3 Free Agents Patriots Must Sign After Matthew Judon News

2. Carl Lawson, DE

Carl Lawson was a member of the New York Jets for the past three seasons. He joined the Jets in 2021 as a marquee free agent but things didn't pan out for him with Gang Green.

Lawson suffered a torn Achilles in 2021 but rehabbed his way back onto the field. During his two seasons with New York, the Auburn product finished with 38 total tackles and seven sacks. He was let go back in February but he still can be an effective pass rusher.

The 29-year-old uses power to get past offensive linemen and has the pass-rush plan to cause some havoc in the backfield.

He has 27 sacks in his career and with the loss of Judon, Lawson could be a wise addition at the stage of the summer.

3. Yannick Ngakoue, DE

To keep the trend rolling with edge rushers, Yannick Ngakoue is someone that the Pats should look to add before the regular season begins.

Ngakoue can line up in both a two or three-point stance, highlighting his versatility up front. The 29-year-old does a great job creating pressure off the edge and forcing quarterbacks off their spots. The Pats have to overcome the loss of Judon and defensive tackle Christian Barmore, who is out indefinitely with blood clots.

The Maryland product can win with speed and generate pressure. In his career, he's logged 224 total tackles, 71 tackles for loss, and 69 sacks. Just last season with the Bears, Ngakoue totaled 22 total tackles and four sacks.

He still has juice and would provide the Patriots with a disruptive pass rusher. With both Judon and Barmore not suiting up for New England, they will need to find a way to replace the 12.5 sacks that were provided in 2023. Adding a guy like Ngakoue would help resolve some of those problems.

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