Instant grade for the Patriots trading Matthew Judon to the Falcons

The New England Patriots and Matthew Judon will go their separate ways in the future. After three years together, the team has decided to send its starting outside linebacker to the Atlanta Falcons in return for a third-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.

The move ends a contract saga that has been going on for a while now, and seemingly reached a breaking point earlier in training camp. Was it a good decision, though? Let’s grade it.

Matthew Judon: Traded to Falcons

Bernd Buchmasser: The Patriots had the resources to pay Judon what he was looking for, but they obviously value a third-round draft pick higher than his services at this stage in their rebuilding process. You cannot blame them for that line of thinking, even though parting ways with a Pro Bowl-caliber player who has been a fan favorite for the past three seasons is never an easy thing to do. | A-

Brian Hines: Judon has been the Patriots’ best player since signing in 2021 and the pass rush will again take a hit without him this season. But, the soon-to-be 32-year-old is not in New England’s next contention window and receiving a third-round pick in return is strong value. | B+

Matt St. Jean: Trading away New England’s most productive pass rusher over the past three seasons undoubtedly makes the team worse in 2024, but moving on from Judon was the correct move for the future of this team. A third-round pick is well within the range where the Patriots can be expected to find a quality starter, and it gives the team more ability to move around the draft board or trade picks for veterans. As the return for one year of a soon-to-be 32-year-old linebacker, it is hard to be anything but happy. | A

How would you grade the trade, though? Please head down to the comment section to let us know!