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Why was a team with just three wins, that has an incredibly uphill battle just to get to the playoffs behind a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback, claiming a 29-year-old journeyman pass rusher who famously doesn't play on anything but obvious passing downs? Sure, they traded away Joshua Uche, securing a sixth-round pick for the former second-rounder out of Michigan from the Kansas City Chiefs, but come on; bad teams trade away their veterans to get an extended look at their young players, not to help a veteran rusher on an expiring deal secure a new bag the following offseason.
Are the Patriots just that concerned about winning now? Is Jerod May worried about his job security? Or do the Patriots believe that adding a player like Ngakoue might help rookie QB Drake Maye's development, as he might be able to secure a few more possessions for the UNC prospect with his pass-rushing prowess?
Discussing what he's seen from Ngakoue in New England so far, Mayo explained what he's seen so far from the Maryland-educated edge rusher, who is a smart player who understands how to play football the right way.
“Yeah, smart individual. Let's start in the classroom. It's easy for him to pick up a lot of the things that we do. He's been around this league for a long time. He's fast, and he's explosive. Again, you don't want to put him in a bucket as a pass rusher,” Mayo mentioned. “He's very good at that, but he's one of those guys that can play on all three downs. Having that depth where the gap isn't huge from a talent perspective is good for everyone. There are some good, I guess, unintended consequences, good consequences that happen having a guy like that.”
Since being drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of the 2016 NFL draft, Ngakoue has only played 80 percent of a team's defensive snaps once, all the way back in 2019 during the final year of his rookie contract in Jacksonville. Over his career, he's averaged more like 66.7 percent of his team's defensive snaps and has never even played 300 rushing defense snaps in a season, with his pass-rushing snaps often doubling those against the run.
Has Mayo figured out something the rest of the NFL hasn't? Could he unlock Ngakoue much like how Vic Fangio unlocked Zack Baun with the Philadelphia Eagles? Or does he simply have very high hopes for a player who is on his seventh NFL team in nine years? Fans will find out soon enough.
Yannick Ngakoue is excited to join the Patriots
While some fans may be confused by the decision to add Ngakoue to a Patriots team that looks more like a rebuilding team than a playoff contender, one person who is very into the move is the player himself, who actually doesn't mind playing for a lousy team with plenty of snaps to spare.
“Where I was drafted to, it was a team that didn't win a lot, and the next year, we were in the AFC Championship,” Ngakoue said via Sports Illustrated. “It's all about your perspective. It's all about how you can build team camaraderie and change those things… I'm excited. Happy for the opportunity. We just won a game last week vs. the Bears, so just want to help build on that energy and momentum so we can continue it for the following week.”
For Ngakoue, landing in New England really has no downside, as he wasn't playing much in Baltimore and will now presumably get another bite at the apple to sign a good contract if he produces down the stretch. Considering the Patriots clearly likes him, who knows, maybe a long-term deal in New England could make sense for both parties.
