The New England Patriots went all out on the defensive side of the ball during free agency, spending over $200 million on the defense alone.
But a player who signed for just $3 million could be a game-changer for new head coach Mike Vrabel.
Doug Farrar of Pats Pulpit named EDGE rusher K’Lavon Chaisson a “hidden gem” for the team. Here’s what he had to say about Chaisson:
“The Patriots weren’t just writing those big-dollar contracts for defensive players who could have a positive impact — there was also the one-year, $3 million deal with $1.5 million guaranteed given to edge-rusher K’Lavon Chaisson,” Farrar wrote. “Chaisson landed with the Las Vegas Raiders last season and had a bit of a career rebirth very much under the radar.”
“He had six sacks, 29 total pressures, 20 solo tackles, 20 stops, seven tackles for loss, and a forced fumble in 2024, and given that his sacks and 16 of his pressures came in Las Vegas’ final six games, the arrow could be pointing up here… Well, maybe it’s time to take K’Lavon Chaisson seriously. If so, what a bargain he would turn out to be.”
Chaisson credited former teammate Maxx Crosby as part of the reason why he was allowed to record those sacks in the latter half of the season.
Fighting For Snaps in New England
GettyNew England Patriots EDGE rusher K’Lavon Chaisson (left).
Alongside adding K’Lavon Chaisson, the Patriots signed Harold Landry and drafted Bradyn Swinson to the EDGE position.
Landry recorded his best season under Vrabel when the duo were at Tennessee, logging 12 sacks. Swinson had his best collegiate season before getting drafted, getting 8 sacks at LSU.
With Anfernee Jennings and Keion White remaining on the roster from last season, Chaisson would need a strong training camp to get guaranteed playing time under Vrabel. Jennings recorded 2.5 sacks, while White logged 5 sacks last season, respectively.
As Farrar mentioned, Chaisson produced 5 sacks in the last 6 games of the season for the Raiders. Chaisson said getting the opportunity to play allowed him to put up those numbers.
Chaisson mentioned that playing under Vrabel, who played the same position when he was a professional, will help with the development of his game in Foxborough.
Former First Round Pick Seen as Low-Risk Option
GettyK’Lavon Chaisson (right) will reunite with Robert Spillane (left) in New England.
K’Lavon Chaisson was a former first-round selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, going 20th overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The EDGE rusher recorded five sacks in his four seasons with the Jags, the same amount he recorded last season with the Raiders. If the Patriots can develop Chaisson, they can get what was expected of the EDGE coming out of LSU.
Pro Football Focus gave the former Raider a 74.7 pass rush grade last season in Sin City.
Both Farrar and ESPN’s Mike Reiss view the new signee as a low-risk, high-reward option for the Patriots.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Patriots $3 Million Signing Named Hidden Gem appeared first on Heavy Sports.