The New England Patriots didn’t need a complete defensive overhaul after allowing 13 points in their season opener.
But they could have used a bit more force in the middle.
Two days after Seattle Seahawks rookie Jadarian Price rushed 10 times for 52 yards in a 13-10 win over New England, the Patriots added veteran defensive tackle DaQuan Jones on a one-year deal. Reuters reported the contract carries a $3.5 million base value and can reach $6 million with incentives.
The timing makes the move especially interesting. Price averaged 5.2 yards per carry in his NFL debut, with a long of 13 yards, per Seattle’s official game log. The first-round pick also caught two passes for six yards.
New England still kept Seattle off the scoreboard until late in the third quarter, and the defense gave the offense enough chances to win.
But Price’s efficiency awakened a reminder that the Patriots could benefit from another interior body that can stuff the run, particularly with a long season ahead.
Jones Gives Patriots More Size on DL
The Jones move had been sitting in plain sight for weeks.
Before roster cuts, Patriots.com identified defensive tackle as a position where New England could use another “wide body” to stuff the run and specifically mentioned Jones as a potential post-cutdown addition. The 6-foot-4, 320-pound veteran also visited the team during training camp.
Another Patriots.com camp report noted that New England’s interior run defense had looked shaky during joint practices and pointed out that Jones had experience playing nose tackle under Mike Vrabel with the Tennessee Titans.
That background gives the signing a clear-cut football purpose. Jones doesn’t have to become the main feature of the front. Christian Barmore and Milton Williams already give New England disruptive interior options, so Jones can handle some of the heavier work inside and occupy blockers to make life easier for the linebackers behind him.
His 2025 production suggests there is still legitimate football left in the 34-year-old. Pro Football Focus gave Jones a 75.5 overall grade last season, 10th among 134 qualifying interior defenders. His 63.1 run-defense grade ranked 31st at the position, and he added 21 pressures and three sacks.
Price Performance Shows Where Jones Can Help
Price’s debut shouldn’t be treated as evidence that New England’s run defense is broken. It does exemplify why another sturdy interior defender could help.
The rookie got the ball on Seattle’s first offensive play and broke off his game-long 13-yard run. He continued to find enough room to finish at 5.2 yards per attempt despite Seattle’s offense struggling to score for most of the night.
Those are the types of efficient early-down gains that can eventually tilt a game. They create shorter third downs, give an offense more freedom with play-calling and force a defense to devote resources toward the box.
Jones has spent 12 seasons dealing with that part of the game. He started all 51 of his appearances over four seasons with the Buffalo Bills, recording 99 tackles, 10 sacks and 31 quarterback hits during that span, via Reuters. He also has familiarity with Vrabel from their time together in Tennessee from 2018 through 2020.
The Patriots showed they can keep an opponent’s scoring down, and Jones provides them with an avenue to make teams work harder for every yard on the ground.
After Price found some room in Seattle, New England didn’t wait long to add the type of defender it had considered before the season even began.
Patriots’ DaQuan Jones Signing Could Address Issue Exposed by Seahawks Rookie