The Move That Put the Patriots Over the Top: Team Set to Land Eagles’ Free Agency Bust
The New England Patriots have attempted to address their pass rush this offseason, signing both Harold Landry and Milton Williams in free agency.
However, even after those two additions, the Patriots could still use some help in getting to the quarterback, and Bernd Buchmasser of Pats Pulpit has identified a potential trade candidate to help them in that regard: Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Bryce Huff.
The Eagles signed Huff to a three-year, $51.1 million contract last offseason, but the former New York Jets star was a massive bust for Philadelphia in Year 1 of his deal, logging just 13 tackles and 2.5 sacks while playing in a grand total of 285 snaps over 12 games.
The Eagles would surely love to dump that contract, and New England still has more than enough cap room to absorb his $7.5 million cap hit for 2025. But would it really be the best use of resources for the Pats?
Outside of his 2023 campaign with the Jets in which he registered 29 tackles and 10 sacks, Huff has mostly been a non-factor.
The 26-year-old went undrafted but eventually landed with New York in 2020. Over his first three seasons, Huff amassed a grand total of 7.5 sacks and provided little to nothing as a run defender, accumulating just 36 tackles throughout that span.
At this point, the Patriots really can’t afford to take on bad contracts. Now, if Philadelphia were to release Huff, that’s a different story, but New England would have to trade for him. So not only would the Pats have to surrender an asset for the University of Memphis product, but they would also have to take on the rest of his deal.
That doesn’t sound like a very prudent move for the Patriots, who would be better served finding more pass-rushing assistance in the NFL Draft.
