New England Patriots: Chris Long has been a valuable addition

The New England Patriots traded pass rusher Chandler Jones this offseason, and replaced him with Chris Long. Did they get better?

The New England Patriots are undefeated heading into week four of the season, and it’s crazy to think that former St. Louis Rams stud pass rusher and top draft pick Chris Long has been a big reason why.

Why is it crazy?

It’s crazy because Bill Belichick acquired Long for next to nothing while getting rid of a much more expensive pass rusher in Chandler Jones. Long wasn’t a hot commodity on the free agent market, and he embraced that. He signed a modest deal to play for the chance to win a title in New England, and the gamble has paid off greatly for both parties.

Not only are the Patriots enjoying success defensively, but Long is finally part of a winning team. It goes against conventional wisdom because the Patriots have had to deal with the loss of Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, and even Jacoby Brissett, but the defense has been stout.

That was never more apparent than in their Thursday night victory against Bill O’Brien, Brock Osweiler, and the Houston Texans. Osweiler had the last laugh against New England last season with the Denver Broncos, but it was Chris Long and Belichick laughing (seriously…) as New England ripped the Texans for their third consecutive win to start the year.

According to Pro Football Focus, no 4-3 defensive end has been more productive in the pass rush department than Long this season (min. 70 snaps.). Here’s what they had to say:

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“After three games, Long is looking more like the player he was from 2010–2013, when he was constantly getting double-digit sacks, rather than the player from 2014–2015, who was either less-productive or out with injury. On the season he has two sacks, three hits, and eight hurries.”

Long’s production has come as a surprise to many, but not likely anyone in the Patriots’ organization. New England doesn’t hit on every single one of these reclamation projects, but more often than not, they are able to squeeze the most out of veterans that have been outcast by other teams.

Long’s time in St. Louis (or, Los Angeles for that matter) came to an abrupt end this offseason when he became a cap casualty. The Patriots — not messing with the compensatory draft pick formula — saw an opportunity and took it.

Not only does Long offer upside as a pass rusher, he also offers a leadership voice in the locker room and a veteran presence for a defense that has some youth on the line.

It seems cliche to say it, but this is just typical ‘Patriots’. They are consistently able to find these guys who make significant contributions where they probably wouldn’t be doing it on any other team. That’s a testament to great coaching and a culture that has been created over the years that extracts the best out of hard-working players who simply need a fresh start.

Kudos to Chris Long for bouncing back after a down couple of seasons at the end of his career with the Rams.

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