Mike Vrabel
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The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed reported Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots don't expect to land a top edge rusher in 2026 NFL free agency.
Mike Vrabel and the New England Patriots appear poised to take big swings at acquiring an edge rusher this offseason. But based on a new report, the Patriots expect to swing and miss on a potential major acquisition.
The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan and Doug Kyed reported the Patriots see the market pricing them out of signing Trey Hendrickson, Jaelan Phillips, or Odafe Oweh. NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal ranked all three of those edge rushers in his top 10 projected 2026 free agents.
“Hendrickson, Phillips, and Oweh are all widely viewed as a few of the top overall available free agents this offseason. Some top free-agent lists even have Hendrickson at No. 1,” wrote Boston.com’s Conor Roche. “Hendrickson recorded 57 sacks in his first four seasons in Cincinnati before posting a four-sack season in 2025, missing 10 games due to a hip injury.”
If the Patriots pursue a trade for an elite edge rusher, Maxx Crosby is a possibility. However, Callahan and Kyed wrote the Las Vegas Raiders aren’t definitely interested in trading Crosby.
Should the Raiders part with Crosby, it also might not happen until just before the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Patriots are in the market for an elite edge rusher this spring. New England finished 22nd in the NFL with 35 sacks last season.