Matt Judon‘s contact issue with the Patriots was resolved last night when a trade with the Falcons was worked out. That swap is now official, and New England received a third-round pick as compensation for the pending free agent edge rusher. 
Atlanta had competition for Judon before the trade was agreed to. The Bears were “heavily involved” in negotiations, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports. Just as the Falcons did, Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston notes Chicago offered a third-round selection. The Patriots opted to take Atalanta’s pick instead, marking an end to a saga which included missed practice time and frustration over the lack of progress on extension talks.
Perry confirms, to little surprise, that a “sizable gap” existed between Judon’s asking price and where the Patriots were willing to go on a new contract. The four-time Pro Bowler was highly productive during his New England tenure, but a 2023 biceps injury along with his age (32 today) represented reasons for hesitancy on the team’s part. After no resolution was found, the former fifth-rounder will now join a Falcons team which explored an edge rush addition on Day 1 of the draft even after selecting quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
In addition to the Bears, Fowler and KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson report the Dolphins and Texans showed varying levels of interest in a Judon acquisition. Wilson adds that Houston’s efforts consisted of a “brief inquiry,” and New England no doubt would have preferred to avoid making a trade within the division in the form of a Miami swap. The Pats’ ability to acquire a round three selection came as a surprise to some executives around the league, per Perry, and sending Judon to the NFC also carries value.
The Grand Valley State alum is due a base salary of $6.5MM in 2024 in addition to a maximum of $1MM in per-game roster bonuses. A new contract will be much more valuable, but it does not appear one will necessarily be hammered out between now and the start of the regular season. CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reports Judon is set to report to Atlanta without an extension in place or an agreement on one being imminent.
Players acquired via trade often have the parameters of a new contract in place by the time the swap is official. Exceptions exist, of course, and one ongoing example of the issues which can stem from not finalizing a new (or restructured) deal is the situation between the Jets and Haason Reddick. New York’s recently-acquired edge rusher has one year remaining on a below-market contract, and he has not reported to the team while angling for an adjustment or a multi-year commitment.
Judon did not conduct a holdout as he did last summer, but he made it clear he felt his market value was closer to the top of the position’s pecking order than his 2024 compensation. 12 edge rushers are currently attached to an AAV of $20MM or more; Judon may be hard-pressed to reach that mark given the fact he was limited to just four games last season. Still, a raise could be in order upon arrival in Atlanta. If the Falcons remain willing to let him play out his contract as constructed, though, Judon would be set up to hit the open market next March.