The Patriots didn’t offer much to write home about last NFL offseason.
Coming off a disastrous 2023 season that prompted New England to make major changes at head coach and quarterback, the Patriots didn’t do much to improve their talent-deprived roster. New England even cut ties with high-level players, most notably Matthew Judon.
Many criticized the Patriots in mid-August when the trade with the Falcons was made. Judon is on an expiring contract, but the blockbuster deal went through the wire mere weeks after New England saw another one of its best defensive players, Christian Barmore, become inactive indefinitely.
However, Judon didn’t offer much production to the Falcons across the first eight weeks of the season. And a report Saturday from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reinforced the Patriots, who acquired a third-round pick in the swap, as the winner of the Judon trade.
“The Atlanta Falcons have struggled rushing the passer, despite the moves they made in the offseason (trading for Matthew Judon and signing safety Justin Simmons). GM Terry Fontenot knows they need help. So it’s no surprise they are exploring options, and I expect them to make a move.”
Judon recorded a modest 26 combined tackles with only 1.5 sacks over his first eight games in Atlanta. That was a very sharp decline for a veteran pass-rusher who logged a combined 28 sacks over his first two seasons in New England.
There’s a lot of season left, and Judon still has an opportunity to make a significant impact for a Falcons team that has a good chance of reaching the playoffs. But at this point, it’s tough to imagine the Patriots will regret acquiring coveted draft capital in exchange for a player who was falling out of favor in New England anyway.
