Rebuilding Patriots Sent Clear Message With Matthew Judon Trade

The Patriots did well for themselves Wednesday night.

New England reportedly traded Matthew Judon to Atlanta one day before its second 2024 preseason game. Eliot Wolf and company were able to charge the Falcons a third-round draft pick, which was a very nice return for a 32-year-old who's coming off a season-ending injury and is deeply unsatisfied with his expiring contract.

So, the reported Judon blockbuster probably can be chalked up as a win in Foxboro, Mass., where high draft picks will be imperative for the foreseeable future. But as the red sleeves left New England, the white flag went up.

To be clear, the Patriots probably were bound for a long 2024 season even if Judon stuck around. New England does not have adequate offensive talent to keep pace in its division, let alone the rest of the NFL. And even if the Patriots' roster was in a better state, transitioning to an entirely new regime after being led by the same person for over two decades was always going to be a tough challenge.

We also probably should have known before the Judon trade that New England was OK with slogging through this season. The Patriots didn't really do anything to improve their lackluster offensive line, even after drafting the potential next face of their franchise. New England spent most of its offseason extending homegrown talents and other foundational players that the franchise believes are part of the future.

But the Judon trade put the messaging in bold. The Patriots dealt the four-time Pro Bowl selection less than three weeks after Christian Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots. Judon became even more important to New England's 2024 success when Barmore's entire season was put in jeopardy, and the Patriots were more than content with letting the former go.

Jerod Mayo's team is rebuilding, and some fans might have forgotten about that when the front office dished out a series of new contracts over the spring and summer. But the Judon swap was a strong reminder that New England's eyes are on the future, and the upcoming season will just be one it has to get through.