New England Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf made a controversial decision during training camp to trade star edge rusher Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons for a third-round pick.
While many believed the move would hurt the team in the short term, considering Judon’s age, the draft capital in return was fair value.
Still, the question of who was going to generate pressure remained. During Sunday’s Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, second-year defensive end Keion White stepped up and provided some clarity.
The 25-year-old played the fifth-most snaps on defense (41) and recorded four total tackles and 2.5 sacks in the season opener. Pro Football Focus gave him a 90.3 overall grade and a 90.8 pass-rush grade for his performance.
It’s obviously just one week, but White’s ascension will make both Wolf and head coach Jerod Mayo look smarter the better he plays. Wolf will look better for opening up opportunities for White by trading Judon while Mayo and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington will get credit for preparing him, teaching him and allowing him to flourish.
Bill Belichick could’ve played White more as a rookie, but he chose not to. Maybe there was a reason for that, but in one game this year, White looked like a beast.
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