Andrew Buller-Russ
Last year, the New England Patriots realized they had something special with Mike Vrabel in Drake Maye. In their first season together, their strong leadership led to a 14-3 record and a Super Bowl appearance. Yet, that final game also revealed some specific weaknesses, and Patriots general manager Eliot Wolf has spent the offseason trying to address them.
However, one of the biggest moves the Patriots made is drawing criticism. Rather than taking a step forward, what if the Patriots spent even more money to go backward instead?
One decision the Patriots made was not to re-sign soon-to-be 27-year-old pass-rusher K’Lavon Chaisson after recording a career-high 7.5 sacks. Chaisson signed a one-year, $11.5 million contract with the Washington Commanders. The Patriots then signed 29-year-old former Broncos/Titans/Ravens defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones to a three-year $36.5 million contract. Jones is also coming off a career year in which he recorded seven sacks, a half-sack less than Chaisson did.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes swapping Chaisson out for Jones was the “worst” decision the Patriots made this offseason.
“Chaisson was viewed as a massive bust during his time with the Jaguars, but the onetime first-round pick revitalized his career with the Raiders in 2024 and then had a career year with the Pats in 2025. In a starting role, Chaisson managed 7.5 sacks and 18 knockdowns, making multiple big plays to help seal games late. It was inevitable that he was going to earn a raise on the $3 million he made with the Patriots in 2025.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell on Patriots’ “worst” offseason decision
Though Chaisson did get that raise, it was only to $11.5 million on a one-year deal with the Commanders. I would have liked to have seen the Patriots top that offer. Instead, they gave Jones $14.5 million in the first season of a three-year, $36.5 million pact. Jones is a good pass rusher and a solid player, and the Pats were able to get a two-year commitment, but he’s also three years older than Chaisson and a more inconsistent run defender.”
It remains to be seen whether the Patriots made the right decision with their edge rushers this offseason. Perhaps they also feel some remorse for letting Chaisson leave, then acted in desperation to land Jones. Yet, Jones signed his contract a day earlier than Chaisson did, so perhaps he was who the Patriots targeted all along.
Related: A.J. Brown Trade to Patriots Not Quite Set in Stone?
