The New England Patriots entered the 2026 offseason, as every NFL team does, with distinct needs to fill on their roster. The top two priorities for the Patriots are their offensive line and the edge positions.
The offensive line is Priority No. 1, but edge is also a critical position to upgrade. ESPN is citing the Giants' pass-rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux as a possible trade target for the Ravens, but if the cost is the projected fourth-round pick, he may be a great fit for the Patriots.
The Patriots' edge position was decent in 2025, with Harold Landry III and his 8.5 sacks (when he was healthy) and the emerging K'Lavon Chaisson, a soon-to-be free agent, with 7.5. The Ravens had no one with more than five sacks, so their need is even more urgent.
Regardless, the Patriots should be in on Thibodeaux if he's on the market.
The Patriots can re-sign Chaisson, but even so, they still need to upgrade. When Thibodeaux is as healthy as he was in 2023, he's a pass-rushing force. That year, he notched 11.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hits, and four passes defended. If his health checks out, he's worth a fourth-round pick and a bit more, though he's entering his final season before free agency.
Kayvon Thibodeaux would be nice addition to the Patriots edge
Mike Vrabel has only so much cash to spend in free agency (absent releasing or trading more players) and draft picks to utilize. If Chaisson leaves, the urgency to fill in at the edge is dramatic. Thibodeaux would be worth a flyer for a fourth-rounder-plus maybe a sixth, since the Patriots have two fourths and four sixths in this year's draft.
EPSN's Bill Barnwell thinks that the the Ravens and Giants would be good partners for a trade of pass-rushing edge Kayvon Thibodeaux by New York to Baltimore for a fourth-round pick.
"The Giants can afford Thibodeaux's $14.8 million salary in 2026, but it's probably not the ideal use of their cash. They could keep Thibodeaux and hope to land a compensatory pick in 2027, but they are likely to be active in free agency, which would make it more likely that Thibodeaux wouldn't earn them a draft pick after leaving.
Landing a guaranteed pick now and freeing up money to help address the offensive line and secondary might be a reasonable alternative for Giants GM Joe Schoen.
Jesse Minter is now the head coach in Baltimore. And Minter might fancy his chances of getting more out of Thibodeaux, who came into the league with a top-five-pick toolbox and racked up 11.5 sacks in his second year with the Giants."
The Patriots need to go out and get a minimum of two new edge players, and if Chaisson leaves, three. A trade for Thibodeaux would add one young veteran (he's only 25), but they'll still have to go heavily either in free agency and/or the draft for two more sack-producing edges. It's an imperative that Vrabel can ill-afford to downplay.
The Patriots 2026 off-season revolves around sacks
The Patriots were out-sacked in the Super Bowl 6-1 by the Seahawks. That, plus Maye's injury and two turnovers, made the difference. Major additions to the O-line have to happen, and the edge is in the same boat.
Some observers get fooled by stats such as quarterback hits and pressures. They are useful but not in the same class as sacks, which are play-enders, drive-squelchers, and possibly game-winners.
The Super Bowl disparity proved that point explicitly. If you out-sack your opponent, you have a better chance of winning any game. Vrabel is as astute an NFL personnel observer as there is. He's well-aware that sacks are winning statistics.
That was witnessed by his bringing in two sack guys last offseason in Landry and Chaisson. They weren't enough, as injury attrition took Landry out of games and limited his effectiveness.
Thibodeaux at the cost of a fourth-rounder and sixth if he checks out physically is a decent bet. At his best, he's a double-digit sack-producer and will be a solid replacement if Chaisson leaves. Meanwhile, Vrabel will still have to go heavy in the draft for edge pass-rushers.
The NFL tampering period for free agents begins at noon on March 10. Vrabel has to move quickly for any top FAs available or trade for one like Thibodeaux. We'll see if any veteran NFL pass-rushers make it to Foxborough from then on.