Although the height of the offseason is in the rearview mirror, there are still plenty of moves left to be made, and the Patriots could be a team that does the most. With over $67 million remaining in cap space, the new regime has plenty of money to spend to put the team over the top, especially in some of the weaker areas heading into the 2025 season.
While the offense might be immediately deemed the priority, some holes on the defense should be dealt with. Most analysts would agree that the pass rush is not where it probably should be, despite Mike Vrabel and Co.'s additions over the past few months. That puts the Patriots square in the mix for someone like Jadeveon Clowney, who has a few connections to the new staff in Foxboro.
The 32-year-old remains a free agent after a one-year stint with the Panthers and could be on the Patriots' radar. Outlets like CBS Sports and even NFL Trade Rumors believe that will be the case, and it's hard to argue against the idea of adding him to the defensive line for the upcoming season.
It might make sense for the Patriots to add a veteran like Jadeveon Clowney to the defense this season
After spending the first five years of his career with the Texans, Clowney has gone on to play for five more teams, including the Titans.
That connection to Vrabel, who was his position coach in Houston and head coach in Tennessee, and new defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, his position coach with the Titans, could immediately make him a candidate to sign with the Patriots, adding more stability to what some believe is a weaker part of the team's current roster.
Clowney is a proven veteran with positional versatility. He has played on both sides of the defensive line and is productive no matter what. Although his 2024 season might not be his most impressive, he still managed to record 46 combined tackles, nine for a loss, 11 quarterback hits, four passes defended, and 5.5 sacks in 14 games.
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No defensive player on the Patriots 2024 roster recorded more than five sacks, and while that is expected to be a thing of the past with the upgraded roster, signing Clowney ensures nearly every player of the group will be productive and perhaps the weakest of all won't total less than five sacks for the year.
On top of that, one of the most critical aspects of Clowney's appeal is his leadership. His experience in the NFL and time spent with so many teams are invaluable, even if it's not the most desirable thing for a player to move around so much.
Because of how many new and young players will make up the Patriots' defense in 2025, a trusted veteran like Clowney adds the guaranteed production to the group and mentors the inexperienced players they hope to build up for the future.
Fortunately, he's on the books to make $2 million this upcoming season, making it a bit cheaper for New England to sign him even though they have the cap space to afford him. But that makes the idea of adding him to the lineup even stronger, so we'll have to see if Vrabel and Co. will entertain it over the next few weeks before another team inevitably snatches up Clowney.