After four-time Professional Bowl edge rusher Matt Judon held-in on the New England Patriots coaching camp whereas seeking a brand new contract, the workforce has determined to maneuver on from him, buying and selling him to the Atlanta Falcons, in line with CBS Sports activities lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones.
The Falcons are buying Judon in change for a third-round decide, in line with ESPN. The 32-year-old’s 28.0 sacks from 2021 via 2022 rank as tied for the third-most within the NFL with Steelers All-Professional T.J. Watt, trailing solely 49ers All-Professional Nick Bosa (34.0) and Browns 2023 NFL Defensive Participant of the Yr Myles Garrett (32.0) in that span. Judon suffered a torn decrease bicep in Week 4 of the 2023 season that knocked him out for the remainder of the yr. Judon’s 2022 sack complete (15.5) and 2021 sack complete (12.5) stand because the third and fourth-most in a single season in Patriots historical past since sacks started being tracked as an official particular person statistic in 1982.
Judon’s quarterback strain price of 15.7% throughout the final three seasons (since 2021) is the seventh-best in all the league and is definitely forward of Watt’s 15.1% on this span. Conversely, Atlanta’s workforce quarterback strain price of 27.6% since 2021 is the worst in all the NFL, so it’s filling a major want with this transfer.
Atlanta ranked twenty fifth within the NFL in quarterback strain price (32.7%) and tied for twenty first in sacks (42.0) in 2023, so he might be a welcome addition for a squad whose most notable front-seven acquisition this offseason was drafting Clemson defensive lineman Ruke Orhorhoro within the second spherical (thirty fifth general) of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Falcons’ third-round decide from the identical class, Washington edge rusher Bralen Trice, was positioned on injured reserve after tearing his ACL within the workforce’s preseason opener.
The commerce for Judon represents a hard-fought victory for Atlanta after placing out twice when attempting to commerce for pass-rush assist throughout the previous yr. Per ESPN, the Falcons tried to commerce for Montez Sweat earlier than the Washington Commanders flipped him to the Chicago Bears on the 2023 commerce deadline in change for a 2024 second-round decide. Additionally they tried to commerce as much as choose UCLA All-American edge rusher Laiatu Latu in the latest draft after deciding on Washington 2023 Heisman Trophy runner-up quarterback Michael Penix Jr. eighth general. Latu ended up being the primary defensive gamers chosen in April after the Indianapolis Colts selected him with the fifteenth general decide.
On the Patriots facet of issues, new head coach Jerod Mayo and government vice chairman of participant personnel Eliot Wolf took a web page out of New England’s former head coach (and personnel resolution maker) Invoice Belichick’s playbook by flipping a participant seeking to receives a commission into his 30s.
Atlanta would not have a brand new contract already arrange for Judon as part of the commerce, per ESPN, however its plan is to barter one with him earlier than the 2024 season kicks off in September. Falcons normal supervisor Terry Fontenot could be smart to get issues achieved rapidly as a way to keep away from a scenario much like what the New York Jets are at the moment going via with Professional Bowl edge rusher Haason Reddick. For now, that kind of drama enjoying out feels unlikely with Judon expressing his pleasure for this new residence by exhibiting he’s already determining the place to stay in relation to his new residence stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, on his Instagram story.
With all of that in thoughts, it is time to hand out commerce grades for a transaction the place either side completed what they needed to get achieved for each 2024 and seemingly past.
Atlanta Falcons: B-
The Falcons are going for it after lacking the playoffs in every of the previous six seasons. That is commendable. They signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million cope with $100 million assured after wandering via quarterback purgatory post-Matt Ryan. Now, they addressed their largest remaining want (move rusher) with this transfer. It additionally would not seem to be a coincidence that the Falcons have not reached the postseason since 2016 and that the final time they’d a participant hit double-digit sacks in a season — Vic Beasley with 15.5 — additionally occurred in 2016.
Their grade being a B- comes down to some elements regardless of addressing a important want. One, Judon is 32 years outdated and coming off a season during which he suffered a season-ending damage in Week 4. Two, they do not have him signed to a brand new deal already, which labored out horribly within the aforementioned case of Reddick and the Jets. Reddick is demanding a commerce from New York regardless of being acquired this offseason as a result of he would not have a brand new contract in place. Three, at any time when they do signal him to a brand new deal, they are going to seemingly be paying him in two or three years from now for previous manufacturing.
New England Patriots: B+
The Patriots are rebuilding, so this commerce makes all of the sense on this planet. Why does a workforce that went 4-13 with its worst scoring offense (13.9 factors per sport) since 1992 have to be paying an upper-tier however outdated move rusher a bunch of cash within the fast future? New England chosen North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye third general within the 2024 NFL Draft, and it signed Jacoby Brissett to a one-year deal this offseason to behave as his mentor.
This is a corporation that wants as a lot draft capital as attainable to provide its new regime of Wolf and Mayo what it must put collectively a aggressive membership over the subsequent few years. The one cause the Patriots grade is not greater is as a result of they could not get a first- or second-round decide. Total, stable work by Wolf and the New England entrance workplace to get a Day 2 decide again for an growing old, injured participant.