New England Patriots: Defensive line named a top upgraded unit

Recently, Pro Football Focus named the most upgraded units so far this offseason. Did the New England Patriots make the list?

Despite a bit of a slow start to the offseason, the New England Patriots have been busy as of late making some moves to improve the team. Even though the Patriots have suffered some losses in free agency, they have been able to make some needed upgrades.

One of the key areas that the Patriots needed to improve was on their defensive line. Last season, the unit wasn’t nearly as good as we have seen in the past. Coming into the offseason, upgrading the defensive line was certainly a priority for them, and so far they have done very well in doing so.

Early on, the Patriots were able to trade for defensive tackle Danny Shelton from the Cleveland Browns in order to strengthen the middle of their defensive line. Shelton has emerged as one of the best run defenders in the league and certainly will help a Patriots run defense that struggled a bit last season.

After the addition of Shelton, the Patriots then went out added Adrian Clayborn to help improve the team on the edge. Clayborn was one of the best edge players in free agency this offseason and should complement the Trey Flowers nicely.

Recently, Pro Football Focus named the Patriots defensive line as one of the top upgraded units in the NFL. Here’s what they had to say.

"New England is generally filled with solid players along the defensive line, but they were a step behind as a unit last season. They took a step back against the run and they lacked the edge defenders to pressure the quarterback in must-pass situations. They’ve added two key pieces in Shelton and Clayborn, both former first-round picks who were linked as potential Patriots back during their respective draft years."

Without a doubt, the Patriots’ defensive line has really improved from last season with the additions of Clayborn and Shelton. Adding Clayborn and Shelton to a defensive line that has two good players in Malcom Brown and Trey Flowers has the Patriots with one of the best defensive lines on paper in the NFL heading into next season.

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After being exposed in the Super Bowl by the Philadelphia Eagles, there was certainly a need to improve the defense. With the additions of Shelton and Clayborn, the Patriots have turned one of their weaknesses from last season into a strength.