New England Patriots Feature Formidable 3-Man Pass-Rush Rotation

From 2012-2014, the New England Patriots depth chart at defensive end was characterized by its lack of depth. For three years, Chandler Jones and Rob Ninkovich bore the brunt of the snap count because the Patriots simply didn't have enough options behind them.

That all changed in 2015 with the addition of veteran Jabaal Sheard to the lineup.

Even now with the Patriots trading Jones to the Arizona Cardinals and signing former St. Louis Rams stalwart Chris Long, the Patriots still appear to have a strong trio of pass-rushers to keep everyone fresh and provide consistent pressure on the quarterback.

The group is not much different than before. Instead of a Jones-Ninkovich-Sheard trio, it will now be Ninkovich-Sheard-Long. On the surface, it might look like a downgrade. Underneath, it's truly not much different than before. 

Player	Pass-rush snaps	Pressures	Hurries	Hits	Sacks
Jabaal Sheard	346	58	45	5	8
Chandler Jones	537	62	41	8	13
Rob Ninkovich	559	42	24	11	7
Chris Long	296	18	14	0	4

According to Pro Football Focus, Sheard was the NFL's most productive pass-rushing defensive end in 2015 on a per-snap basis. He rushed the passer 346 times and came away with 58 total pressures (45 hurries, five hits, eight sacks). His status as the team's top pass-rusher is well-deserved, and it helps lend some context as to why the Patriots might have felt more confident in moving on from Jones.

Jones ranked 13th on that same list, but of his combined pressures, he logged all but 14 of them in the first 10 games of the season and the rest in the final five games. He faded down the stretch several times throughout his four-year stint with the Patriots.

Against 127 hurries, 37 hits and 39 sacks in 55 regular-season games (3.7 pressures per game), he logged 21 hurries, eight hits and two sacks in nine playoff games (3.4 pressures per game).

Ninkovich has never been a dominant pass-rusher, but he is still a solid all-around edge defender, and his versatility as both a defensive end and a linebacker will be welcomed as the Patriots transition to more of a 3-4 style of defense.

The biggest question mark is Long, who was released by the Rams earlier this offseason after dealing with a knee injury in 2015 and contributing just three total sacks. Sheard was a stud in the "third wheel" position last year, and Long will have to return to form in a sense if he wants to replicate Sheard's production off the bench. 

Fresh legs might help, but Long was positioned in a backup role last year as well. He wasn't as effective in that role as the Rams might have hoped, and only combined for 18 total pressures. As Ninkovich has alluded, Long might benefit from a winning environment—unlike the environment he was in as a member of the Rams.

"Chris is a great guy. He's excited to be here and just really jump into the Patriot way," Ninkovich said. "I know the previous location was tough for him. I just said, 'Hey man, come here and get to work and start winning football games.'"

It wasn't long ago that Long led the NFL in hurries (2010-2013), but it also won't be entirely up to Long to carry that burden off the bench. If Long can't rediscover the lost magic, there might be a few young players who can help. Last year, the Patriots added a few young pass-rushers who could help the rotation.

Upstarts like Trey Flowers, Geneo Grissom and Rufus Johnson could all get a turn to prove their worth to the defense in a rotation.

"We have a bunch of really talented guys," Ninkovich said. "I love Trey, Geneo—I think those guys have a bright future. I think that we're all working and we're going to get better. It's a really athletic [group]… The sky's the limit. We just have to continue to work hard and learn and get ready here for training camp."

Between Sheard, Ninkovich and Long, the Patriots have enough experience to field a competitive group of defensive ends. Their options further down the depth chart provide insurance against injury.

In that respect, you might call the defensive end spot one of the most well-stocked positions on the Patriots roster.

Quotes are firsthand.

Follow @ErikFrenz