Patriots Should Look Into Vikings Pass Rusher

Though many within Pats Nation are clamoring for an upgrade to several positions of need, New England may be best served by adding some strength and speed to their defensive pass rush. Their unit ranked 19th in the league in pass-rush win rate during the regular season, and notably struggled to put pressure on Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold in Super Bowl LX. 

Adding Greenard to a defensive front which already features starting linemen such as Christian Barmore, Harold Landry Milton Williams and Robert Spillane could push New England’s pass rush to new levels of success in 2026. Though some continue to gravitate toward a marquee name such as Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby or Cincinnati Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson, Greenard’s on-field production and relative affordability potentially makes him the smartest upgrade option for the Patriots this offseason.

From a financial standpoint, Greenard carries a cap number of $22.15 million in 2026 — the fifth-highest on the roster. The former Florida Gator is signed through 2027, at an average payout of $18.4 million per year. The Vikings would absorb only $3.3 million in dead-cap charges by trading him post-June 1st. Perhaps more importantly, a trade of Greenard at that time would clear $18.85 million in cap space. Trading him before June1, million cap would free up $12.25 million and come with just under $10 million in dead money, according to Over the Cap.

Patriots salary cap expert Miguel Benzan projects New England’s 2026 salary cap space number after accounting for the release of the official 2026 League Cap number ($301.2 million) to be $41,293,841.

Although it may be early to project the particulars of such a deal, Minnesota is almost certain to request high-level draft capital, as well as bona fide veteran talent as the key pieces in any deal for Greenard’s’ services. New England’s current cap situation would allow them to incur the cost, provided additional cap-clearing moves were made to ensure sound operation. Of course, there is always the possibility that Greenard and his new team would prefer to negotiate a new contract.

In that regard, New England’s brain trust will undoubtedly hit the ground running as they look to defend their conference title. Though unlikely, they have the logistical availability to do so with Greenard in pursuit of opposing quarterbacks for the foreseeable future.