Bill Belichick and the Patriots’ front office have been quite active to begin this legal tampering period prior to the start of the league year. New England is reportedly interested in adding star pass-rusher Matthew Judon, who’s spent the first five seasons of his career with the Baltimore Ravens.
This report comes shortly after the Patriots agreed to multi-year contracts with both tight end Jonnu Smith and nose tackle Davon Godchaux.
Judon, 28, has been an extremely important part of an impressive Ravens’ defense since rising to a starting role back in 2017. He’s totaled 34.5 sacks in his career so far, more than any other player in New England during that time.
The #Patriots may not be done: They are making a major push to sign #Ravens pass-rusher Matt Judon, per me and @MikeGarafolo. Big move on D.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 15, 2021
The Patriots have had a huge need at pass rusher since Trey Flowers departed for Detroit before the 2019 season. Signing Judon would immediately improve the team’s overall defense and could make the potential departure of Stephon Gilmore less hurtful.
Judon could dominate on the field and help younger pass rushers like Chase Winovich and Josh Uche get more adjusted to the NFL. And, maybe the most important aspect for Belichick, Judon hasn’t missed many games. In five seasons, he’s been inactive for four games.
A deal for Judon, who spent last season on the franchise tag, would likely be near the top of the edge rusher market. The top five at the position are making over $20 million annually, so we can expect a contract for the Raven to be right around that number.
