The Patriots still have a problem up front, and trimming the roster to 53 didn’t make it any smaller.
Pass rush was already one of New England’s biggest concerns heading into the offseason, and the picture hasn’t improved with the season around the corner. Harold Landry III led the way in 2025 with 8.5 sacks, but most of that damage came in the first 10 games, and the pressure faded when it mattered most. Then K’Lavon Chaisson walked in free agency, leaving the Patriots with another gap to fill on the defensive line.
New England did use a second-round pick on Gabe Jacas earlier this year, but he didn’t practice with the team until after training camp had already started. Based on his preseason showing, he still has plenty of ground to cover before he’s ready to be the team’s leading off-the-ball linebacker.
And now there’s another wrinkle: Landry will miss at least the first four games of the season after being placed on the PUP list. That makes a free agent addition feel less like a luxury and more like a necessity before Week 1.
Most of the explosive options are already off the board, but there are still a few pass rushers who could help. For the Patriots, the cleanest path may be a bargain signing with upside.
Kyle Van Noy is the most obvious name.
He’s already had two separate stints in New England, first arriving from the Lions in 2016 and quickly becoming a key piece of the defense on the way to two Super Bowl titles. After leaving for the Dolphins in 2020, he returned to Foxboro the next year, though that reunion didn’t work out. He later resurfaced with the Ravens and found his groove again.
Over three seasons in Baltimore, Van Noy put up 71 combined tackles, 23 for a loss, 30 quarterback hits, 6 passes defended, 4 forced fumbles, and 21.5 sacks. His 2024 season was his best there, earning him his first Pro Bowl selection and putting him right back on the Patriots’ radar.
He’s still unsigned less than two weeks before the 2026 season, and while age makes him less than an ideal long-term answer, the Patriots could use what he brings in terms of experience and mentorship for a young defensive line.
Another option is Sam Williams, who was a surprising cut by the Cowboys and could be looking at a fresh start in New England.
Williams, 27, has had a stop-and-start career, mostly because of a serious knee injury that wiped out his 2024 season. Before that, he was a highly regarded rookie who even got into the Defensive Player of the Year conversation. Through his first two seasons, he recorded 48 combined tackles, 15 for a loss, 16 quarterback hits, 2 forced fumbles, 3 recoveries, and 8.5 sacks.
Last season never really got off the ground, but that was tied in part to the Cowboys overhauling their defensive line, a process that continued this offseason and ultimately pushed him out.
If New England wants a younger pass-rush bet, Williams fits that mold. He has already shown real potential, and there’s a path for him to become a difference-maker.
Then there’s BJ Ojulari, another player whose career has been slowed by injuries.
A second-round pick by the Cardinals in 2023, Ojulari missed the entire 2024 season and appeared in only 8 games last year. He finished with 9 combined tackles, 1 for a loss, 3 quarterback hits, and a sack, though he looked a bit more encouraging during preseason this summer.
Arizona entered camp with competition everywhere and a new head coach who had no reason to stay loyal to any player, even one drafted recently. That made it easier for the Cardinals to move on from Ojulari.
For the Patriots, signing him would be more of a swing than a sure thing. Still, if they believe a change of scenery can unlock what he showed in college, he could be a worthwhile gamble and maybe the cheapest route to help their pass rush.
In Other News...
Patriots May Have Found The Missing Piece In Their Backfield
With Terrell Jennings and Lan Larison dealing with injuries and Jam Miller no longer in the mix, the Patriots had a clear need to add some depth to their backfield. They answered it by sending a 2028 seventh-round pick to Arizona for running back Corey Kiner, a move that gives the roster another option behind the top two runners and helps stabilize a position that had been thinned out quickly.
Kiner arrives with a reputation as a versatile back, the kind of player who can give New England something useful in multiple situations if he settles in quickly. The bigger question now is how much of a role he can carve out right away, but the Patriots at least found a practical answer to an immediate problem while keeping the cost low. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Suddenly Have A Real Week 1 Backfield Concern
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Henderson is working back from an ankle injury he suffered late in training camp, and while he has been around team activities, his return timetable is still not clear. New England appears content to be cautious with him for now, which makes sense this time of year but also leaves the Patriots with a legitimate Week 1 backfield question until his availability comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Leave Key Practice Squad Spots Open For Familiar Names
The Patriots filled out most of their initial practice squad with a dozen additions, but they still left five spots open as roster-building after cutdown day continues to take shape. An International Pathway Player joined the group without counting against the 16-man limit, while veteran punter Mitch Wishnowsky landed on the practice squad after Bryce Baringer was placed on injured reserve.
For a team always fine-tuning the back end of the roster, the open slots leave room for familiar faces and practical depth at spots where injuries can quickly force movement. New England already has help lined up at offensive line, wide receiver and running back, and a few more players are either working back from injury or expected to arrive soon, so the final version of the practice squad may still look a little different before long. [Read more 🡒]