Patriots 2015 Free Agent Profile – Akeem Ayers
The Patriots picked up Akeem Ayers in October trading the Tennessee Titans, their 2015 NFL Draft 6th round pick and getting the Titans 7th rounder and Ayers in return. The Pats needed help at both defensive end and linebacker after Chandler Jones went down with an injury against the Jets.
With depth a concern at both positions at the time of Jones’ injury, and the team risking little in terms of compensation towards Tennessee, it was a no-brainer to trade for Ayers. And Belichick the GM hit this one out of the park, Ayers was a valuable contributor to the Patriots defense and gave them a versatile, motivated player down the stretch run to the Super Bowl.
Ayers was originally a 2nd round pick, 39th overall for Tennessee in the 2011 NFL Draft coming from UCLA. A starter in 44 of his first 48 games as a pro, Ayers notched nine sacks for the Titans. But injuries to both knee patella tendons slowed him in 2014 and with a new defense in place, Ayers found himself to be the odd man out. He played in only two of the Titans first seven games and the trade was a breath of fresh air for the 6’3, 255 hybrid DE/OLB.
Ayers not only played immediately with New England but logged nearly 80 percent of the defensive snaps until Jones returned in December against Miami. And he was productive, playing mainly on the edge as a defensive end, logging 20 tackles, 6 tackles for loss (TFL), 4 quarterback sacks, 5 quarterback hits, 1 pass defensed and 1 interception.
"He played outside linebacker in college and at Tennessee, and he played defensive end in sub situations, which is pretty common for a lot of guys like him, Bill Belichick said. “I think he's what we thought he would be," Belichick said. "When you work with somebody, you obviously get to know them a lot better."
Obviously, the NFL didn’t think much of Ayers’ accomplishments during the season. At the NFL Media Day prior to the Super Bowl, Ayers’ press credentials had him listed as “Akim” rather than Akeem. But Ayers focused on looking forward rather than backward, stating to the media that he felt blessed to have been traded to New England.
“When I got traded, it motivated me. I just wanted to get my opportunity and show what I could do; it's not like I couldn't play anymore. I knew I could still play."
While his snaps were limited down the stretch and into the playoffs once Jones returned, Ayers remained an important piece of the puzzle. He logged 12 snaps at linebacker during the Super Bowl. He registered one QB hit and assisted Dont’a Hightower on the tackle of Marshawn Lynch on the one yard line, one play before Malcolm Butler intercepted the pass to seal the Super Bowl win.
The Patriots’s trade of draft picks with Tennessee is essentially a wash; the Patriots will pick last in the 6th round and the Titans will select 2nd in the 7th round. So coupled with the production the team got from Ayers, it was a win-win for both the player and the team.
Why Ayers Will Return: Ayers is expected to generate some interest in the free agent market, but the Patriots may make an effort to keep him under the Flying Elvis with a new contract.
He was productive and versatile, logging 4 sacks in his first five games as a member of the team, and with the pass rush of the Patriots being somewhat inconsistent; he was an important piece of the puzzle during the crucible of the season. With a big six game stretch of quality opponents, Ayers showed up big exactly when the team needed him.
His ability to play both defensive end and linebacker is a valuable feather in his cap. Belichick likes his players versatile and smart and coming in against the Bears with very little practice time, he logged more than 50 snaps in his first game.
Those are the kind of things that stick with coaches and the team still needs depth at both positions. After Jones and Ninkovich, the team has raw, rookie project Zach Moore, along with 2nd year player Michael Buchanan who played a bit in his rookie season and was injured early on during 2014. Jake Bequette, the 3rd year DE from Arkansas was on the practice squad.
If the Patriots choose to utilize Ayers at linebacker, again he'd be a valuable addition to their depth. After starters Hightower and Jamie Collins, Jerod Mayo has missed considerable time the past two years due to injuries and the experience factor falls off quickly after that. Ayers could work himself into a starting role there.
Why Ayers Won’t Return: Money. Ayers is expected to draw considerable interest in the free agent market and the Patriots may not be able to compete with other teams bidding for Ayers’ services once the free agency market hits.
Ayers went from forgotten man to playing in many high-profile games during the second half of the season. And he didn’t hurt himself by his performance either. He was productive in getting after the passer and in a league dominated by passing; an edge rusher that can disrupt the timing of a quarterback is always highly sought after.
Perhaps the team viewed Ayers as only a stop-gap measure for Jones while he was out with an injury. Once Jones returned to the lineup, Ayers playing time plummeted and he rarely saw the field as a defensive end where he was most effective, but as a linebacker.
And while it may mean nothing, it is possible his knee woes returned late in the season. Ayers showed up on the injury report at the end of Super Bowl week as limited with a knee injury. It will definitely be something to monitor moving forward.
While we all would love to see Ayers back in a Patriots uniform during the 2015 season, I think he’ll get a nice offer elsewhere where he’ll be penciled in as a starter rather than have to play in a limited role as a sub-package edge rusher for the Pats.
Chances are better than 50/50 he’s gone in free agency this spring.
Some other notable pending free agent edge rushers include Justin Houston, Jerry Hughes, Greg Hardy, Jason Pierre-Paul, Brian Orakpo, Brandon Graham, Pernell McPhee, Jason Worilds, Derrick Morgan, Brooks Reed, Dwight Freeney, Osi Umenyiora, Adrian Clayborn, Kroy Biermann, and Anthony Spencer.
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