Forget About Tom Brady, the Patriots Are Getting Decimated on Defense in Free Agency

Tom Brady is no longer a New England Patriot. Those words are still shocking a day removed from the official breaking of the news. However, as jarring as Brady's departure may be, it's far from the Patriots' biggest concern right now.

The Patriots were carried through the 2019 season by their defense. They were the best defense in total yards per game and passing yards per game. They sat perched atop the NFL, and things looked to be OK, but in the 2020 free agency period so far, they're getting killed. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the most recent loss is defensive tackle Danny Shelton.

As he signs with the Detroit Lions, he joins linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who signed with the Miami Dolphins Tuesday, and outside linebacker Jamie Collins, who also signed with Detroit, in waving goodbye to the once-best team in the AFC East. The trio had a phenomenal 2019 and contributed to an outstanding pass rush that boosted the New England secondary to unprecedented heights.

Now, they're all gone. The defense has lost some of its punch now, and it's unclear how the Patriots will look to replace all of this disappearing talent with limited cap space.

While it's concerning for Patriots fans to have an uncertain future at the quarterback position, the erosion of the league's best defense should be much more alarming.