Mike Vrabel Calais Campbell
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ESPN's Bill Barnwell argued Mike Vrabel and New England Patriots should consider adding veteran defensive lineman Calais Campbell.
A lot of NFL pundits are still waiting to see if the New England Patriots make a bigger move this offseason for their edge rushing room or wide receiver group. But when addressing the team’s biggest need, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell went in a different direction, posing veteran Calais Campbell a potential target.
On Wednesday, Barnwell identified defensive line depth as “what’s missing” from New England’s roster. With that in mind, he mentioned Campbell, along with two other veteran defensive linemen, as a possible addition.
“The Patriots don’t project to land any compensatory picks, so they don’t need to stress about holding off on veteran talent until June 1,” Barnwell wrote. “There are still solid players who can play rotational roles available, including players such as DJ Reader, Shelby Harris and even 39-year-old legend Calais Campbell, who might feel like it’s worth heading to New England to potentially chase a ring.”
All three linemen would be quality additions in their own right. Campbell, though, would probably bring the most headlines because of his miraculous career.
Campbell, who will turn 40 years old before Week 1, will enter his 19th NFL season in 2026. He’s started 259 games in his career, including every contest over the past three campaigns.
Last season, Campbell posted 43 combined tackles, including nine tackles for loss with the Arizona Cardinals. He also had 6.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hits and two pass defenses.