The New England Patriots lost some major talent along their defensive edge this offseason: Trey Flowers, who played 72.9% defensive snaps in 2018 and led the club with 76.5 combined quarterback disruptions (9.5 sacks, 29 hits, 38 hurries), signed a free agency contract with the Detroit Lions; Adrian Clayborn and his fourth best 30.5 pressures (3.5 sacks, 17 hits, 10 hurries), meanwhile, were released in a cost-saving move.
As a result of the two departures, the Patriots will field a new-look edge defender group this season. Three of its current nine players can be classified as roster locks: offseason trade acquisition Michael Bennett is the premier candidate to take over Flowers’ role as the number one, with third-year man Deatrich Wise Jr.