Matthew Judon has proven to be one of the standout signings of the Belichick era. But he is only one of the few good ones that came to Foxborough after Tom Brady departed for Tampa Bay. TB12’s name was big enough to attract free agents, which allowed his former club to sign some big names like Rob Ninkowich, Darrelle Revis, Stephen Gilmore, and many more. However, the Patriots and their players, especially Judon, now have to face the reality that they don’t have the same pull anymore without Brady and Belichick.
For the uninitiated, Matthew Judon has taken it upon himself to bolster the Patriots squad through free agency. He has been quite active on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), to plead with and suggest players to consider joining New England. However, despite his efforts, he hasn’t had much luck thus far, a fact that hasn’t escaped the notice of fans.
But despite unsuccessful attempts on social media, Judon isn’t planning on giving up and recently took his recruitment drive a step further. During his TV appearance on Good Morning Football, the star linebacker tried to fill the vacancies that the Patriots needed, including a Safety, Wide Receivers, and Running Backs, with a sales pitch. He highlighted all the things that Boston can provide, even the individual needs of all these players. His targeted players included Kyle Dugger, Gabe Davis, Calvin Ridley, and Josh Jacobs.
However, despite his efforts, Judon hasn’t had much luck thus far, and the fans can’t help but poke fun at him for it. Recently, an account on X (formerly Twitter) called Savage Sports took a playful jab at Judon’s recruitment attempts by questioning his ability to lure players to Foxborough. They said,
“Real talk, has Matthew Judon actually ever recruited anyone to join the Patriots?”
However, Judon didn’t take the joke lightly. The statement possibly made Judon angry, making him lash out verbally at X. He threatened to punch the account owner, stating,
“Show your face so I can punch it.”
Fans had a field day with his comment. They asserted that, even though he is their best player on the field, he hasn’t been successful when it comes to recruiting. Others stated that they still have belief in his ability to lure players to the Patriots. Take a look:
Another chimed in and added,
A fan quipped,
A user commented,
Someone stated,
Others said,
The Pats haven’t had much success in free agency ever since Tom Brady decided to test the waters of free agency. And it’s very hard to tell when they will be able to find a solution to this problem.
New England Patriots Free Agency Woes
Despite Matthew Judon’s efforts, New England’s free agency troubles have continued to plague the team for the past few years. Once the most successful franchise in the league; now struggles to attract any coveted talents. And it could only get worse with Belichick getting the boot. His era was marked by the club finding success with players like Mike Vrabel, Rodney Harrison, Stephen Gilmore, Danny Amendola, Revis, Ninkovich, etc.
While the first Super Bowl and Belichick brought in a wave of free agents, the others came because of the chance to win and play with Brady, something that the club can no longer provide. Since Tom left, they have made some ineffective signings, such as Cam Newton, Ezekiel Elliot, Jacoby Brissett, K.J. Osborn, etc. And most of these signings haven’t panned out as the franchise had hoped.
While the Draft offers the best opportunity to add fresh talent to the team and fill key positions for the long term, free agency provides a vital path for acquiring seasoned experience, essential for achieving balance within the roster. This balance is particularly crucial for teams like the New England Patriots, who may be considering fusing a new rookie quarterback and other positions into their squad. The team barely made any moves in the 2024 offseason; therefore, it will be interesting to see how they fare when the time comes.
