Patriots Called To Sign 'High Upside' Seahawks Pass Rusher

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The New England Patriots' pass rush could use some upgrades after they recorded just 35 sacks last season.

With K'Lavon Chaisson also hitting free agency, finding pass rushers in free agency and the draft could become a priority quickly. Even if the Patriots re-sign Chaisson, the pass rush still needs help. MassLive's Mark Daniels suggested Seattle Seahawks free agent Boye Mafe was a potential target.

"If the Patriots are looking for a high upside edge rusher, they could turn to Mafe," wrote Daniels on Monday. "The 27-year-old is athletic with great size. He had two sacks last season as a situational pass rusher for the Seattle Seahawks. Mafe had a career-high nine sacks in 2023 and six sacks in 2024. The Patriots saw him up close in Super Bowl 60. Mafe finished that game with a quarterback hit on Drake Maye."

Mafe had just two sacks in the regular season, but part of that was because of the Seahawks deep pass rush group. No Seahawks player had double-digit sacks last season, and they had one of the best defenses in football. On the Patriots, Mafe could see more opportunities.

In 2023, before Mike Macdonald took over as the head coach and implemented his own defensive philosophy, Mafe had a nine sack seaosn. The Patriots could allow him to be a full-time starter once again and help fix their pass rush. He is still young and may be cheap, given that he did not have his best season.

Mike Vrabel has shown he can get the most out of players who may be getting overlooked in free agency. Mafe could be the next success story for Vrabel on the Patriots.