New England Patriots: Contenders to play inside linebacker

The New England Patriots made free-agent additions to improve the team’s defense this offseason. Inside linebacker was not a highlighted position in free agency.

The New England Patriots enter spring with many answers across the roster. Unfortunately, inside linebacker is a position that still has more questions than answers. If the Patriots look to deploy more of the 3-4 looks that the team has leaned on in the past, then even the return of Dont’a Hightower doesn’t solve all of the issues.

Last season, the Patriots were 26th in rushing yards allowed including four games that they allowed at least 186 yards rushing. The team made wholesale changes on the defensive line and at the edge spots, but they have not done anything big at the inside linebacker position.

Hightower is expected to be the anchor for the inside linebackers. However, he opted out of last season so nobody can be completely sure of what he can give the team this season. He had been consistently banged up over the last three to four seasons, so it is possible that the year layoff could have been good for his body.

He is 31 years old, however, so there is no guarantee that he can give the Patriots a full 16 games. If he is the consistent player he has always been, the Patriots will be in good hands with at least one inside linebacker.

What linebackers are in the mix for the New England Patriots other than Dont’a Hightower?

If the team does consistently play two middle linebackers at a time, it’s possible that Ja’Whaun Bentley gets at least the first shot to play alongside Hightower. He has the size the Patriots typically desire at the position, and he started 13 games as a middle linebacker last season. Unfortunately for Bentley, he was more part of the problem last season than he was the solution.

Although the team was outmanned along the defensive line, Bentley often looked overmatched despite a deceiving 91 combined tackle total. He only had three tackles for loss, and that was the more telling statistic for Bentley’s lack of success last season. Bentley is in the last year of his rookie contract so this may be his last true opportunity.

If Bentley is not up for the challenge, the team might look to Terez Hall to once again fill the void. Hall played in eight games last season including four starts. At times he attacked the hole and ball carriers better than Bentley, but at 235 pounds he lacks the bulk the Patriots normally prefer at the position.

Even though Hall has the quickness to make up for his lack of size, he does not provide sideline to sideline speed and he can be a liability in coverage. Like Bentley, Hall was part of a defense that was hammered by opposing running games. He started a game in which the team gave up 250 rushing yards to the Miami Dolphins.

Another option for the Patriots is using one of their edge defenders on the inside at least part-time. This includes second-year players Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings, as well as returning free-agent addition Kyle Van Noy.

Uche and Jennings saw some time inside last season and the results were mixed. Out of these three, Van Noy and Uche might be the most likely candidates. It would be interesting to see what Uche could do with his raw athletic ability on the inside, but the position is so crucial to the Patriots’ defense that the team may be reluctant to move him there permanently at this point in his career.

Due to struggles last season, Jennings is the least likely to be moved to the middle on a more permanent basis. The team may look to keep him outside on early downs where the assignments are more simple. The team could have a player like Bentley or Hall take the early downs and kick either Uche or Van Noy to the middle for passing downs. The team could also play Van Noy next to Hightower on early downs with Uche playing more of a blitzing role from the middle on obvious passing downs.

Two other wild cards are quiet free-agent signings Raekwon McMillan and Harvey Langi. McMillan was a second-round pick by Miami in the 2017 draft, so there is some potential there. He had 105 tackles back in 2018 but hasn’t lived up to that ability since. Perhaps the Patriots can fully harness his abilities. He has played in the middle throughout his career and might be a fit for the team.

Langi is returning to the Patriots for a second time. He only played in one game the first time, but he has experience with the Jets on the inside and must have something that entices the team. Perhaps he will at least be a better alternative than either Hall or Bentley.

No matter what the Patriots do, they will have to solve the inside linebacker question if they want the defense to achieve its full potential in 2021. If the position is a liability like it was in 2020, the other additions to the defense might not have the intended impact. With the concerns that still face the offense, the team needs the defense to be closer to dominant than the doormat it was at times last season.