HEADLINES

Christian Barmore

Patriots DT Christian Barmore Diagnosed With Blood Clots

July 28th, 2024 at 10:10pm CST by Ely Allen

The Patriots endured a scare this weekend when head athletic trainer Jim Whalen noted a bruise on the back of defensive tackle Christian Barmore‘s calf. Whalen insisted that the breakout lineman from last year get it checked out. Upon doing so, Barmore was diagnosed with blood clots. After avoiding disaster, Barmore is now receiving treatment and focusing on his health, per a statement from the Patriots.

A former second-round pick out of Alabama, Barmore had a slow start to his NFL career. In his rookie season, Barmore earned a good amount of playing time as a rotation sub. He only started two games, but he played nearly as much as the starters at the position. He functioned mainly as a run-stopper with 46 tackles on the season. The following year, his role increased slightly, as he earned three starts, but he was limited to only 10 games due to a knee injury.

Last year, fully healthy, Barmore broke out in a big way. He only started six games, but he played more defensive snaps than any other lineman. With that time, Barmore recorded career highs in sacks (8.5), total tackles (64), tackles for loss (13), quarterback hits (16), pass deflections (6), and forced fumbles (1). Analytics reflected his breakout season, as well, as Pro Football Focus (subscription required) ranked him as the eighth-best interior defender in the NFL, lauding his pass rushing abilities which they graded at the NFL’s seventh-best at the position.

New England rewarded Barmore’s impressive outing by helping him to avoid a contract year, signing the lineman to a four-year extension worth up to $92MM. The Patriots appreciated his contributions so much that they ensured Barmore would anchor their defensive line for the years to come, keeping him under contract through the 2028 season.

Following his diagnosis, though, that future is up in the air. The focus is, rightfully, on Barmore’s health at the moment and not on his potential return to the field. Undiagnosed, his blood clots could’ve provided the worst-possible outcome for the young defender who celebrates his 25th birthday today. Once securing his health, Barmore can then turn his thoughts to the field, but for now, there is only one focus.

To speculate, though, blood clots have provided a variety of outcomes in the past. Most recently, we saw center Billy Price retire after undergoing emergency pulmonary embolism surgery to remove a saddle clot that was entering his lungs. Price felt that the risk of internal bleeding while on blood thinners was too great to continue playing. Jets tackle Max Mitchell‘s rookie season was cut short due to blood clots in his lung and calf. The condition was treatable with medications, and Mitchell returned to start seven games last year. Rams tackle Alaric Jackson saw a similar situation end his 2022 season after only eight games, requiring blood thinning medication before returning to the field.

It’s hard to say what any of that means for Barmore. Obviously, the few examples provided show the possibility that we may not see Barmore in 2024. While these instances all were season-ending, both Mitchell and Jackson returned to play the following season. Barmore’s health is more important than his career, at the moment, though, so any decisions on his future will have to wait.

If Barmore is forced to miss time, this will push the Patriots depth at the position. They were set to roll with Barmore and Davon Godchaux starting while Deatrich Wise and last year’s second-round rookie Keion White battled for that last starting spot. If Barmore is out, both Wise and White will likely join Godcheaux on the starting front while the Patriots count on depth pieces like Daniel Ekuale, Armon Watts, and others to contribute off the bench.

While we wait to hear more, those of us at PFR commend Whalen on his level of care and attention and wish only the best for Barmore moving forward.

Pats, Christian Barmore Agree To Extension

April 30th, 2024 at 3:40pm CST by Adam La Rose

APRIL 30: A key point for Barmore will emerge in 2026, when a $10MM guarantee vests. Of Barmore’s $41.8MM guaranteed, $31.8MM is guaranteed at signing. The Patriots guaranteed $2MM of Barmore’s 2026 base salary ($12MM), per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio; the other $10MM is guaranteed for injury only. That $10MM shifts to a full guarantee on the third day of the 2026 league year, giving the Patriots a potential out. Barmore’s contract also includes $8MM in total incentives.

APRIL 29: Continuing with a trend from earlier this offseason, the Patriots have retained another in-house player for years to come. New England has reached agreement on an extension with defensive tackle Christian Barmore, as first reported by Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter adds this pact is four years in length, and it carries a maximum value of $92MM. As a result, Barmore has become the latest ascending defensive lineman to secure a lucrative new pact. The 24-year-old is now on the books through 2028. The pact (which Kyed notes has a base value of $84MM) includes $41.8MM in guaranteed money, per Schefter’s colleague Jeremy Fowler. In all, this marks the franchise’s largest contract ever given to a player not named Tom Brady.

