The Patriots Can Complete Their Offseason With This Sneaky Move

The New England Patriots are in uncharted territory in the Bill Belichick era. For the first time in nearly two decades, they're are no longer the favorites to win the AFC East. The Pats had a mass exodus of talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Kyle Van Noy, Danny Shelton and Jamie Collins are all on new squads.

New England could actually put a nice finish to their offseason by making one move, despite all these losses. And no, it's not signing quarterback Cam Newton. We're talking about signing former Detroit Lion defensive tackle Damon Harrison.

Shelton ironically signed with the Lions to replace Harrison. In a corresponding move, New England signed Beau Allen, who's an above average backup tackle, but won't make an impact in the starting lineup by any means.

Belichick is known for being a defensive mastermind, right? He could add to that reputation by signing an immediate upgrade in "Snacks" Harrison.

In his two years with the Lions, Harrison recorded 49 tackles (eight for loss), nine quarterback hits, 5.5 sacks, and four passes defensed. While those numbers aren't staggering, he's a threat against the run. In fact, no tackle has been more effective stuffing the opposition's rushing attack since 2012 than Harrison, per Pro Football Focus.

Signing Harrison would be a no-brainer for the Patriots. He played in a similar style defense in Detroit under Matt Patricia, so the transition would be seamless. Plus, Belichick knows how to get the best out of his players, so we could potentially see a better version of Snacks. We didn't even think that was possible!

If the Patriots want to compete for the division, then signing Harrison should be their top priority right now.