Disrespect of Patriots Star Has Reached Ludicrous Levels

The New England Patriots revamped their defense in a major way this offseason, spending a massive chunk of money in free agency to repair a unit that faded considerably last year.

One of the Patriots' first big moves was signing edge rusher Harold Landry, who was released by the Tennessee Titans shortly before free agency began.

For some reason, though, New England's decision to add Landry on a three-year contract has been met with pretty stiff criticism, and recently, the disrespect of the former Pro Bowl reached new heights.

Ryan Smith of Pro Football Focus recently ranked the top 32 edge defenders in football, and somehow, Landry did not even make the list. Yes, the same Landry who posted 71 tackles and nine sacks last season and who has accumulated 31.5 sacks over his last three healthy campaigns (he missed all of 2022 due to a torn ACL).

How in the world does one of the better sack artists in the NFL not even make a top-32 list? That is beyond disrespectful. It's ludicrous.

This is also where a heavy focus on analytics can sometimes get in the way of actual production. Landry recorded a 49.6 pass-rushing grade at Pro Football Focus in 2024, which simply does not make any sense given how much success he had rushing the passer. Heck, two years ago, his grade was only at 62.6, and that was after racking up 10.5 sacks and 21 quarterback hits.

Something isn't making sense here.

Regardless of how anyone wants to spin it, Landry has been a very productive player for years now. He made the Pro Bowl back in 2021 after rattling off 75 tackles and 12 sacks, and had it not been for his knee injury in 2022, he almost surely would have registered another impressive campaign.