Patriots Pull Off Stunning Heist: New England Set to Acquire Star Defender from Bengals
The New England Patriots need a whole lot of things during the NFL offseason, and while most of their glaring needs are on the offensive side of the ball, they also have some pretty big holes on the defensive end.
More specifically, the Patriots need more pass rushers, which is why it may be a good idea for them to pursue Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Sam Hubbard via trade.
Pro Football Focus recently listed Hubbard as one of the 15 most likely trade candidates in the coming months, and New England would represent a great fit.
The Pats traded Matthew Judon before the season and also jettisoned Josh Uche prior to the trade deadline, leaving the cupboard fairly bare in terms of players who can get to opposing quarterbacks.
Outside of Keion White, who struggled during the second half of the year, the Patriots don’t really have any good pass rushers, so targeting Hubbard would be a great idea.
Hubbard isn’t an elite player, as evidenced by the fact that he logged 41 tackles and just two sacks in 2024. However, before this year, he has been very consistent and posted at least six sacks in five of his first six campaigns.
The 29-year-old topped out at 8.5 sacks back in 2019, adding 76 tackles on top of that.
Hubbard has just one year remaining on his deal, so it would make sense for the Bengals to move him in order to find an upgrade alongside of Trey Hendrickson.
Meanwhile, New England just needs some bodies in the trenches, and Hubbard would be a nice get so long as the Pats add some other pieces, as well.
There should be plenty of options for the Patriots to pursue in free agency, and they could also look to add pass rushers via the NFL Draft, as well.
