The Patriots' Mike Vrabel undertook a major roster reconstruction of the 4-13, last-place Patriots this offseason. It was a masterpiece and ranks among the best in the Patriots' recent history. Both sides of the ball needed major reinforcements, and he delivered them.
Defense is the former edge player's forte, and he added significant upgrades at all three levels of the defense. He started by signing the best free agent defensive tackle available, Milton Williams from the Champion Eagles. He also signed tackling-machine Robert Spillane, the best inside linebacker available, and lockdown cornerback Carlton Davis III.
Edge was a central position of need. Vrabel didn't neglect his former position and signed K'Lavon Chaisson, an emerging young edge rusher, and Harold Landry III, an established sack producer and top edge player. Laundry doesn't get treated like one by analysts. He deserves a lot more notice.
Mike Vrabel knows Harold Landry III is a top signing
Vrabal moved quickly to sign Harold Landry III in the offseason. He was one of his earliest signings and made a lot of sense. The edge was one of the 2024 Patriots' worst positions. It screamed for reinforcements, and Landry was the first installment Vrabel made to bolster the position.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report wrote an article, predicting every NFL team's biggest bust ahead of Week 1. Unsurprisingly, one of the Patriots' most underrated free agent signings, Landry, was singled out yet again - erroneously.
"New England Patriots: Edge Harold Landry III
The bust potential of pass-rusher Harold Landry III lies in the financials. The New England Patriots gave the 29-year-old a three-year, $43.5 million contract in free agency. That's a substantial sum for an edge-defender who is probably second-tier at best. Landry has only reached double-digit sacks twice in his career. While he recorded nine quarterback takedowns last season, he also logged a modest 18 quarterback pressures."
Harold Landry III "don't get no respect, no respect at all". It's surprising, but not altogether confounding. The gist of the disrespect is in one statistic cited in Knox's quote: it's the quarterback hits that are at issue. As Knox noted, he had 18 in 2024. But that's not the whole story.
Harold Landry III will prove to be an excellent Patriots' signing
Seemingly based on that QB hits stat, Landry is often discounted by NFL analysts. It's an example of one stat overriding more critical aspects of the player. Those analysts can't see the proverbial forest for the trees. If they think they know more about the player than Vrabel, think again.
Landry instantly became the Patriots' top sack producer when he signed. He's notched 50.5 sacks in his career, far more than anyone else on the roster. He'll lock down the left edge position from Day One of summer camp, replacing Deatrich Wise Jr., who wasn't re-signed.
Additionally, Vrabel coached Landry for five years in Tennessee. He's more versed in the player's abilities and what he can contribute than anyone else on the planet. He wasn't apt to spend a good amount of cap money on the player without the very best of reasons. One is, Landry delivers sacks, and they are big plays.
Quarterback hits pad statistics, but sacks are legitimate big plays. Landry gets them. Hit a QB 25 times, but if you don't stop the play, it's irrelevant except in maybe slowing him down a bit late in a game. Conversely, sacks are drive and sometimes game-changing plays. Vrabel had few players on his roster who could consistently deliver them. Landry is now one of them.
Additionally, Landry is familiar with Vrabel's defensive system inside and out. He'll be a major asset in the locker room and on the field in getting all the defensive players on board with the new scheme. Vrabel is probably happy to see Landry getting dissed. It's more motivation for the player to prove them all wrong. He will. Expect Landry to net 10-plus sacks in 2025, quite a worthy investment.