New England was active in free agency last month with respect to re-signing or extending starters on both sides of the ball. The Patriots’ defense retained safety Kyle Dugger via the transition tag before a long-term extension was worked out. Edge rushers Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings also have new deals in place, and Barmore will remain a key member of the team’s front seven alongside them for years to come.

The latter began extension talks in March, and a major raise has been hammered out in the immediate aftermath of the draft. Team and player certainly had an established framework in place with respect to second contracts along the defensive interior. Over the past two years, a number of up-and-coming producers at the position have landed lucrative extensions. Barmore’s $23MM per year average (provided he reaches his maximum earning potential) places him in a tie for seventh amongst active defensive tackles.

The Alabama product saw a notable 55% defensive snap share as a rookie, and he produced 46 tackles that year. His playing time dipped the following season and his impact as a pass-rusher improved only incrementally (1.5 to 2.5 sacks). This past campaign, however, Barmore took on a larger workload (66% snap share) and he parlayed that into a notable uptick in statistical output.

The former second-rounder racked up 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss in 2023, the second season in which he was healthy for every game. Barmore added 19 pressures and 16 QB hits, and he ranked eighth amongst defensive tackles in terms of PFF grade (83.8). New England will count on a repeat of that production this season and beyond.

The Patriots have plenty of room for improvement on offense in 2024, but the team’s defense fared well in a number of categories last year. The team ranked fourth against the run, and Barmore played a central role in that success. He will be expected to continue his career ascent in the ground game while building off his impact against the pass for the foreseeable future as one of several D-lineman cashing in around the NFL.

Patriots Talking Extension With OLB Matt Judon, DT Christian Barmore

March 17th, 2024 at 7:31pm CST by Ely Allen

In the summer, the Patriots started discussions with star pass rusher Matt Judon concerning a new contract as he headed into the second-to-last season of his current deal. With talks of a new contract on the horizon, Judon agreed to a restructured deal that included several incentives he would miss out on due to injury this year. Still, the deal was made with the expectation that both sides would return to the table in the offseason. With the first wave of free agency over, those talks have resumed, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Judon’s biceps injury ended up being a season-ending ailment. Though, it seemed at times there was a possibility for him to return, Judon missed every remaining game after his injury. As a result, Reiss believes that any future extension offer the Patriots may draft up will be incentive-heavy, to protect them in the case of another long-term injury.

While that makes sense for New England, Judon has already experienced the loss of income as a result of a contract that fails to protect him from injury. As a player with star talent who missed extended time for the first time in his career in 2023 and lost money as a result, Judon will likely be seeking a deal high in guarantees. Perhaps a middle ground can be reached on a deal that both delivers a large guaranteed sum to Judon while still leaving a bit of achievable additional income through incentives.

The Patriots are also expected to begin extension talks with defensive tackle Christian Barmore. The former second-round pick out of Alabama is heading into the final year of his rookie contract and had a career year in a breakout season. In six starts in 2023, Barmore led a team missing Judon in sacks with 8.5, more than tripling his previous career high. His exceptional pass rushing metrics graded out seventh in the NFL for interior defenders, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), and he graded out as the eighth-best overall interior defender as a result.

With Barmore showing the promise that helped him get drafted in the second round, the Patriots will try to get a jump on signing him to an extension. They’ll want to avoid a situation in which he continues to excel during a contract year in 2024 and prices himself out of New England.

Pats Activate DT Christian Barmore From IR

December 17th, 2022 at 5:06pm CST by Ben Levine

The Patriots are adding a key piece to their defense, but they’ve lost a notable player on the other side of the ball. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss (via Twitter), the Patriots have activated defensive tackle Christian Barmore from IR. To make room on the roster, New England has placed offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn on IR.

Barmore has been sidelined with a knee issue since mid-October. He returned to practice earlier this week, and he’ll now rejoin a defensive line just in time for a playoff push.

The 2021 second-round pick had a standout rookie campaign for New England, earning PFWA All-Rookie Team honors after finishing with 46 tackles and nine QB hits. He got into six games this season before suffering his injury, collecting 15 tackles and one sack. Pro Football Focus has graded him as a middle-of-the-road interior defender in each of his two NFL seasons, but they gave him above-average ratings for his pass-rushing skills.

