Unsurprisingly, the New England Patriots are bringing in seemingly anyone and everyone for a look, as they often do. Today, they are taking a gander at a small handful of veteran pass rushers who can add leadership and production in limited roles in their defensive system.
Last season, the Patriots ended up relying pretty heavily on rookie Chandler Jones to generate a pass rush from the defensive line, and it seems that they are intent on giving him some help, especially after watching the Seattle Seahawks try to play without Chris Clemons last season when they had nobody else to step up.
Among the more notable of these players are John Abraham and Dwight Freeney, both former Pro Bowlers in their prime and double digit sack artists.
Abraham, of course, was a former first round pick of the New York Jets, playing his first six seasons with the team before joining the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 via free agency. He played with the Falcons through 2012 before being released a couple weeks ago due to salary cap concerns.
Abraham is the active sack leader for career totals with 122 to his name. he has nine seasons with at least 9.5 sacks, and has missed just two games since 2006. His primary strength, however, has always been in the passing game, as attested by his low tackle totals in the running game.
Dwight Freeney, meanwhile, has been a career Indianapolis Colt, but the organization has elected to let him walk as it continues to rebuild in the post-Peyton Manning era. Freeney, entering his 12th season, has seven seasons of double digit sack numbers and owns 107.5 for his career.
Aside from these pass rushers, the Patriots are also taking a look at former Arizona Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson, who had been with the team since 2001 before being released earlier this week. A four-time All-Pro since 2006 and beyond, Wilson still has some football left in him, and the Patriots could use secondary help.
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