5 Patriots Leaving New England in the New Year

3. Yannick Ngakoue, DE

After being released by the Baltimore Ravens at the start of November, veteran defender Yannick Ngakoue found himself claimed by the Patriots just one day later.

Ngakoue, 29, seemed like the perfect savior for the Patriots' pass-rushing problems after amassing 70.5 sacks in eight previous seasons. Even though the ex-Maryland defender's play has been on the decline in the last few years, the hope was that he could return to the version of himself that tallied 9.5 sacks in 15 games with the Indianapolis Colts just two seasons ago.

Much to the Patriots' dismay, though, Ngakoue has continued to look like a shell of his former self.

In six games (152 offensive snaps) with the Pats, the 6-foot-2 DE has only registered four solo tackles without a sack. Between his time with the Patriots and Ravens this season, Ngakoue is actually the second-worst exterior defender in terms of pass rush grade (46.7) on Pro Football Focus.

It'll likely take a career performance from Ngakoue in Week 18 to even open the door to a potential re-signing. He simply isn't a good fit for New England's defense, especially as he struggled to attack opposing QBs. Now that he's turning 30 years old in March, that likely won't change next season.