MONDAY, 11:57am: Long is expected to visit three teams this week – including the Patriots and Cowboys – before regrouping to weigh his options and make a decision, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.
SUNDAY, 10:01pm: The Patriots haven’t added any big names this offseason, but that might change soon. Free agent defensive end Chris Long will visit the team and hold a workout Monday, ESPN’s Trey Wingo reports (on Twitter).
Long’s previous team, the Rams, cut him Feb. 19 after he endured back-to-back injury-plagued seasons. The soon-to-
be 31-year-old suited up for just 18 of 32 regular-season games during that span, but he’s reportedly “100% healthy” and says that he only wants to sign with a Super Bowl contender. The Patriots certainly fit the bill in that respect, and they have a connection to Long in in defensive assistant Brendan Daly, who was the D-line coach in St. Louis from 2009-11 (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com). Further, the Pats lost a talented defensive lineman Sunday when Akiem Hicks agreed to a deal with the Bears.
Unlike Hicks, Long has been a pass-rushing force at his best. The former second overall pick added 41.5 sacks from 2010-13, including a career-high 13 in 2011, before dropping to a combined four over the past two years. In New England, the eight-year veteran would further beef up a pass rush that already features Chandler Jones, Jabaal Sheard and Rob Ninkovich coming off the edges. The Patriots finished last season with the second-most sacks in the NFL (49).
Since his Rams tenure ended, Long has visited with Washington and the Falcons. He also has a meeting with the Cowboys scheduled for the upcoming week.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
He’s overrated
He’ll sign for a cheap deal with incentives. Totally worth it for the Pats to give it a shot
Lots of pass rushers this draft, even in the second round you can get a productive guy.
He will kill it this year if he stays healthy. Would hate to see him play for the Pats. Wish he could have stayed with the St. Louis Rams. Hope for Falcons. He just had bad luck but a great guy and player.