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Patriots Sign Christian Barmore Insurance in Latest Free Agency Projection

With Barmore back on the NFI list, the Patriots should look to acquire more DL depth in free agency.

By Jovan Alford

Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore (90) walks out of the player's tunnel before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium.
Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore (90) walks out of the player's tunnel before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images
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With two weeks left in the 2024 regular season, the New England Patriots will start working on their offseason plans for the 2025 season. The Patriots have several free agents they will try to re-sign on both sides of the ball. 

At the same time, New England will likely emphasize defensive line depth, which has been less than stellar this season. The Pats hoped to have standout defensive lineman Christian Barmore for the 2024 campaign.

However, Barmore only played in four games this season after being placed back on the NFI list (non-football injury list) last week due to “recurring symptoms.” The young defensive tackle was placed on the NFI list this summer after being diagnosed with blood clots.

New England hopes Barmore will fully recover and be ready to play next season. But the Pats must have a contingency plan to have defensive tackle depth behind Barmore, just in case he’s not ready to return.

That said, Bleacher Report believes New England should sign Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Bobby Brown III in free agency.

"The Patriots got some great news late in the season when Christian Barmore returned to the lineup after sitting out most of this season with blood clots. His presence makes the team's defensive line better and gives them some long-term answers.

Barmore needs some reinforcements, though. With 31-year-old Daniel Ekuale set to hit free agency, they could use a younger free agent like Bobby Brown III to fill the gaps. The Rams nose tackle would help anchor the run defense for years to come."

Brown is only 24 years old and would be the perfect addition to help the Patriots in their rebuild under head coach Jerod Mayo. The 6-foot-4, 332-pound defensive lineman has played well this season with the Rams.

The former fourth-round pick has posted 40 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, and a QB hit. Brown has also played 43 percent of defensive snaps this season for the Rams, which is a career-high. 

The young defensive tackle isn’t going to give much in the pass-rushing department as he has a PFF grade of 55.9 (ranked 148th out of 216 qualified defensive linemen). However, Brown is solid at stopping the run, posting a 66.4 PFF grade (ranked 29th out of 216 qualified defensive linemen).

The Patriots have struggled mightily against the run this season, giving up 130.4 rushing yards per game (ninth-worst in the NFL). Having a potential tandem of Barmore and Brown would go a long way in solidifying New England's run defense next season.

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