The Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs trade candidate pass rusher Matthew Judon is drawing interest from NFL teams before the upcoming regular season. According to a report, many teams are contacting the New England Patriots about a possible trade involving Judon even though they’re not looking to move on from him. Head Coach Jerod Mayo said the team is moving on from the “contract stalemate” but they have the opportunity to trade one of their best defensive pieces if they want some reliable draft picks in return to rebuild their team. It would make sense for both sides considering the Patriots are longshots to make the postseason even with Judon on their team.
Judon is already making it clear that’s not happy with his current deal as he enters the final year of his contract. However, New England made an offer to Judon this summer but he didn’t accept it. Judon probably won’t be looking for a deal near the top-edge market but a raise that matches production. The injury last season limited him to only four games and hurt his chances in contract talks this offseason so the Patriots may have the leverage in the situation if they want to find a way to keep him.
However, he got into an altercation with Mayo this offseason where frustrations were showing eventually that can lead to a trade. Teams like the Ravens need a pass rusher who still has one of the best defenses despite losing Jadeveon Clowney and Geno Stone. Baltimore could pursue Judon to help Odafe Oweh adjust to a full-time role. However, the Chiefs know they need help at the defensive line despite selecting Felix Anudike-Uzomah in last year’s draft.
Judon’s addition could ensure them a third straight Super Bowl.
Ravens, Chiefs Trade Candidate Matthew Judon Drawing Interest From Teams
Other Potential Trade Destinations
Carolina Panthers
The Panthers may not make it to the Super Bowl next year like the Patriots but they’re building a roster towards that. New England has a lot of work to do, meanwhile, the Panthers have been restructuring their entire offense for Bryce Young. The additions of Diontae Johnson and rookie Xavier Legette are solid additions to give this team some sort of chance in the playoffs if they make it. However, Dave Canales has to understand that they can’t win with just a stellar offense which is why Judon joining the defense could help guide them.
This is why the Panthers spent time signing short-term veterans like Clowney to solidify their pass rush. Judon could be brought in to help Clowney and D.J. Wonnum to form a three-starter pass-rush group. With Brian Burns going to the Giants, they need some type of star power to get this defense in the right direction.
New Orleans Saints
Even though the Saints were able to extend Pete Werner this offseason, they still need to think about the future regarding Demario Davis. He’s getting older and sooner he’s going to demand one last high-end contract before he retires and it might be risky for Saints that are cap hell. They’re going to have to get creative on how to pay Judon but they should build a defense to give Derek Carr plenty of snaps to ensure he keeps his job.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have been losing critical defensive pieces including Dante Fowler Jr. and Leighton Vander-Esch. Assuming that Dallas finally does something this offseason, they should be able to take a risk to bring in Judon to pair with Eric Kendricks. However, no one should expect that to happen being that the Cowboys are busy figuring out contracts for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
