The New England Patriots have begun some housekeeping before the 2026 offseason. They cleared some additional cap space with the release of Antonio Gibson earlier this week, saving around $3 million. Players like Garrett Bradbury, Anfernee Jennings, and Jahlani Tavai could be next, and even Stefon Diggs has been listed as a potential cut candidate.
While the team will likely look to trim some fat, they have over $40 million in cap space and only six unrestricted free agents. New England needs to improve, but they aren't in a bad spot. One free agent that looks sure to receive a big-money deal is K'Lavon Chaisson.
The former LSU Tiger had 10.5 sacks in 20 games across the regular season and postseason. Should New England let him walk, they'll need a replacement.
A recent article from Bleacher Report's Alex Kay suggests that an under-the-radar star could be current Falcon Arnold Ebiketie. While the former Nittany Lion had only two sacks this season, the former No. 38 pick had 12 across the two seasons prior.
He's struggled to carve out a real role in Atlanta, but given Chaisson's emergence in New England, perhaps Ebiketie could replicate his production.
Arnold Ebiketie could be an excellent under-the-radar addition for the Patriots
Ebiketie is a good athlete, but he's a bit undersized compared to other Patriots edge rushers. At 6-foot-2, 250 pounds, he could end up being more of a situational pass rusher when he finds his next home, but the Patriots could certainly use that.
As it stands, the Patriots have 4/5 edge defenders from 2025 returning: Harold Landry, Anfernee Jennings, Elijah Ponder, and Bradyn Swinson. Landry is getting surgery this offseason for a foot injury, Jennings may be released as mentioned earlier, and both Ponder and Swinson were rookies last year. There is still a lot up in the air at the position.
Ebiketie just turned 27 this week, so age isn't an issue with him. As for price, Kay cites Spotrac's prediction for $9 million per season. Uchenna Nwosu, Yetur Gross-Matos, and Samson Ebukam are all veterans who hovered around that number last offseason and are at a similar level to Ebiketie.
The nature of the position requires a higher contract value, even if the player's production varies. Giving a one-year deal to Ebiketie could be worth a shot as a replacement for Chaisson's production, especially if Zak Kuhr and company believe that the Milton Williams and Christian Barmore interior duo can help the team churn out quality edge production for pennies on the dollar.
A 9-10 regular sack season wouldn't be out of the question if the Patriots opted to sign Ebiketie.