According to reports, the Patriots made their first addition in free agency by reuniting former Titans edge rusher Harold Landry with head coach Mike Vrabel on a three-year contract.
Landry initially joined the Titans as the 41st overall pick in Vrabel’s first draft as Titans head coach. The Boston College product would have three consecutive seasons with at least nine sacks, including a career-high 12.0 sacks when he made the Pro Bowl in 2021. Tennessee released Landry in a cap-saving maneuver with a post-June 1 designation following a nine-sack season, opening the door for him to sign in New England.
Adding the 28-year-old is a good start towards improving the Patriots defense. Last season, New England ranked 29th in team pressure rate, 28th in rush DVOA, and last in the NFL in sacks (28). As a result, Vrabel and personnel chief Eliot Wolf stressed the importance of fortifying the trenches during their media appearances at the NFL Scouting Combine last month.
Landry is a “nuts and bolts” free agent who is a starting-caliber player at his position and fits the more attack-minded scheme that many anticipate the Patriots to run next season. At his best, Landry wins with excellent play speed, bend to turn a tight corner, and instincts in the run game to beat blockers to their landmarks at the point of attack.
After reviewing last season’s tape from Landry’s nine-sack, 26 run-stop campaign, here are some thoughts on New England’s first notable addition to the roster this offseason.
Although the sack totals looked good in the box score, Landry took a slight step back in terms of pass-rush productivity with the Titans last season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Landry’s pass-rush win rate of 4.8% ranked last among 95 qualified edge defenders during the 2024 season, with 30 total pressures on 423 pass-rush snaps. Here were Landry’s win rates in his five prior seasons: 10.3%, 7.7%, 7.5%, 6.1%, and 7.9%. Landry’s career-low…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at News…