Matt Judon was the best free agency signing of 2021

When Matt Judon hit the market after leaving the Baltimore Ravens, any team that wanted his services would have to deal with an important question: would the pass rusher repeat his great Baltimore numbers on a team that didn’t send as many blitzes as the Ravens did? It turns out the answer was yes. The New England Patriots EDGE has surpassed the high expectations that were created with his signing and became New England‘s main defensive player.

Judon had 12.5 sacks, 25 quarterback hits and 9 tackles for loss. For a team that invested so much money in the free agency after a disappointing 2020, at least this signing is going very well

Any doubt about Judon being a product of the Baltimore system is long gone. If, in Baltimore, he won many individual reps because of the blitzes that Don Martindale used (led the NFL in both 2019 and 2020), now he’s in the team that is the 12th that least calls pressure with 5 or more men. His production remained consistent: His 8 sacks midseason were the biggest mark of his career, behind only the 9.5 achieved in 2019.

New England spent in free agency like there was no tomorrow, especially since they knew that many of its competitors couldn’t compete in the market because of the financial restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Judon was the best free agency signing, not only of the Patriots but of the entire NFL. He produced like an elite EDGE for the whole season, and although his salary is high, it’s still cheaper when compared to the highest-paid players in the position.

This is important because, in 2021, the Patriots’ defense was more inconsistent and less effective than expected, largely due to the non-presence (and subsequent departure) of Stephon Gilmore. There’s still a long way to go before we can call Judon an elite player, but he’s getting there. He’s not a Ferrari such as Watt or Garrett, but being a Corvette isn’t bad at all.

In terms of total value, the Patriots spent more than $300 million on total contracts in 2021. Judon was, by far, the most successful signing, even if the main focus of spending was in the offense, which suffered so much from the lack of receivers the previous year.

You can’t help but notice the impact he’s had in his first year in New England. With his combination of speed, strength and explosion, he’s a terror to the offensive lines when he attacks from the edge, and it gets even worse  when he’s unblocked after the snap, as happened against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 8, a dominant individual performance from start to finish.

The last major signing Bill Belichick had made in free agency with regards to defensive side had been Stephon Gilmore in 2017, and as big as that contract was, he certainly played a lot more than he received in his four years at New England. Judon will enter only his second year with the organization; the beginning of it is treading the same way, with a very cheap price in relation to the production he is showing. He will be a monumental signing for the Patriots if it stays the course the following seasons.