The Patriots will have a very different look on the edges of their defense in 2026.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that they will release Anfernee Jennings on Wednesday. K’Lavon Chaisson is also set to sign with the Commanders, which leaves incoming free agent Dre’Mont Jones and the returning Harold Landry as the top players on the depth chart in New England.
Releasing Jennings will clear over $3.8 million in cap space for the Patriots.
Jennings was a 2020 third-round pick and he appeared in 75 games over the last six seasons, although he missed all of the 2021 season while on injured reserve. He had 217 tackles, 7.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in that action.
Edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson has found a team for the 2026 season.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Chaisson has agreed to sign with the Commanders. It is a one-year deal worth $12 million in Washington.
Chaisson spent the 2025 season with the Patriots and helped them win the AFC East by recording 7.5 sacks during the regular season. He had three more sacks as New England advanced through the postseason to the Super Bowl.
The Jaguars made Chaisson the 20th overall pick in 2020 and he had five sacks in four years with Jacksonville. He had five sacks for the Raiders in 2024 and will now try to continue growing his production in the NFC East.
Now that Maxx Crosby will continue to be under contract with the Raiders, the most obvious question is this: What’s next?
Unless the experience of having the Ravens reject Crosby — and the Raiders’ aggressive moves in free agency — have caused him to fall back in love with the Raiders (we can’t rule out anything at this point), he’ll be back on the market. And the Raiders will necessarily have less leverage, now that the Ravens have said “psych!” as to a pair of first-round picks.
The Cowboys reportedly were willing to send a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and a player to the Raiders for Crosby. Do the Cowboys become Plan B?
What about other teams? The Bears had been the betting favorite to land Crosby. Do they get involved?
And will Tom Brady revisit his reported position that there’s no way Crosby would be traded to the Patriots?
However it goes, it’s an unexpected mess. And it explains why the Raiders seem to be pissed off about the Ravens’ decision to not proceed with the trade.
Romeo Doubs is headed to the AFC East.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Doubs has agreed to a four-year deal with the Patriots.
Rapoport notes the wideout’s contract is worth $70 million.
Doubs, who turns 26 next month, just completed his rookie contract with the Packers. In 2025, he caught 55 passes for 724 yards with six touchdowns in 16 games. He also had eight receptions for 124 yards with a touchdown in Green Bay’s postseason loss to Chicago.
A fourth-round pick in 2022, Doubs finished his first four seasons with 202 receptions for 2,424 yards with 21 touchdowns in 59 games with 50 starts.
With receiver Stefon Diggs on the way out, Doubs could emerge as a top weapon at receiver for quarterback Drake Maye and the defending AFC Champion Patriots in 2026.
The Patriots are signing offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker to a three-year, $42 million deal worth up to $48 million, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Vera-Tucker, 26, missed all of last season after tearing his left triceps in training camp with the Jets. It was the second triceps tear for Vera-Tucker after he tore his right one in Week 7 of 2022.
He tore his Achilles’ tendon in Week 5 of 2023.
Vera-Tucker has played only 43 games, while missing 41, since the Jets drafted him in the first round in 2021.
Still, he ranks 31st on PFT’s top-100 free agents list.
Jared Wilson, a third-round pick in 2025, started at left guard as a rookie. He is moving to center to replace Garrett Bradbury, with Vera-Tucker penciled in to start at left guard.
