NFL Analysis
8/1/24
6 min read
5 Trade Destinations For New England Patriots EDGE Matthew Judon
Matthew Judon wants to get paid, and it’s not hard to argue with him.
During the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he combined for 28 sacks and 53 quarterback hits. Even last year, he recorded four sacks in four games before eventually being lost for the season due to an injury.
Yet, he is currently the 27th highest-paid edge rusher (per OverTheCap.com) in the NFL, and his deal has no guaranteed money left. Judon will become a free agent at the end of the 2024 season and, rightfully, wants a new contract.
Jerod Mayo appears to exchange some words with Matthew Judon who is not participating in practice today. Judon seen exiting the field after their conversation 👀 pic.twitter.com/BJvP64tnpS
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) July 29, 2024
Unfortunately, the New England Patriots don’t seem to agree, leaving Judon very unhappy. He had a confrontation with coach Jerod Mayo this week and has not been seen at practice yet. Could a trade be coming down the line for Judon? Here are five potential destinations for the Pro Bowl pass rusher:
Matthew Judon TRADE LANDING SPOTS
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are in a Super Bowl window, and there is no telling how long it might be open. So now is the time to strike if you are Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell. The Lions have the cap space ($34 million) to take on Judon’s deal and give him more financial security. They also have a need after John Cominsky tore his MCL earlier this week.
The pass rushers opposite Aidan Hutchinson leave a lot to be desired, and that means he’ll see a ton of double teams. Hutchinson led the team in sacks with 11.5 last season, but no other player had more than five (Alim McNeil). Adding Judon would give the Lions one of the best pass-rush duos in the league, and he would drastically improve their run game.
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are another team with ample cap space and playoff aspirations. Unfortunately, they just lost a key player on the defense, Samson Ebukam, who tore his Achilles this week. Ebukam led the Colts in sacks (9.5) during the 2023 season and started all 17 games last year. The Colts selected Laitu Latu in Round 1 during the 2024 NFL Draft, but he is a rookie with major health concerns.
The Colts have the draft capital and the cap space to make a move happen, and this move would help beef up their pass rush. If they want to top the Texans in the AFC South, they must find a way to be better in their front seven. Trading for Judon would certainly move the needle.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs can do something that no other franchise in NFL history has ever done: win the Super Bowl in three consecutive seasons. The Chiefs will always be in a Super Bowl window with Patrick Mahomes, but they do have several players entering the later stages of their career, including Travis Kelce and Chris Jones.
One way to help Mahomes and the offense more this year would be to reinvest in the defense. The Chiefs have spent multiple first-round picks on pass-rushers, but none are of the quality of Judon. The Chiefs could “sell” Judon on the idea of winning a championship and giving him more guaranteed money than what he is getting in New England. Kansas City likely couldn’t commit to a long-term deal, but an extra year or two added to his contract seems plausible.
The Chiefs are already the favorites to win the Super Bowl, but adding Judon would widen the gap even further. He would instantly be the best edge rusher on the roster and would make for a fantastic pairing with Jones on the defensive line.
Then again, are the Patriots going to be the ones to give the Chiefs another weapon to help them win the Super Bowl? Probably not, but it’s still fun to think about.
Los Angeles Rams
You can never count out Les Snead and the Los Angeles Rams when it comes to acquiring star players. They love nothing more than adding top-end talent to their roster, and they are willing to trade away future draft picks to do so. The Rams don’t have a lot of cap space available in 2024, but they can borrow from future years to give Judon a new contract.
With Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp at the tail ends of their career, it’s time for the Rams to push their chips into the middle of the table once again, and Judon is the type of rusher who could make a big impact on their defense. The Rams selected Jared Verse in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft, but he is still a rookie, and their overall edge depth isn’t ideal.
Judon would be the perfect 3-4 outside linebacker in Chris Shula’s defense. It would allow Verse and Byron Young to play with a Pro Bowl pass rusher. It would also allow Judon to land on a team that is expected to be highly competitive in 2024 and play on a fast, attacking defense.
The Rams make less sense than the other three teams mentioned above but don’t rule out them making a splashy trade to add more star power to their defense.
Baltimore Ravens
The final destination for Judon that makes the most sense is where his career started. He was a fifth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in the 2016 NFL Draft, playing five seasons in Baltimore. He made the Pro Bowl during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, totaling 15.5 sacks and 54 quarterback hits.
Three years later, the Ravens have a big need after never properly replacing him after he left in free agency.
To say that the Ravens are weak at the edge rusher position is being… kind. They are hopeful that Odafe Oweh will take a big leap in Year 4, but that is anything but certain. Kyle Van Noy is back for another year, but he is 33 and is more of a part-time player at this stage of his career. Judon would instantly be the best pass rusher on Baltimore's defense and would give opponents someone to be concerned about on every snap.
Figuring out how to give Judon a new contract would be difficult, but there are always ways to do it. He obviously fits their culture and would bring toughness back to that side of the ball.
In many ways, this is the perfect destination for Judon, allowing him to end his career on a high note.
