Grading the Matthew Judon Trade for the Falcons and Patriots

Just days after

Matthew Judon

requested a trade from the

New England Patriots

, the 32-year-old pass rusher got his wish, and was sent to the

Atlanta Falcons

for a 3rd-round pick.

The Patriots acted quickly in sending their disgruntled star out of New England, as they usually did during the

Bill Belichick

era.

Just one day before the trade, head coach Jerod Mayo stayed mum when asked about Judon’s request.

The Patriots found a suitor in the Atlanta Falcons, who were pegged as having one of the weaker pass rushes in football (42 sacks in 2023).

Going into the draft, the Falcons were expected to address their defense, picking at no.8 and not a single defensive player had been selected in the draft to that point. Atlanta instead opted to draft their QB successor in Michael Penix Jr..

Now, the Falcons have addressed their pass rush by landing Judon, who missed most of last season due to injury, but recorded 15.5 sacks in 2022.

How did the Falcons and Patriots fare in this move?

Here’s GIVEMESPORT’s grade for each team below.

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Atlanta Falcons Trade Grade: B

While it’s a slight overpay, the Falcons filled a need.

Trading a 3rd-round pick for a 32-year-old pass rusher coming off a torn bicep and seeking a contract extension will definitely be seen as an overpay, but the Falcons didn’t have much of a choice.

Their pass rush was ranked 21st in the NFL a season ago with 42 sacks. This move instantly adds a difference maker for first-year Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who’s expected to implement a 3-4 defensive scheme, which will likely put Judon at OLB.

While Judon missed most of last season, he was a consistent pass rusher for the Patriots when he was healthy. He was also a two-time Pro Bowler with the

Baltimore Ravens

prior to his arrival in New England.

As for the contract implications, the reason Judon is in Atlanta now, is that the Patriots wouldn’t extend him, as he is set to make just $6.5 million this season, in the final year of his contract.

The Falcons have the cap space to give Judon the extension ($24.4 million in 2025), though they’ll likely have to do some restructuring on other players’ deals. The move is also indicative of the Falcons wanting to win now, as they signed

Kirk Cousins

this offseason, giving them the most consistent QB in a weak NFC South division.

Ultimately, the Falcons filled a need, even if they paid a bit of a steep price.

New England Patriots Trade Grade: B+

The Patriots are in a full rebuild, and are focusing on their youth.

Quite simply, this is the kind of move a rebuilding team makes. The Patriots don’t expect to compete for a playoff spot this season, as they aim to develop first-round QB

Drake Maye

behind veteran Jacoby Brissett.

New England’s defense was a bright spot in an otherwise abysmal 4-13 season last year and if they remain competitive in most games this season, it will once again come from their defense.

While the Patriots’ defensive numbers might look like ‘middle of the pack’ we have to remember this was a defense that was on the field a lot, as the offense couldn’t sustain drives all season long.

While the departure of Belichick and the transition to Jerod Mayo may have some effect on the defense, it really doesn’t matter for their 2023 goals as a team.

Mayo, a standout pass rusher himself in his playing career though, will have to find sacks from elsewhere in the lineup.

The team didn’t add any pass-rushing help in free agency, nor did they address their depth at edge rush in the draft.

Despite Judon missing so much time last season, he still finished fourth on the team in sacks.

The Patriots ultimately handled the Judon situation the right way.

All factors considered, it was the right move for the Patriots to get a third-rounder for Judon and let a disgruntled veteran leave, while they focus on their rebuild.

By the time the Patriots are in position to contend, Judon will be in his mid 30s.

The move to trade Judon comes just days after the team cut veteran receiver

JuJu Smith-Schuster

, with Mayo citing wanting to give younger players more opportunities:

This move will certainly open the door for someone else to step up in New England, and will be a good test to see what Mayo can get out of his young defensive players.

Besides the implications for this season, the Patriots will have a lot of cap space to work with in 2025 if they decide they want to speed up their rebuild and spend big in free agency. They’ll have over $77 million in cap space next offseason.

The bottom line is, this move made sense for both teams.

All stats are courtesy of Pro Football Reference, unless stated otherwise. All contract info is courtesy of Spotrac.

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