After reading your article reporting how Matt Judon is more than prepared and wanted to happily take up the duties of both team leader and teacher it really calmed my nerves about who we had on the roster that could take on such a sizeable task willingly. What’s your view on this subject and based on what you have heard from players and coaches in New England and Baltimore about what we can expect from last season’s team defensive MVP Matt Judon in the team leadership slash teacher departments? –Marc Saez
This young position group really needs to lean on Judon and Ja’Whaun Bentley for their leadership and experience at edge and off-the-ball linebacker respectively. Obviously, the last two years should’ve provided some of that already, with young players like Josh Uche, Anfernee Jennings and Ronnie Perkins learning behind the scenes from such veterans as Hightower, Collins and Van Noy. But now, with those players gone, it’s time to step up for everyone, from the young vets to the newbies, more will be required of everyone with what will largely be a new-look second level of the defense. -Mike Dussault
The second-best pass defender on any team is your edge rusher who can pressure the quarterback. Teams figured out how to stop Judon late last season. Is there anyone else that can step up and provide that pressure if a similar situation happens with Judon this year? –Kent Drake
It’s really what I see as one of the key questions facing the 2022 Patriots this season and I’m surprised “pass rush” isn’t one of the bigger storylines this offseason that people are concerned about. Usually it’s close to the top. I feel good about a bounce-back from Judon in 2022 that more closely resembles his early 2021, and it will certainly help to have Christian Barmore drawing pass rush attention from the interior, but finding third and fourth pieces that can take the focus off Judon and Barmore will be a key thing to watch for during August. With teams making sure to block those two…
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