A solution to one of the New England Patriots’ most urgent problems may have simply fallen into new head coach Mike Vrabel’s lap on Friday — if the team is willing to act quickly. And it would reunite Vrabel, an All-Pro Patriots linebacker himself, during his 14-year playing career, with one of his top proteges from his tenure as coach of the Tennessee Titans.
In 2018, Vrabel and the Titans used both their first and second-round draft picks to take linebackers. In the first round, at No. 22 overall, Vrabel selected Rashaan Evans out of Alabama. It’s safe to say, Vrabel probably wished he could have that one back. Evans recorded just three sacks in his four years in Tennessee. He then signed with the Atlanta Falcons as a free agent, left after a season, joined the Dallas Cowboys where he bounced between the practice squad and active roster — and then got released again after an arrest in December, 2023, for marijuana possession.
Landry a Successful Vrabel Linebacker Pupil
With the second-round pick in 2018, however, Vrabel and the Titans had better luck. They looked to Boston College where they found edge-rusher Harold Landry. Tennessee took Landry with the 41st overall selection. Under Vrabel’s guidance, Landry soon became Tennessee’s top pass rusher. In 2021, Landry notched 12 sacks, 22 quarterback hits and 75 total tackles including 11 tackles for loss — a performance good enough to earn him a Pro Bowl bid.
He signed a four-year, $87.5 million contract in 2022. But he then missed all of that season with a torn ACL in his knee. The following season, Landry returned with a team-high 10.5 sacks in 2023 and nine in 2024, also tops on the Titans.
On Friday, however, after failing to find a trade partner to relieve them of Landry’s salary cap number, the Titans cut him from their roster.
“The move saves the Titans $10.9 million in cap space but increases to $17.5 million if Tennessee designates Landry’s release as a post-June 1 move,” ESPN reported, in a piece explaining why the Titans parted with their best pass rusher.
After the Titans’ move, Patriots.com senior reporter Evan Lazar quickly urged the Patriots to sign the newly available, 28-year-old linebacker.
Vrabel Reunion With Landry Would ‘Make Some Sense’
“A reunion with Vrabel would make some sense,” Lazar wrote. “The Patriots need pass rush depth and Landry could slide right into a starting role while the Pats develop a draft pick or two.”
The entire Patriots defense managed only 28 sacks in all of the 2024 season. That was worst in the NFL. Deatrich Wise Jr. and Keion White led the team with five each. No other New England pass rusher was credited with more than 2 1/2 sacks. That number belonged to Anfernee Jennings, a third-round Patriots draft pick, 87th overall, in 2020 out of Alabama.
There is some indication that the Patriots may already be showing interest in Landry. Writing last week, before Landry was cut by Tennessee, veteran Patriots reporter Karen Guregian of MassLive called the BC product “a natural Patriots target.”
“If that happens [i.e. Landry is released], sources expect the Patriots to be involved,” Guregian wrote on February 28. “Landry… could help a defense that finished dead last in the NFL in sacks.”
