Patriots Urged To Sign Player Dolphins Traded Away Last Season

The New England Patriots are preparing for the Super Bowl, but free agency will start soon after, regardless of the outcome.

The Patriots spent big last offseason, and it has paid off. However, they still have areas to improve in if they want to start another dynasty. Adding to the pass rush could once again be a focus for the front office.

The Patriots had 35 sacks in the regular season, ranking near the bottom of the league. They rely on a rotation of pass rushers, all of whom have produced to an extent. They could look to add to that mix even more. Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus urged them to sign Jaelan Phillips.

“Phillips has been good when on the field, owning an 80.9 overall PFF grade across his injury-riddled five-year career,” wrote Locker on Wednesday. “He stayed healthy in 2025, playing 871 snaps between the Dolphins and Eagles — and the results were encouraging with a 76.2 PFF pass-rush grade and 31 stops. The 26-year-old could assist a room that placed 29^th in pass-rush grade at the position, and where K’Lavon Chaisson will be a free agent.”

Phillips was a first-round pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 2021 NFL Draft. He had 15.5 sacks in his first two seasons for the Patriots’ rival, playing in 34 games. He played in just 12 games the following two years.

Last season, the Dolphins traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles. He had five sacks across 17 games, marking his first healthy season in a couple of years.

He could be a great addition to the Patriots’ defense, regardless of whether Chaisson stays or not. As previously noted, the Patriots rely on their depth to get after the quarterback, so Phillips would only be adding to a deep group.