Coming into the offseason, the New England Patriots have some question marks that the coaching staff and front office must address. One glaring need on the defensive side of the ball is the pass rush, specifically off the edge. While they played better in the postseason, they still have a way to go to get where they hope to be.
To improve, the Patriots could look at two ways to find help. The first being through free agency, with the second being the draft. While New England could look to bolster its talent base through the draft, it isn't a guarantee that you'll find an upgrade. Plus, the draft can bring uncertainty with a player being picked earlier than expected. Going the free agency route at least allows you to go after players who have proven they can play in the NFL.
When free agency begins, New England should look at a recent playoff foe for a potential upgrade.
Patriots should target Odafe Oweh
Odafe Oweh is a name that Patriots fans should know. In the wild-card round, New England played Oweh and the Los Angeles Chargers. During the game, Oweh stood out, recording three sacks and two forced fumbles.
Before joining the Chargers, Oweh played for the Baltimore Ravens. The former first-round pick had been productive for the Ravens in his first four years, totaling 138 tackles, 23 sacks, and seven forced fumbles.
Entering year five, things didn't start great for Oweh with the Ravens, only having 10 tackles and zero sacks through five games. That would be the end of his time in Baltimore, as Oweh was traded to the Chargers. This trade sparked an in-season turnaround for Oweh, with the defender completing the campaign having recorded 28 tackles and 7.5 sacks in his 12 games with the Chargers.
Looking at his play this season, it would be fair to wonder if Oweh was just a product of the Chargers' defense, and what version of him you'd get after signing him. While valid concerns, given his history, he could be a good signing for the Patriots. You already have Milton Williams and Christian Barmore taking up most of the attention, which would benefit Oweh.
With K'Lavon Chaisson being a free agent, this could be a perfect replacement should the Patriots elect not bring him back. Chaisson, while having a good season, isn't a player whom you should look to overpay to keep. Given his lack of production before joining the Patriots, who knows if this was just an outlier season with him?
Compared to Oweh, despite getting off to a slower start this season, he has shown that he has multiple seasons of production, unlike Chaisson. Bringing in Oweh to help out this past rush could help maintain the quality of defense that we saw from the Patriots in the playoffs.