The Patriots only recorded 28 sacks last season, the fewest in the league, going 4-13 under former head coach Jerod Mayo.

New England reinforced its defensive line this offseason to see an increase in production and could add one of the best remaining free agents left in the market as a final piece.

NFL senior news writer Kevin Patra names the New England Patriots as a best fit for free agent EDGE rusher Jadeveon Clowney. Here’s what he had to say:

“New England spent big this offseason to bolster the defense. That can still continue. The addition of Milton Williams upgraded the interior. Harold Landry adds experience on the edge, but he’s on the back nine of his career. Why not bring in another former Mike Vrabel player to fill out depth?”

“Last season in Carolina, Clowney generated 5.5 sacks, a number that would have led the 2024 Patriots (underscoring the sad state of the pass rush under the previous regime). He is only a year removed from a 9.5-sack campaign in Baltimore. Clowney began his NFL career with Vrabel in Houston and played for both the coach and Patriots defensive coordinator Terrell Williams in Tennessee in 2020. At this stage, Clowney is a rotational contributor, but he’d immediately bring more credibility to an edge rush that has underwhelmed in recent years.”

Familiarity With Coaching Staff

If Jadeveon Clowney were to sign with the Patriots, he would play under Mike Vrabel for a third time in his career.

The EDGE rusher recorded his best sack year when Vrabel was his defensive coordinator with the Houston Texans in the 2017-18 season, recording 9.5 sacks.

Clowney was able to reunite with Vrabel when he signed a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans.

While in Nashville, the defender was coached by the Patriots’ newest defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, who was the defensive line coach at the time.

With familiarity of the coaching staff and the scheme, Clowney can enter the Patriots defense without having to catch up too much.

Praise For Former Coach

Jadeveon Clowney saw action in just 8 games during his tenure with the Tennessee Titans, but former HC Mike Vrabel seems to have made an impact on the player.

“I think Mike Vrabel is one of the smartest coaches I think I’ve ever had since I’ve been playing football,” Clowney said of Vrabel back in 2020. “He knows football front and back, and he knows how to put guys in position to make plays… He just put me in position to make plays, he believes I’m a playmaker and he believes in my ability to make plays. So he keeps lining me up all over the place, and I’ll keep making plays for him.”

Vrabel was the linebackers coach and DC for the Texans when Clowney was a three-time Pro Bowler and a second-team All-Pro.

If the EDGE rusher were to reunite with Vrabel for a third time, Clowney could see a return to his Pro Bowl caliber status.