Harold Landry tries to fight off Patriots OL Mike Onwenu during a November game in Tennessee.
Harold Landry tries to fight off Patriots OL Mike Onwenu during a November game in Tennessee.Stew Milne/Associated Press
The Patriots are beefing up their pass rush this offseason.
New England is signing outside linebacker Harold Landry to a three-year, $43.5 million contract — with $26 million fully guaranteed. The deal has a maximum value of $48 million.
Landry’s arrival should provide a significant boost to a Patriots defense that regressed heavily in 2024, and stands as New England’s first top signing in what should be a busy offseason.
Here are four things to know about Landry.
He’s been an effective pass-rusher for years
Landry, 28, might have been released by the Titans this week ahead of free agency amid what was a slight dip in his pass-rushing production.
But the veteran linebacker has been a regular force when it comes to getting after opposing quarterbacks and putting them under duress.
Laundry appeared in 17 games with Tennessee in 2024, leading the team in sacks (nine) while also racking up 71 tackles, 15 QB hits, and 15 tackles for loss. Among edge defenders, PFF tabbed Landry with the fifth-best run defense rating at 82.2.
He earned Pro Bowl nods for the 2021 season after recording 12 sacks and 22 QB hits — only to then miss the entire 2022 campaign after suffering a torn ACL during practice in August.
Amid the concerns of his game potentially slowing down, Landry has still recorded nine or more sacks in each of the past three seasons.
Every Harold Landry sack from 2024.
Some really impressive wins here. But a lot of stunts and effort plays rather than true pass rush dominance. Weird player, but production is production even if manufactured.
2024 was his worst season. Maybe Vrabel will make me eat my words. https://t.co/eJykGvDIgQ pic.twitter.com/l5NoymD6bV
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) March 9, 2025
He has plenty of familiarity with Mike Vrabel
It should come as little surprise that Landry identified the Patriots as a fit before the start of free agency, considering that Mike Vrabel is now in place as New England’s head coach.
Vrabel was coaching Tennessee in 2018 when the Titans drafted Landry in the second round, with the young edge player immediately carving out a role on Vrabel’s defensive unit.
Speaking at the end of the 2023 season, Landry was candid when asked if he could envision himself playing for any other coach than Vrabel.
“Not really to be honest,” Landry said of Vrabel shortly before his eventual firing, via the Nashville Post. “Because … I’ve been with him my whole career. I feel like my time I spent with him and this defensive staff, I feel like I can kind of speak on them.
“”I feel like with [Vrabel], my entire career, situationally, I’ve been as prepared as I can possibly be for every game. I feel like if you just look at [the Titans’ season-ending win over Jacksonville], guys are playing hard for him, guys are wanting to win for him and … I really can’t imagine him not being the Titans head coach. I mean, I just can’t.”
Landry addresses an immediate need
The Patriots’ most pressing offseason needs revolve around the team’s porous offensive line and a dearth of playmakers on offense.
But New England’s pass-rushing talents also left a lot to be desired in 2024.
New England struggled to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks all season long, with the Patriots finishing last in the league with just 28 sacks on the season. New England was also tied with the Browns for the second-lowest mark in the league with just 0.7 takeaways per game.
Landry should remedy some of those pass-rushing woes, with his sacks (nine) and tackles for loss (15) last year both leading New England had he been on the roster.
It was to be expected for New England’s defense to regress following the decision to trade Matthew Judon in August 2024.
But the addition of Landry should help bolster a defensive unit that should have more room to grow, especially if Christian Barmore is cleared for game action and Keion White continues to develop.
He was a former standout at Boston College
Landry already has plenty of ties to the New England region. The Spring Lake, North Carolina, product played at Boston College from 2014-17.
As noted by Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Landry stands as the first former BC player to suit up for the Patriots since 2012. Landry is also just the sixth former Eagle to play for New England since 2000 — joining Ron Brace (2009-12), Doug Flutie (2005), Mike Cloud (2003-05), Dan Koppen (2003-11), and Damien Woody (1999-03).
Landry recorded 26.0 sacks over his four seasons at Chestnut Hill, with his 16.5 sacks during the 2016 season tied for the program record for most sacks in a single year, shared by 2025 NFL Draft prospect Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Conor Ryan can be reached at conor.ryan@globe.com.