New England Patriots Free Agency: What’s Next?
By Hal Bent
DT/DE Ndamukong Suh and DT/DE Sheldon Richardson:
Both Suh and Richardson are penetrating interior defensive linemen. Suh particularly is an interior lineman who has thrived in one-gap systems and will penetrate up-the-field to attack the running backs and quarterbacks behind the line-of-scrimmage. Eighteen years later, and Bill Belichick still does not run that style of defense.
Richardson played in two-gap 3-4 defenses in New York–not of the Belichick model of defense but the more aggressive Rex Ryan/Mike Pettine style of defense. Richardson adapted well in Seattle changing his game to a one-gap, penetrating style and the Seahawks are likely to try and keep him after his successful one-year tryout.
Suh is the most complete defensive lineman in the league still–he is a fit any defense in the league and that is why the Patriots (like 30 other NFL teams) should have interest in him. Unlike Richardson, he was released from his contract and that makes him even more appealing to Belichick. However, the Patriots just traded for Danny Shelton and have the strong and steady Malcom Brown at the position already.
It seem very unlikely that New England signs neither of the two big interior linemen. Instead, if I had to guess I would say that Seattle keeps Richardson and Suh ends up with Jerry Jones in Dallas.