After spending the better part of two days wondering how a large contingent of Patriots Nation thought cornerback was the biggest need for this defense, the Patriots made the kind of splash I wanted them to in the front seven, acquiring monstrous defensive tackle Danny Shelton and a 2018 pick from the Cleveland Browns for a 2019 mid-round pick..
The Browns are trading DT Danny Shelton to the Patriots for a conditional pick, league sources tell @AdamSchefter and me.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 10, 2018
Shelton is entering the last year of his rookie deal at an affordable $2 million, with an option for 2019 that @Patscap estimates would be in the $6-7 million range. Shelton was the 12th overall pick in 2015 and is really the perfect fit for the Patriots’ defense that looks for their two defensive tackles to control the interior of the offensive line while the ends and linebackers make the plays.
Shelton is the kind of player I force myself to forget about during the draft process because the Patriots simply had no chance to get that high in the first round to grab him. So they sit and wait and get him now, at a good price, if only for a year or two.
Combined with Malcom Brown, Lawrence Guy and Vincent Valentine, along with Adam Butler who plays most inside on passing downs and the Pats’ interior defensive line looks pretty well set going into the season. Alan Branch’s decline was a major factor in the regression of the defense, especially against the run. Guy was solid, but wasn’t close to the player Branch was in 2016.
Now with Shelton the Pats have an immense and athletic player to pair with Brown. Shelton played 43.9 percent of the snaps in 2017, missing two games, the only two games he’s missed in his career.
This is an excellent first step to adding to the defensive front, adding a player who can help transform the defense, especially on early downs. There are still moves to be made on the edge and at linebacker, but Shelton is the kind of immediate boost that gets the team-building process off to a good start.
