Patriots claim veteran pass rusher, former Raven Yannick Ngakoue
Ngakuoe is 29 years old and has 70.5 career sacks for six different teams.
The Patriots remained quiet at the trade deadline on Tuesday, but made a notable roster move on Friday, claiming former Pro Bowl pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue off waivers.
Ngakoue spent this season with the Baltimore Ravens, spending time on the practice squad and active roster before he was released. The defensive end has 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits this season, appearing in five games for Baltimore.
Though he hasn’t played a significant role yet defensively this season, Ngakoue has been a standout rusher since entering the league in 2016. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2017, finishing his best year with 12 sacks, 23 QB hits and six forced fumbles.
Ngakoue also had solid seasons in 2021 and 2022, finishing with 10 sacks and 9.5 sacks, respectively. He has 70.5 career sacks.
New England is in need of defensive line help; Christian Barmore’s absence along with the trade of Matthew Judon prior to the season left big shoes to fill for the young Patriots pass rushers. Adding a veteran presence into the mix could be beneficial not only for added production in the short-term, but also for guiding young budding stars like Keion White.
To make room for Ngakoue on the roster, New England released linebacker Raekwon McMillan, who Mike Reiss reported is a candidate to re-join the Patriots practice squad if he clears waivers.
Ngakoue could make his New England debut as soon as Sunday, when the Patriots clash with one of his former teams, the Chicago Bears. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Eastern Time in Chicago.
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