The Patriots disappointed by not making any moves ahead of the trade deadline this past week and only participated by trading linebacker Joshua Uche to the Chiefs in the days before. But they decided the time was right to finally add a new player by claiming defensive end Yannick Ngakoue off waivers after the Ravens released him this week.
NFL insider Ian Rapoport announced the signing Friday afternoon, as the Pro Bowl pass rusher will now join New England's defense in the hope of bringing more pressure to opposing quarterbacks alongside Keion White.
Source: The #Patriots claimed pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue, formerly of the #Ravens. pic.twitter.com/AfqaGeiBys
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 8, 2024
The Patriots' defense has struggled this season in many areas, the most notable of which has been bringing pressure to quarterbacks. This has highlighted their decision to trade Matthew Judon before the regular season began, even if he hasn't thrived with the Falcons this season.
The loss of Christian Barmore was also a massive hit to the defensive line, especially since he led the team in sacks with eight in 2023. Now, White is leading the charge with four and Deatrich Wise Jr. is right behind him with three of his own.
The addition of Ngakoue should help elevate the team's production in this area, even if he isn't the player he once was. He played for Baltimore this season and in five games, recorded five combined tackles, four quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks; nothing too impressive, but he added seven pressures during the 67 snaps he was on the field for.
He has been a name that many Patriots fans have had their eye on since he became a free agent earlier this year. He remained unsigned until the Ravens picked him up and now, the Patriots hope he will fill a big need on the defense as they head into their Week 10 matchup with the Bears.
It could be considered somewhat of a "revenge game" for Ngakoue, who played for Chicago during the 2023 season. His season ended prematurely, however, because he broke his ankle after starting 13 games. But during that time, he recorded 22 combined tackles, seven quarterback hits and four sacks.
Expect him to play a similar role to Uche and be a rotational piece on the defensive line. The hope (of course) is he will be more productive than the former second-round pick and be the boost the Patriots defense needs.