Patriots' Breakout Defender Could Land With Chiefs

The New England Patriots are slated to have massive cap room heading into the NFL offseason, but there will still be limits to their spending.

As a result, they may not be able to retain all of their top free agents even if they want to.

That's why breakout defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale could be on the move, and Bleacher Report's Alex Ballentine has already named the Kansas City Chiefs as a potential fit for him.

Ballentine notes that the cash-strapped Chiefs may have to look at some older, cheaper defenders to fill certain roles, which is why he likes Ekuale for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions.

"One such role could be nose tackle, and the soon-to-be 31-year-old Daniel Ekuale would be a logical target," Ballentine wrote. "He's not likely to cost much as an older free agent, but he's been a dependable contributor for the Patriots this season and might welcome the idea of joining a contender."

The Chiefs also swung a trade with the Patriots earlier in the season, acquiring edge rusher Josh Uche. However, that has not worked out for Kansas City.

Ekuale has played in 13 games this season, registering 43 tackles and a sack in what has easily been the most productive campaign of his NFL career.

The veteran has played in 70 percent of New England's defensive snaps in 2024, which is, by far, a career high (his previous high was 46 percent with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020).

Ekuale went undrafted in 2018 but landed with the Cleveland Browns as a free agent. He played in seven games with the Browns in 2019, logging four tackles. He then totaled 13 tackles and a sack with the Jaguars in 2020 before signing with the Pats.

The Washington State product didn't get a whole lot of playing time over his first three seasons in Foxborough, but he has become a critical part of the Patriots' defensive line rotation this year.

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