The Patriots appear primed to have a top-notch pass rush in 2025. With players such as Christian Barmore, Milton Williams, Keion White and Harold Landry III in the fold, New England should be set on the interior and the edge.
However, White still has much to prove and many experts didn’t love Landry’s 2024 film. K’Lavon Chaisson has been a good training camp story, but is he really ready for breakout?
So, the Patriots probably could use an upgrade on the edge. The good news is that the one of the NFL’s best pass rushers, Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson, reportedly wants out amid a contract dispute.
New England has the assets to pull off a blockbuster deal before the start of the season, but fans probably shouldn’t get their hopes up.
“I’m told the New England Patriots currently feel the cost to acquire Bengals star rusher Trey Hendrickson is ‘too much,’ per a league source as of Monday,” NFL insider Josina Anderson wrote Tuesday in an X post. “The club continues to do due diligence by monitoring the market for Hendrickson.”
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In a separate X post, Dianna Russini of The Athletic cast doubt on the idea of the Patriots trading for any disgruntled stars, including Hendrickson, Micah Parsons and Terry McLaurin.
“The Patriots — like every team — are constantly looking for possible ways to improve their roster,” Russini wrote Tuesday. “But from conversations I’ve been having, I don’t sense that New England is close on a deal for any of the NFL’s disgruntled stars at this time.”
Both reports arrived a day after Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said he’d be willing to part with a first-round pick to swing a major trade before the start of the season.
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“I think those things are often a lot more complicated than the fans and some others would like to make you believe,” Wolf told reporters. “But if there is something we think can help us, we’d definitely be open to it.”
Hendrickson, 30, was one of the NFL’s most prolific pass rushers over the last five seasons when he averaged 14 sacks per campaign. He posted a league-best 17.5 sacks last season.
