Patriots Urged to Find Replacement for Former Star Player

The New England Patriots are being urged to find a replacement for a certain star player during the NFL offseason.

Sep 24, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (2) is sacked for a safety by New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon (9) in the 4th quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Shortly before the start of the 2024 NFL season, the New England Patriots traded away top edge rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons after a drawn-out contract dispute.

It was a pretty significant move considering the lack of depth the Patriots had at pass rusher to begin with. Then, New England dealt fellow edge rusher Josh Uche to the Kansas City Chiefs before the NFL trade deadline.

That has opened up a very obvious need for the Pats, and Evan Lazar of the Patriots' official team website feels that the team needs to find a Judon replacement during the offseason.

"On the edge of the defense, New England must find a finisher in the pass rush who is a worthy replacement for Matthew Judon," Lazar wrote. "The Pats rank 31st in pressure rate from a four-man rush. They're struggling to get home without blitzing while starting outside linebackers Keion White and Anfernee Jennings are better early-down edge setters than pass rushers. The Pats at least need a Joshua Uche type to kick White inside or take Jennings's spot in the third-down pass rush."

The good news is that the Patriots will have ample cap space heading into free agency, and there should be plenty of talented edge rushers available.

New England will obviously want to go for a younger player given the fact that the franchise is in rebuilding mode, but there will be options for the club there, too.

Azeez Ojulari and Chase Young are two names to keep an eye on, and the Pats may even want to consider someone like Malcolm Koonce, who has been sidelined for all of 2024 due to a torn ACL.

Essentially, the Patriots need to do something to address this issue. They can't afford to go into 2025 without being able to apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks.

We'll see how New England tackles the problem in March.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Patriots' Confusing Trade Deadline Decision Still Stings
• Patriots' Bill Belichick Among Favorites for Bears HC Job
• Peyton Manning Helped Tom Brady Create Another Patriots Legend
• Patriots Could Emerge as Trade Spot for Saints Star
• Patriots HC Unveils Brutally Honest Take