The New England Patriots strengthened their defensive line this offseason with the additions of players like Milton Williams and Harold Landry. But one NFL writer believes the Patriots can add one final piece to the revamped defense.
NFL writer Kevin Patra would like to see the Patriots add Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson and see him play under new HC Mike Vrabel.
“The Bengals are unlikely to be interested in moving Hendrickson, as that’s not how they roll. However, if there is a divorce, New England is a good new partner. Mike Vrabel could use a legit No. 1 edge to anchor his defense and the Pats still have cap space,” Patra wrote.
“Sure, they’ve shelled out a lot on D already this offseason, but they should continue to take big swings while Drake Maye is still on a rookie deal. Adding Hendrickson would get them a big stride closer to threatening the Bills‘ divisional dominance.”
Hendrickson has been one of the better defensive players in the NFL recently, logging 70.5 sacks over the last five seasons and 17.5 sacks the last two consecutive years.
Patriots Have the Money to Extend Trey Hendrickson
One of the leading reasons why Trey Hendrickson’s name has been in the trade block recently is due to his contract dispute with the Bengals.
Trey Henrickson has been holding out on offseason training with the team while waiting for a contract extension with the Bengals, but the sides are far from an agreement.
“No communication has taken place between my camp and the organization post draft. The offers prior to the draft did not reflect the vision we shared and were promised last offseason if I continued to play at a high level. Coaches are aware of these past conversations. Rather than using collaboration to get us to a point to bring me home to the team, THEY are no longer communicating. I have been eagerly awaiting a resolution of this situation, but that’s hard to do when there is no discussion and an evident lack of interest in reaching mutual goals,” Trey Hendrickson said in a statement sent to ESPN.
The New England Patriots currently have $60 million in cap space, according to Over The Cap and can give any deal the defensive lineman wants. The Bengals currently have around $27 million and are unable to meet the minimum Hendrickson believes he deserves.
The Bengals are utilizing a significant portion of their cap space to secure Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins for the next few years.
Bengals In a Difficult Position
While it is in the Bengals’ best interest to retain a player who recorded 17.5 sacks in two consecutive seasons, it is hard for them to do so.
The top defensive ends in the league are receiving an average annual value of around $34-40 million. Players in that range include Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby and Nick Bosa.
Cincinnati is unable to provide the number Hendrickson wants without worrying about salary cap issues for the rest of the team.
Trey Hendrickson is set to have a base salary of $15.8 million this upcoming season with Cincy, far less than the top defensive ends in the league.
If the Patriots were to trade for the DE, Hendrickson could easily get a contract in the range of other elite defensive end players.
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