Patriots Advised To Add ‘True Interior Pass Rusher’ Next to Christian Barmore

The New England Patriots calculate each and every move in the offseason and get players who can perform at a high level. Head coach Bill Belichick made a few signings in the last few weeks. Some players left the team in the offseason and the Patriots will probably add a few more and fix the roster. Brad Spielberger from Pro Football Focus advised the Patriots to get “a tried-and-true interior pass rusher” and pair him with Christian Barmore.

Matt Ioannidis is a free agent at the moment and seems to be an ideal fit for the Patriots. New England already for Keion White in the 2023 NFL Draft and getting another player could elevate the defensive line even further. White is a good player, but Ioannidis has his qualities, too.

The free agent has “been a consistently strong pass rusher from the interior, earning pass-rush grades of 69.1 or better in each of the past six seasons with a pressure rate of around 10% in each of the past two.”

Ioannidis didn’t have a really good game in 2022. He played with the Carolina Panthers and the team used him to pressure the pocket.

Patriots can use the versatility of the talented pass rusher

Washington selected Ioannidis in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He became a true threat from the inside. In his three seasons at Washington, the 29-year-old delivered 20.5 sacks.

The Patriots took notice of Ioannidis’ performance which makes him a potential target.

Ioannidis didn’t have much luck in the NFC South. In 13 starts, he had one sack, 10 pressures, and seven quarterback knockdowns.

Belichick likes versatile players and he could really use someone like Ioannidis. Pairing him with Christian Barmore and White could be lethal for other teams.

Barmore struggles with inconsistency. He missed time due to injuries. Signing Ioannidis could help Barmore in several ways and the Patriots should definitely consider signing him.

Carolina offered Ioannidis a one-year deal last offseason. The Patriots have enough money to get him and nothing will actually stand in their way.