Patriots Defender Named Potential Chargers Target

A New England Patriots defender has been named a potential target for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Matthew Judon and Josh Uche celebrate a first quarter sack against the Eagles. / Kris Craig / USA TODAY NETWORK

The New England Patriots have quite a few talented players on the defensive side of the football. However, they also have some holes defensively that have been exploited over the past few weeks.

That being said, an AFC team is being urged to consider trying to steal away one of the Patriots' talented defenders.

Bleacher Report recently suggested that the Los Angeles Chargers should look to sign New England defensive end Josh Uche next offseason. They think he would be a perfect fit for what the Chargers are trying to build with their defense.

"Josh Uche is not an every-down solution on the edge, but he's an electric pass-rusher who could be a pass-down specialist. He would give the Chargers a more versatile edge room with additional juice to get after quarterbacks next season."

Uche will certainly be a highly sought-after player in free agency if he hits the market. His pass-rushing ability would be a nice addition for any team looking for edge rushers.

During the 2024 NFL season so far with the Patriots, Uche has racked up nine total tackles and a sack.

Back in 2022, Uche put together the best season of his career to date. He had a much bigger role than he has had over the last two years. That ended up with him recording 27 total tackles, 11.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.

At just 26 years old, there is still a lot of room for Uche to develop. He may not be an every down player right now, but if given the chance he could very well develop into being that kind of player.

New England may not be willing to spend big money to bring him back. That could open up the door for the Chargers to swoop in and steal him away.

Only time will tell, but Uche will be a name to keep a close eye on for the Patriots as the offseason draws closer. Losing him would be a tough blow for the depth of the New England defense.

That being said, overpaying him to stay would be a bad business decision.

If he does end up leaving town, Los Angeles would make an awful lot of sense. But, there would likely be at least a handful of other teams vying for his services as well.

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