Patriots free agency profile: Armon Watts will help replace Lawrence Guy along the D-line

The 27-year-old is making New England the latest stop on his career journey.

Following the release of veteran defensive tackle Lawrence Guy, the New England Patriots had the capacity to add more depth up front. They did so on Wednesday, shortly after the official start of free agency, by signing former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Armon Watts to a one-year, $3 million contract.

What kind of player are the Patriots getting? And what can be expected of Watts in the first place? Let’s take a look at his history and fit in New England to answer that question.

Hard facts

Name: Armon Watts

Position: Defensive end/Defensive tackle

Opening day age: 28 (7/22/1996)

Size: 6-foot-5, 307 pounds

Contract status: 1 year, $3M

Experience

Watts spent his college career at the University of Arkansas, where he appeared in 29 games over a five-year span. A part-time player early on, he broke out during his 2018 senior campaign: Watts registered seven sacks and three forced fumbles, setting himself up to be selected in the sixth round by the Minnesota Vikings the following spring.

He spent three years total in Minnesota, playing in 40 games with 90 tackles as well as, again, seven sacks and three forced fumbles. His production did take a step back during his subsequent one-year stints with the Chicago Bears — who claimed him off waivers after his release from the Vikings — and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Watts did start a career-high 12 games as a Bear in 2022, though.

In total, he arrives in New England having appeared in a combined 73 regular season and playoff games. He has 140 tackles and 8.5 sacks to his name, as well as those three forced fumbles.

2023 review

Stats: 15 games (0 starts), 1 playoff game (0 starts) | 286 defensive snaps (23.9%) | 24 special teams snaps (5.0%) | 16 tackles, 3 missed tackles (15.8%) | 17 quarterback pressures (0.5 sacks, 3 hits, 13 hurries)

Season recap: Watts entered unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career in 2023, but remained unsigned for a month before the Steelers picked him up on a one-year, $1.23 million contract. With Pittsburgh well-set along its interior defensive line, the veteran received limited opportunities: he served as a rotational fourth or fifth option throughout the season, appearing in 16 games with zero starts.

Including the Steelers’ wild card playoff loss in Kansas City, Watts was on the field for 286 of a possible 1,196 defensive snaps (23.9%) as well as 24 more on special teams (of 478; 5.0%). He split his reps relatively evenly between pass and run defense, finishing with 17 quarterback pressures — sixth on the team — as well as 15 tackles versus the run.

Watts’ usage throughout the year was uneven, though. He was a healthy scratch on two occasions — Weeks 1 and 9 — and furthermore saw his playing time fluctuate between 48 and 8 percent; his most regular opportunities came early in the season when starting DT Cameron Hayward found himself on injured reserve.

Watts did have some solid moments against the run in particular, but all in all had a quiet 2023 campaign.

Patriots preview

What will be his role? The Patriots were in need of some defensive line depth after parting ways with veteran Lawrence Guy in February. Bringing a similar “journeyman” profile to the table, Watts will help replace the former team captain while continuing to play a similar role that he had in Pittsburgh: he projects as a rotational early-down defender to help take some pressure off of the likes of Christian Barmore and Davon Godchaux.

What is his growth potential? When Guy first arrived in New England in 2017, he immediately turned into a starter-caliber interior lineman. Expecting Watts to take that same step up would be overly optimistic, and possibly unrealistic to begin with, but there are tools to work with. His impact and playing time share being more prominent than his stint with the Steelers would suggest is possible if all things fall into place correctly.

Does he have positional versatility? Watts has played several defensive line techniques during his career, with the Steelers last year using him everywhere from the nose to the 5-tech spot over the offensive tackle’s outside shoulder. In addition, he also has some kicking game experience: the 27-year-old has primarily played on the field goal and extra point blocking team, but also saw a handful of snaps as a pressure player on the punt return unit during his stints in Minnesota, Chicago, and Pittsburgh.

What does it mean for New England’s salary cap? The full structure of Watts’ contract has yet to become available, but the reported $3 million figure suggests that he will not leave too big a mark on the Patriots’ current resources. While that number could be the pact’s base value, it also is entirely possible it turns out as the maximum including incentives.

What does it mean for New England’s draft outlook? The Patriots were unlikely to select a defensive lineman high in this year’s draft even before signing Watts to a one-year deal. They might address the position late if the board develops in that direction, but the outlook overall remains unchanged because of Watts now being part of the mix.

How safe is his roster spot? Unless the Patriots gave him a fully-guaranteed $3 million deal, which seems highly unlikely given both their modus operandi so far this free agency and Watts’ history in the NFL, it seems like he will have to earn his spot on the team. His main competition at the moment project to be Daniel Ekuale, Jeremiah Pharms Jr., Sam Roberts and Trysten Hill.

One-sentence verdict: Watts is not a splash signing but could end up filling a valuable spot along New England’s D-line as a depth piece with starter experience.