Patriots Reportedly Beat Out AFC Foe For Pro Bowl Edge Rusher

The New England Patriots weren’t the only team that had their eyes on Yannick Ngakoue when he hit the waiver wire.

The Patriots on Friday claimed the veteran edge rusher after the Baltimore Ravens released him prior to their Thursday game. New England had some competition to land the 29-year-old, who compiled 70.5 sacks over nine NFL seasons.

According to ESPN’s Field Yates, the Cincinnati Bengals also put in a claim for Ngakoue, but since New England had priority on the waiver wire, Ngakoue headed for the 2-7 Patriots — not an ideal situation — instead of staying in the AFC North.

Just count it as the second win for the Patriots over the Bengals this season.

The Patriots will look for Ngakoue to boost their defensive front seven and generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks, which is something New England is not good at. The Patriots have recorded just 16 sacks this season, which is fourth-worst in the NFL, and their best pass rusher, Keion White, hasn’t recorded a sack since Week 2.

The Patriots understandably ruled out Ngakoue for their road game Sunday against the Chicago Bears with it being too quick of a turnaround for him to get caught up with his new team. So Ngakoue will have to wait until their Week 11 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams to show he can be a difference on the field.