Patriots Dragged Once Again for Big Free Agent Signing

The New England Patriots are being heavily criticized for this big move in NFL free agency.

Dec 12, 2021; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Harold Landry (58) celebrates after a sack during the first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots didn't waste any time addressing their faulty pass rush this offseason, as they signed edge rusher Harold Landry to a three-year, $43.5 million contract immediately after he was released by the Tennessee Titans.

The Patriots totaled just 28 sacks in 2024, which ranked last in the NFL, so you can understand why they may have had such a quick trigger finger in signing Landry.

However, New England has been widely criticized for overpaying the former Titans star, and Tyler Brooke of The 33rd Team is the latest person to sound off on the deal the Pats handed him.

In a piece where Brooke named the five most overpaid players of the free-agent period, Landry made the list.

"Landry was a premier pass rusher when Mike Vrabel was head coach of the Tennessee Titans, posting career numbers in 2021 with 12 sacks and 70 pressures," Brooke wrote. "However, a torn ACL forced him to miss the entire 2022 season, and his pressure numbers have been rapidly declining since, even though he's hovered around double-digit sacks in recent seasons."

I said it before, and I'll say it again: where is this notion that Landry is declining? It's also pretty paradoxical to say that Landry's pressure numbers are declining and then in the same sentence state that he has been near double-digit sacks regularly.

The 28-year-old is coming off of a 2024 campaign in which he registered 71 tackles and nine sacks. He also registered 15 quarterback hits. The year prior, Landry racked up 70 tackles, 10.5 sacks and 21 quarterback hits.

So, where is this supposed "decline" again? We can say whatever we want about Landry's peripheral statistics, but results are results, and the former Pro Bowler is getting sacks.

Unless Landry benefited that much from playing with Jeffery Simmons, it seems hard to believe that he is going to suddenly fall off a cliff in New England.

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