Wynn, a 2018 first-round pick, has had an inconsistent five years in New England. After missing his entire rookie campaign, he started 33 of his 34 appearances over the next three years, and he graded out as a top-35 offensive tackle in each of those seasons (including an 11th-place finish in 2020). This year, he’s bounced around the offensive line, moving from left tackle to right tackle while losing playing time in the process. He even spent some time as offensive guard before suffering a foot injury.

The offensive lineman has been sidelined since Week 11, and with his placement on IR, he can’t be activated to the active roster until at least the start of the playoffs. Wynn will be a free agent following the season.

The Patriots have also promoted linebacker Jamie Collins from the practice squad, according to Reiss. The veteran has spent the majority of the season on New England’s practice squad.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/14/22

December 14th, 2022 at 7:03pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the league:

Arizona Cardinals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

AFC East Notes: Dolphins, Wilson, Patriots

November 22nd, 2022 at 1:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Byron Jones is moving toward a lost season, but the Dolphins are not giving up hope on the eighth-year defender. Mike McDaniel did confirm Jones is still not ready to practice due to the ankle and Achilles operation he underwent in March. While the high-priced cornerback was expected to be ready for training camp, it has obviously brought concern he remains on the shelf into Thanksgiving week. McDaniel said this week he is optimistic Jones will, in fact, suit up at some point this season, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald notes.

The Dolphins have been without Jones and Nik Needham, given a second-round RFA tender to stay in Miami this year, for weeks. Needham is out for the season. Jones’ absence — by far his longest as a pro — has left the 7-3 team shorthanded at corner. It will be interesting to see if Jones can indeed contribute for the Fins this season. By restructuring Jones’ five-year, $82.5MM deal this offseason, the Dolphins added some future dead money to the contract — in the event they want to move on before its conclusion.

Here is the latest from the AFC East:

  • Faced with the prospect of a second-year demotion, Zach Wilson may be losing some support in the Jets locker room. Wilson indicated he did not feel his 9-for-22, 77-yard passing performance against the Patriots let the team’s defense down, and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes those remarks upset some defenders. The former No. 2 overall pick piloted an offense that totaled 103 yards against the Pats — the fourth-fewest in Jets history — months after a Wilson-led attack set a franchise record with 53 yards in Week 18 of last season. Monday marked the first time Saleh has threatened to bench Wilson, who earned his job back following each of his knee injuries over the past two seasons. Wilson ranks 23rd in QBR (45.1) but is second-to-last in passer rating (72.6).
  • The Patriots placed Christian Barmore on IR last week, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter) the team expects him to return later this season. The second-year defensive tackle has battled knee inflammation for weeks. Surgery is not on the agenda here, per Schefter, who adds New England anticipates Barmore returning after the four-week IR minimum. He is eligible to come back in Week 15.
  • Joining Jones on the injury front, Trey Flowers is unlikely to come off the Dolphins‘ IR list for a bit. McDaniel said (via Jackson) Flowers is not close to returning from the foot injury that sidelined him in mid-October. Flowers is eligible to return from IR this week, but it cannot be assumed he comes off IR this season. The Dolphins do have six injury activations remaining, however, providing some flexibility even when factoring in the Jones situation. Flowers, who sat in free agency for months prior to his Dolphins agreement, played just 65 defensive snaps with his new team this season. Injuries hindered Flowers significantly in Detroit as well. The Dolphins have both he and Emmanuel Ogbah out of the equation at defensive end.
  • Patriots long snapper Joe Cardona said he would like to see his position more respected, salary-wise, and Mike Reiss of ESPN.com posits this could affect how Cardona approaches his free agency. Cardona would have his work cut out for him if he takes such a stance. Long snappers are the league’s lowest-paid players, with each earning the league minimum or just north of that. Browns snapper Charley Hughlett signed an extension this year that made him the league’s highest-paid snapper — at $1.4MM per year.

Patriots Place DT Christian Barmore On IR

November 18th, 2022 at 8:15pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Patriots appeared to be close to having a starter on their defensive interior available soon, but things have quickly taken a significant turn. Christian Barmore has been placed on IR, per a team announcement.

