The New England Patriots aren’t wasting time changing the makeup of their defense on Mike Vrabel’s watch, reuniting their new head coach with a favorite from his Tennessee Titans days, edge-rusher Harold Landry III. on the same day they re-signed tight end Austin Hooper, a go-to target for rookie quarterback Drake Maye last season.
Landry is signing “a 3 year deal for 43.5M with $26M fully guaranteed. Max value of 48M,” according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Source: The #Patriots are signing Harold Landry to a 3 year deal for 43.5M with $26M fully guaranteed. Max value of 48M.
Pelissero provided confirmation on Sunday, March 9. The same day the Patriots re-upped Hooper. He’s getting a “one-year, $5 million deal with a max value of $7M,” per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Two-time Pro-Bowl TE Austin Hooper is returning to New England on a one-year, $5 million deal with a max value of $7M, per source.
Agent Steve Caric of Wasserman sports just finished negotiating the deal with the Patriots before free agency starts.
Hooper made an impact in now former offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s schemes last season. Schefter’s fellow ESPN reporter Mike Reiss detailed how “Hooper’s close ties with fellow TE Hunter Henry, and his belief in the promise of QB Drake Maye, were among the factors that led him to return to New England over other options.”
Retaining Hooper keeps an important weapon for Maye in the fold, but Landry is the bigger signing. Joining the Patriots is a homecoming of sorts for the 28-year-old. Pelissero’s colleague Mike Garafolo pointed out Landry is a “Boston College guy back to the Boston area.”
Familiarity is the hallmark of this deal. Landry played for Vrabel for six seasons in Tennessee, including a career-best year in 2021, when the hybrid rush end logged 12 sacks.
Vrabel isn’t the only familiar face waiting to greet Landry at Gillette Stadium. New defensive coordinator Terrell Williams coached defensive line for the Titans during the same six-year stint in Tennessee.
Williams and Vrabel are going to alter the style of defense played in New England, and Landry is the first building block.
Harold Landry Played His Best Football for Mike Vrabel
The Patriots were smart to move quickly for Landry. He’s somebody who played his best football for Vrabel and Williams.
They knew how to unleash the 6-foot-2, 252-pounder’s range of talents. Those skills include a low centre of gravity, violent hands technique and a quick takeoff.
Landry used those traits to register 50.5 sacks during seven seasons in the AFC South. Although his numbers have declined since he tore his ACL in 2022, Landry remains a versatile edge defender with a nuanced pass-rush plan.
The Patriots need more skilled quarterback hunters after recording a league-low 28 sacks last season. Vrabel wants a new-look defense “to play on the opposite side of the line of scrimmage,” according to Reiss and ESPN colleague Turron Davenport.
Landry will help as a natural fit for the four-man front schemes Williams coaches. Those schemes are based on attacking, rather than reacting, with the same mentality likely on an offense led by Maye’s arm.
Austin Hooper Remains a Good Fit for Patriots
Maye is a gifted thrower, but he needs one or two safety valves to help curb his more gung-ho instincts. Hooper is an ideal fit as a big-bodied pass-catcher who knows how to muscle covering defenders between the hashmarks.
The knowledge helped the 30-year-old snag 45 catches and three touchdowns last season. Hooper is a bit more of a move target than fellow tight end Hunter Henry, but both suit the playbook called by returning offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
He has a strong history of using multiple tight end sets, with the likes of Rob Gronkowski and Martellus Bennett dominating in the McDaniels system. Hooper has the chance to do something similar while building a rapport with the future of the franchise.
