Patriots already look like the clear winners of another controversial trade

The dramatic offseason between the Patriots and Matthew Judon became the focus of the summer, spawning countless theories about the linebacker's inevitable future with the team. Most believed he would remain on the team, as he was their star pass rusher since he arrived in 2021, which made it all the more shocking when it was announced he was traded to the Falcons late in the preseason.

Most projections had Judon receiving an extension or, at the very least, filling his current contract with incentives to make up for his low 2024 salary. If any analysts were guessing about a possible trade, it certainly didn't include anything above a future fifth-round draft pick.

So when he was traded to Atlanta for a 2025 third-rounder, it looked like an absolute steal for the rebuilding Patriots, one of the first big wins for the new regime. It was clear the Falcons paid a tall price for a good player despite coming off a season-ending injury and freshly celebrating his 32nd birthday.

But once the trade was finalized, it brought on the realization that the Patriots might be in big trouble regarding their defensive line, as Judon had been the primary performer in rushing opposing quarterbacks. His former teammates had a lot of potential but hadn't shown they could handle the task of taking over in his absence, especially with Christian Barmore sidelined as well.

Fortunately, through the first two weeks of the season, a rising star has taken over the defense on his own, further proving the Patriots were the winners of a controversial preseason trade.

Keion White's impressive start to the 2024 season might make the Matthew Judon trade more brilliant

In the wake of Judon's trade, there were concerns about how the defensive line would fare in his absence, which hadn't looked great for most of last season.

With Barmore out due to injury, who had been the sack leader after Judon left in Week 4, the belief was that perhaps Joshua Uche would be the guy to take advantage of the opportunity. He had a career-best year in 2022, recording 11.5 sacks, and it looked like things finally clicked for the former Michigan Wolverine.

But a disappointing 2023 season didn't provide much confidence in that happening. The same could be said about Keion White, whose forgettable rookie year didn't live up to the hype he received coming out of the draft.

Perhaps a coaching change helped propel him on his way to an impressive second-year jump, or maybe it is the absence of Barmore and Judon, but White has been a dominating fixture of the Patriots' defense to start this season. He racked up four sacks in two games while adding five quarterback hits to his resume and is statistically among the league's best EDGE defenders.

As it stands, he is already projected to have an outrageous number of sacks by season's end.

Meanwhile, Judon has had a slow start to the season in Atlanta through the first two games. So far, he has recorded just 1.5 sacks and two quarterback hits. There's plenty of time for him to replicate what he did in New England, but so far, White looks like the winner of the trade.

If he can maintain the type of production he has shown through the first two weeks of the season, the Patriots look to have easily found their Judon replacement and didn't have to go far to accomplish it. He has taken on this new role very seriously and has already shown more leadership qualities in the locker room, which is even more impressive for such a young player.

Keeping that up for the rest of the season would prove that the Patriots won the Judon trade and (might have) fleeced the Falcons in the process.

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