The 23-year-old has been sidelined since Week 6 due to a knee injury. That cost him New England’s three contests before their bye week, but a return had been expected soon. Indeed, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe notes that Barmore appeared to be on track to play this Sunday against the Jets until being rule out earlier today (Twitter link).

A second-round pick in 2021, Barmore appeared in all 17 games as a rookie; though he officially only started two of those contests, he logged a 55% snap share. That figure sits at 53% in 2022, though a breakthrough in the pass-rush department has yet to take place at the NFL level. Barmore has 2.5 sacks across his 23 games in New England, after he exploded with 8.0 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in his final season at Alabama.

By being placed on IR, Barmore will now miss at least another four weeks. New England has six of their allotted eight activations remaining, though they have a list of players who will use up some of that total including quarterback Brian Hoyer and running back Ty Montgomery.

In Barmore’s continued absence, the Patriots will carry on with the likes of Deatrich Wise, Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy and Carl Davis along the defensive interior. While that front has surrendered over 120 yards per game on the ground, it has contributed to the unit’s overall performance in allowing the sixth-fewest points per game (18.4).

Sitting in fourth in the highly-competitive AFC East, the 5-4 Patriots’ playoff hopes will be greatly affected by the outcome of Sunday’s game. They will not have their highly-touted d-lineman available, though, and his development will have taken another hit by the time the calendar flips to December.

Patriots Sign Christian Barmore

July 21st, 2021 at 1:29pm CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have inked defensive tackle Christian Barmore, per a club announcement. As the No. 38 overall pick, Barmore will earn $8.5MM on his four-year contract. 

Barmore skipped two years of Alabama eligibility to go pro, joining fellow underclassmen Jaylen Waddle, Patrick Surtain II, and Mac Jones in the 2021 NFL Draft pool. After taking Jones in Round 1, the Pats shipped pick Nos. 46, 122 and 139 to the Bengals for No. 38, where they grabbed Barmore.

Barmore, the defensive MVP of the National Championship Game, notched 37 tackles, eight sacks, and three forced fumbles last year. He finished 2020 as Pro Football Focus’ top-ranked interior lineman in college and seemed to be on track for the first round. For one reason or another, he slipped, leading him to Bill Belichick & Co. in the second round.

With Barmore in the fold, the Patriots now have their entire 2021 draft class signed. Here’s the full breakdown:

Alabama’s Patrick Surtain II, Jaylen Waddle, Mac Jones To Enter Draft

January 14th, 2021 at 3:43pm CST by Sam Robinson

Days after a lopsided national championship victory, Alabama will see several of its starters make the expected jump to the NFL. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, cornerback Patrick Surtain II, quarterback Mac Jones and defensive tackle Christian Barmore announced Thursday they will enter the 2021 draft.

All four are projected first-round picks, according to ESPN.com’s Todd McShay. Surtain, Jones and Waddle will respectively forgo their senior seasons, while Barmore will leave two Crimson Tide years on the table. Surtain and Waddle have appeared in first-round mocks for a while now; it is not out of the question both join Heisman winner DeVonta Smith as top-10 picks.

Waddle will land alongside Smith and LSU opt-out Ja’Marr Chase atop the receiver prospects in what is expected to be another deep wideout class. While Waddle saw an ankle fracture interrupt his final Alabama season, he suited up against Ohio State — albeit at far less than 100% — and should be expected to go off the board fairly early in the draft. Smith and Waddle, who averaged 21.1 yards per catch this season, will follow ex-Crimson Tide teammates Henry Ruggs and Jerry Jeudy as first-round prospects. Waddle is not certain to be ready for the Combine or pre-draft workouts, however.

An All-American as a junior, Surtain finished with a career-high nine passes defensed this season. He will follow his father, Patrick Surtain, into the pros. The elder Surtain was a longtime NFL corner who became a Dolphins second-round pick in 1998. McShay has the younger Surtain and Barmore going off the board at 10th and 27th overall, respectively. The latter recorded eight sacks this season.

At Alabama during Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa‘s starting tenures, Jones took over late last season after Tagovailoa’s hip injury. Despite the COVID-19-altered season limiting Alabama to 13 games total, Jones set a program record with 4,500 passing yards and finished with a 77% completion rate and a 41-4 TD-INT ratio. He will join Trevor Lawrence, North Dakota State’s Trey Lance, BYU’s Zach Wilson and (likely) Ohio State’s Justin Fields as surefire Round 1 prospects.