The New England Patriots got on the board in NFL free agency before the legal tampering window even began, reportedly coming to terms on a deal with edge rusher Harold Landry.
Landry, who was released by the Tennessee Titans on Friday, will earn $43 million over three years with $26 million fully guaranteed, NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero first reported Sunday.
The signing marks the first notable player transaction in Mike Vrabel’s time as head coach of the Patriots. While Eliot Wolf remained as New England’s executive vice president of player personnel and has said he’s got final say over the roster, the move is a clear indication that Vrabel is running the show in Foxborough. Landry was a key piece to the success Vrabel had over his six seasons as Titans head coach, playing an instrumental role when the team made the playoffs from 2019-21.
As the dust settles on Vrabel’s first major roster move with the Patriots, let’s grade the deal.
Why Patriots’ signing of Harold Landry is OK, but not great
Beyond the obvious connection between Vrabel and Landry, there was another big reason why the Patriots were linked to the edge rusher: their pass rushing hasn’t been good for quite a bit. New England has been toward the bottom in sacks over the last two years, finishing 27th in 2023 (36) before putting up the fewest sacks in 2024 (28).
One way to fix that problem is to sign a player who does get sacks. Landry has recorded 19.5 sacks over the last two seasons after he missed the entire 2022 campaign due to an ACL tear. He also had 12 sacks in 2021, earning a Pro Bowl nod that year.
However, the way Landry has gotten his sacks over the last two seasons hasn’t been great. His 4.8 pass rush win rate in 2024 was the lowest among 69 edge rushers who played at least 50 percent of their team’s defensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus. His 30 pressures were also the 11th-fewest among edge rushers to play at least 50 percent of their team’s defensive snaps.
Those numbers weren’t much better in 2023. His 10.3 pass rush win rate was 45th among 58 edge rushers who played in at least 50 percent of their team’s defensive snaps, per PFF. His 49 pressures were tied for 39th among that group.
While that isn’t great, Landry has made up for it by being strong in defending the run. He recorded 71 total tackles last season, posting 26 run stops (sixth-most among the aforementioned 69 edge rushers), and was graded as the eighth-best edge rusher in run defense by PFF.
Even though generating pressure is more valuable from edge rushers than stopping the run, there is value in getting an edge rusher who can stop the run and play all three downs, especially if you’re the Patriots. They ranked 23rd in rush defense last season, allowing opponents to run for 4.4 yards per carry. In fact, their run defense was so bad that their former head coach called them “soft.”
Landry should be able to fix that problem, at the very least. But the Patriots certainly need more help in generating pressure, because Landry just hasn’t been reliable in that regard for two years. Paying an edge rusher to be a strong run defender probably isn’t worthy nearly $15 million per year, either.
Still, it’s a good start for Vrabel and the Patriots in free agency as they look to establish a new culture in New England.
Grade: C+
