Lost in the shuffle of the ongoing quarterback controversy was just how poorly the defense of the New England Patriots played in an embarrassing 33-14 defeat to the Chicago Bears on Monday.
But there might be a potential opportunity for the Patriots to improve their underwhelming linebacking corps on the free-agent market.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, veteran linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill asked for his release from the Texans on Wednesday and Houston granted his request. It's unclear what exactly led Grugier-Hill to ask out of Houston, but the 28-year-old saw his playing time get severely decreased in a Week 7 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Grugier-Hill had totaled 40 tackles in six games this season.
So why might the Patriots want to sign Grugier-Hill? First of all, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker has ties with the organization. The Patriots actually drafted Grugier-Hill out of Eastern Illinois in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Grugier-Hill didn't make the team during that training camp and ended up signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played for four seasons before spending the 2020 campaign with ex-Patriots assistant Brian Flores and the Miami Dolphins.
Grugier-Hill turned in a highly productive season last year with the Texans, tallying 108 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. The Patriots could use some of that playmaking it didn't get in trying to contain second-year quarterback Justin Fields. Jamie Collins, now on his fourth stint with the Patriots and was elevated from the practice squad to face the Bears, didn't provide much in that area in his first action of the season.
Maybe giving Grugier-Hill another chance, like the Patriots have done with Collins time and time again, could prove beneficial for the Patriots.
