Patriots Urged to Pursue Key Rams Defender

The New England Patriots are being pressed to pursue this key Los Angeles Rams defender in NFL free agency.

Dec 25, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Bobby Brown III (95) reacts after a defensive play against the Denver Broncos during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots fell to 3-12 with their loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, further proving their need for a massive roster overhaul heading into the offseason.

While the vast majority of the Patriots' most prominent needs are on the offensive side of the ball, they could also afford to pursue some help defensively.

Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine has identified a potential reinforcement in the trenches for New England, linking the club to Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Bobby Brown III in free agency.

"With 31-year-old Daniel Ekuale set to hit free agency, they could use a younger free agent like Bobby Brown III to fill the gaps," Ballentine wrote. "The Rams nose tackle would help anchor the run defense for years to come."

Not only is Ekuale slated to hit the open market, but the future of Christian Barmore is unfortunately in question after he began experiencing more complications from the blood clots that kept him sidelined earlier in 2024.

The Pats rank 24th in the NFL in run defense, so they could absolutely use a presence like Brown up the middle.

Brown has logged 40 tackles through 15 games this season and has earned himself a solid 68 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus.

The 24-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Texas A&M, was selected by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

He didn't make much of an impact over his first two seasons, but he became a full-time starter for Los Angeles last year when he registered 31 tackles and a half of a sack.

The Patriots are projected to have the most cap room of any team in the league heading into 2025, so they should absolutely be able to add some pieces in March.

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