get back to playing at his usual elite level, the duo of Clowney and Judon would be among the best in the NFL.
Expect to see the Patriots look to be very active this offseason. Belichick and company do not like losing and will look to be aggressive to turn things around quickly.
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