Patriots $43.5 Million Newcomer Tipped to Be a Bust

When it came to fixing a mediocre pass rush for the New England Patriots, new head coach Mike Vrabel stuck with who he knew, but playing it safe could cost the Pats dearly. To the tune of $43.5 million spent on a veteran edge-rusher tipped to be a bust this season.

Vrabel is familiar with Harold Landry III’s game from six years spent together with the Tennessee Titans, but not everybody shares the coach’s faith. Among them, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox believes “the bust potential of pass-rusher Harold Landry III lies in the financials. The New England Patriots gave the 29-year-old a three-year, $43.5 million contract in free agency. That’s a substantial sum for an edge-defender who is probably second-tier at best.”

Knox supports his argument the Patriots overpaid by pointing out “Landry has only reached double-digit sacks twice in his career. While he recorded nine quarterback takedowns last season, he also logged a modest 18 quarterback pressures.”

The numbers won’t wow anybody, but Landry’s value can go beyond statistics. He ticks three boxes for what Vrabel needs to help engineer a swift rebuild in New England.

Harold Landry III Signing Made Sense for Patriots

Vrabel and general manager Eliot Wolf green-lit the lucrative, front-loaded deal for Landry for some particular reasons. Those reasons include six seasons worth of experience winning battles at the edges of the line of scrimmage.

Landry has spent the majority of those campaigns, save for when a torn ACL cost him all of 2022, performing a hybrid role. He’s flip-flopped between putting his hand in the dirt as a traditional defensive end, and acting as a standup rusher.

This is the kind of versatility Vrabel covets for what promises to be a more attacking, multiple-front defense. Landry’s ability to play on either side of the line and set the edge in different ways will be key to the Patriots’ shape-shifting plans, but he won’t be the only flexible lineman who makes this scheme possible.

Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams will also count on roving defensive end Keion White taking a step up from the underrated ranks. White’s experience on the edge and at defensive tackle will help the Pats change the picture up front freely.

So will Vrabel’s expansive plan for dominant interior force Christian Barmore. Turning the latter loose more often is all part of how a new staff intends to kick-start what was the worst pass rush in the NFL last season.

All of the scheming will help, but key players will still need to win one-on-one matchups. Especially high-priced newcomers like Landry.

Patriots’ Investments Up Front Already Facing Doubts

It’s not just Landry who is being tabbed to fail during his first year at Gillette Stadium. A $104 million inside game-wrecker is also attracting negative assessments about his potential to dominate and prove worth the money.

That’s a lot of scepticism about players this Patriots regime paid a fortune to acquire. Vrabel will count on the player he took in the second round of the 2018 NFL draft being the steady presence other linemen and edge-rushers can rally around while they learn a new system.

Plays like this hustle sack of would-be franchise quarterback Drake Maye, highlighted by Tommy R. Callahan III, show the kind of effort and commitment Vrabel wants to establish as cornerstones for the rebuilding Patriots.

Landry’s numbers may not fully justify the $26 million in guaranteed cash he got for joining the Pats, but the example he sets as an extension of Vrabel on the field should prove invaluable.