The New England Patriots have enough going for them that they don’t need to start chasing names just because the depth chart looks a little shaky.
Yes, the preseason made the lack of depth impossible to ignore, and even head coach Mike Vrabel has acknowledged those concerns. That’s a real issue, especially with Harold Landry III set to miss at least the first month of the season and rookie second-round pick Gabe Jacas possibly needing time to ramp up after missing most of the offseason program because of a contract dispute.
But desperation is a bad way to shop, and Clelin Ferrell should not be on the Patriots’ list.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox linked Ferrell to New England, but the fit doesn’t make much sense if the goal is actual pass-rush help. Ferrell entered the league as the Raiders’ No. 4 pick, and he has never come close to matching that draft slot.
Over 98 career games with the Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers, he has 21 sacks. That’s not the kind of production that changes a defense.
He’s more of a run-game specialist than a player who can consistently hunt the quarterback, and the Dolphins’ decision to move on from him says plenty. He couldn’t even make Miami’s 53-man roster, and the Dolphins brought him back to their practice squad. For a Patriots team that would have to cut one of its 53 players to make room, that matters.
New England should keep looking, and Eliot Wolf and company probably will. A move before the trade deadline feels far more realistic than forcing a signing that doesn’t really solve the problem. Ferrell simply doesn’t look like the answer.
In Other News...
Patriots Rookie Earned A Roster Spot In A Way Nobody Expected
Quintayvious Hutchins found himself in a very modern kind of NFL moment this week, staying on the New England Patriots 53-man roster after the cutdown deadline and learning about it the same way plenty of fans did. The rookie outside linebacker had put together a solid training camp and preseason, and that work helped him stick as one of four outside linebackers on the roster.
What made the moment stand out was the route it took to reach him. Instead of a direct call or message from the team, Hutchins discovered he had made the Patriots through a social media post, a reminder of how abrupt and impersonal roster day can be even for players who did enough to survive it. For a rookie trying to carve out a role, the news was positive, but the way it arrived added an unexpected twist to an already tense process. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Pass Rush Problem Could Revive One Trade Possibility
Harold Landry III being unavailable to open the season has left the Patriots with a clear pass-rush hole, and that kind of need tends to keep front-office phones busy once the league settles in. One name that has lingered in the conversation is Josh Sweat of the Cardinals, a player New England has been tied to before and one whose fit would make sense for a defense looking for more pressure off the edge.
Arizona, though, is not currently planning to move him, which is the part that keeps this from being a simple fit-and-forget scenario. Dan Graziano has noted that the picture could change if the Cardinals drift out of contention, and if that happens the Patriots would be one of the teams worth watching before the trade deadline as they weigh whether to finally address a problem that has been visible since September. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Vrabel Is At The Center Of A Serious Patriots Media Controversy
The Athletics internal review into Dianna Russinis relationship with Mike Vrabel has put an uncomfortable spotlight on how closely NFL reporting and team access can overlap. The investigation centered on whether the former reporters connection to the Patriots head coach affected her coverage, and it concluded that the relationship ran afoul of the outlets standards because it was not disclosed, even though investigators did not find clear evidence that her reporting was biased.
Russini resigned while the review was still underway, leaving the episode to linger as much about newsroom process as about one reporter or one coach. The Athletic also said it would recommend editorial policy changes meant to guard against similar conflicts in the future, a reminder that for a franchise like the Patriots, the questions surrounding Vrabels circle can travel well beyond the field. [Read more 🡒]