The Patriots intend on expanding the roles of young members of their front-seven next season, but they're still looking into veteran depth for the unit.
New England has "shown some early interest" in veteran defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins during the NFL's legal tampering period, according to Mark Daniels of MassLive. The Patriots are doing their "due diligence" on the defensive tackle market, per Daniels' sources.
Rankins makes sense on multiple levels for New England.
Christian Barmore and Keion White are expected to take on bigger roles this season, but with Lawrence Guy now gone, the Patriots need some stability on early downs. White can provide that on the edge, but New England will need more on the interior than Barmore and veteran Davon Godchaux.
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Rankins can fill the gap between those two, as the 2016 first-round pick still can be described as a three-down player. The 29-year-old spent last season in Houston and recorded six sacks, 37 tackles and 10 quarterback hits on a swarming Texans defense. He's compiled 29.5 career sacks and missed a total of four games over the last three seasons.
New England needs depth, as names like Daniel Ekuale, Jeremiah Pharms, Sam Roberts and Trysten Hill don't exactly strike fear in the hearts of interior offensive linemen. If the Patriots want someone with versatility and a strong pedigree, Rankins might be the guy.
Featured image via Thomas Shea/USA TODAY Sports Images
