The New England Patriots entered the 2026 offseason with a plethora of needs, even after making a surprising run to the Super Bowl. They've done a fair job addressing those needs thus far, and there won't be many more chances to do so.
Absent trades, one remaining free agent who should be of interest is veteran edge defender Joey Bosa, who spent the 2025 season with the Buffalo Bills. Bradley Walker of Pro Football Focus thinks the Seahawks would be a good "landing spot" for Bosa. The Patriots should act to preempt that.
The edge was one of the top two offseason needs for head coach Mike Vrabel and the Patriots. They effectively swapped one for one in free agency, losing a solid pass rusher in K'Lavon Chaisson, and replacing him with Dre'Mont Jones. Fortunately, the team used its second-round pick on one of the best pass-rushers in the 2026 NFL Draft, Illinois' Gabe Jacas.
Jacas was a brilliant move as he notched 11.5 sacks for the Illini against top Big Ten competition. Along with Jones and Jacas, the Patriots return Harold Landry III, who was injured for a good portion of 2025 and is entering his age-30 season. That's where Bosa enters the picture.
Joey Bosa remains unsigned despite filling a clear Patriots need
While Bosa's best days may be behind him (he hasn't had double-digit sacks since 2021), he can still get to the quarterback. He had five sacks last season with the Bills, but he also forced five fumbles. That's a stat fans shouldn't ignore; sacks end plays, but forced fumbles can end drives.
With Landry still an injury risk, adding a free agent like Bosa to a one-year deal would be a sound use of resources for the Patriots. They could still use another veteran edge who makes plays.
"The Seahawks witnessed underrated edge defender Boye Mafe head to Cincinnati in free agency but have yet to directly replace his role," Walker wrote. "Bosa would be a slam-dunk find. The former Pro Bowler bounced back wonderfully in his lone season with the Bills, amassing an 85.5 PFF pass-rush grade that sat eighth among qualified edge defenders...his terrific pass-rush acumen would allow the league’s deepest edge-rushing group to remain dangerous in 2026. At age 30, Bosa seems inclined to play for a contender — and Seattle’s rotation is a perfect situation."
Bosa would be a terrific addition to a Patriots defense that notched too few sacks in 2025. They were out-sacked, 6-1, in the Super Bowl against Seattle and that helped seal the loss. Bosa would help address that imbalance, providing the team with veteran depth and injury insurance while affording Jacas time to learn the NFL ropes.
Even if the Patriots have to overpay, Bosa would be well worth the freight. It would be addition by subtraction, taking another good player from the Bills, and it would also add depth to a position that needs it.
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