The New England Patriots made out like bandits when they moved on from Matthew Judon, sending him to the Atlanta Falcons for a third-round draft pick. It was a smart move considering the Falcons failed to make the playoff push many expected, and Judon, coming off an injury-riddled season, was never at full strength.
Now, the Patriots have an opportunity to reinvest that draft capital and their abundant salary cap space into improving the pass rush.
Pass-rushers are among the most valuable assets in the NFL, and with over $120 million in cap space, the Patriots don’t need to play the waiting game in free agency. Instead, they can weaponize their cap room, absorbing contracts that other teams want to move on from while giving up minimal draft capital in return.
Let’s take a look at five potential trades that could dramatically improve New England’s pass rush and return them to defensive dominance.