The New England Patriots will face some difficult decisions during the 2026 offseason. Head coach Mike Vrabel wants the Patriots to become a dominant defensive team. New England started NFL free agency off with a splash, adding a talented edge rusher.
The Patriots are signing edge rusher Dre'Mont Jones from the Ravens per The Athletic's Dianna Russini. It is a three-year contract worth $39 million that is worth $14.5 in year one per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
Jones logged seven sacks and 55 pressures during the 2025 season after joining the Ravens around the trade deadline in a deal with the Titans.
Jones joined the NFL back in 2019 as a third-round pick out of Ohio State. He spent the first four seasons of his career in Denver, serving as a rotational pass rusher.
But Jones' career really took off when he joined the Seahawks in 2023. He played in all 17 games, logging 49 total tackles and four-and-a-half sacks.
The Patriots seem to be betting that Jones can continue playing at a high level after a “proof of concept” run with the Ravens.
New England had a surprisingly big need at edge rusher headed into free agency. The Patriots got some good production out of K'Lavon Chaisson, but he is an unrestricted free agent. There was no guarantee that he would return to New England after the team's Super Bowl berth in 2025.
Patriots fans can expect Jones to take over for Chaisson in the starting lineup opposite of Harold Landry III.
It is encouraging to see the Patriots fill a big need on their defense right away in free agency. However, the Jones signing should not prevent them from adding addition free agents at the position. Nor should it stop them from adding edge rushers during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Ultimately, New England's defense just got a little bit better by adding Jones. That's great news for Vrabel and the Patriots as they attempt to get back to the Super Bowl in 2026.
