Patriots Could Snatch Eagles Star Pass Rusher

The New England Patriots could land this Philadelphia Eagles star defender in NFL free agency.
Nov 3, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Josh Sweat (19) against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Nov 3, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Josh Sweat (19) against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
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The New England Patriots have some very obvious needs heading into NFL free agency, and while most of them are on offense, they also have a clear hole in their pass rush.

The Patriots traded away Matthew Judon before the 2024 season, and they also jettisoned Josh Uche back in October.

That has left New England with Keion White and not a whole lot else in the pass-rushing department, so the Pats will have to fill this void during the offseason.

Luckily, the Patriots will have plenty of cap room to utilize in free agency, and in compiling a list of potential free agents New England could pursue, Mike Dussault of the team website listed Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat as a candidate.

Sweat had a very solid 2024 campaign, registering 41 tackles and eight sacks in 16 games.

The 27-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Florida State, was selected by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

Sweat was a bit of a late bloomer, as he did not become a full-time starter until his fourth season when he recorded 45 tackles and 7.5 sacks en route to a Pro Bowl appearance.

He then racked up 48 stops, 11 sacks and an interception the following year. Oddly enough, Sweat did not make the Pro Bowl that season, even though his numbers were superior to the year prior.

Either way, Sweat has remained a consistent force in Philadelphia's pass rush for quite a while now.

The Chesapeake, Va. native would unquestionably represent a great fit for the Pats, as he is still young enough to fit their timeline and has been a very durable player for years running.

We'll see if the Patriots make a run at Sweat in March.

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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.