Judon Recruiting Again: Invites Pro Bowl Cornerback to Patriots

New England Patriots' veteran Matthew Judon floated the idea of signing Xavien Howard, who is expected to be released by the Miami Dolphins. The Patriots are flush with salary cap space.

The New England Patriots have money to spend and defensive end Matthew Judon has ideas.

With the NFL announcing an unexpected $30 million salary cap increase on Friday, the Patriots have an estimated $83 million in space for 2024. That amount is second highest in the NFL to only the Washington Commanders ($87 million), according to Over The Cap.

By the looks of his Twitter account, Judon would presumably like to see the Patriots spend some of that available money on a reinforcement to the defensive backfield. In particular, Judon singled out a four-time Pro Bowler from the division rival Miami Dolphins.

Amidst reports that the Dolphins plan to release cornerback Xavien Howard, Judon posted an inviting message to Twitter. While reposting the news from the official NFL account, the Patriots top pass rusher added "Can’t beat ‘em join em." The post also included a GIF showing comedian Dave Chappelle making a welcoming motion.

Howard, a former second-round draft pick out of Baylor, missed four games this past season, which was his eighth as a Dolphins. In 100 career games with Miami, he has accounted for 331 tackles, 29 interceptions and 95 passes defensed.

It's not clear whether or not New England is interested in getting into a bidding war for the 30-year-old Howard, who should be in high demand considering his past accomplishments. If signed, he would likely fit opposite Christian Gonzalez, who saw a promising rookie campaign end due to an ACL tear. New England also has cornerbacks Jonathan Jones and Shaun Wade on its roster.

Howard is not the first athlete that Judon has attempted to recruit via social media. Two days earlier, he floated the idea of Tampa Bay Buccaneers' receiver Mike Evans, a likely first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, joining the Patriots.

"What do we think of mr. 1000 @MikeEvans13_ to Pats nation????," said Judon.

Set to become a free agent, Evans has exceeded the 1,000-yard receiving mark in all 10 of his seasons as a pro.

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Meanwhile, Judon will try to rebound from an injury that ended his 2023 season in Week 4. During a recent radio interview, the 31-year-old edge rusher said he was "fully functional" again.

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