The New England Patriots have added another piece on defense, reportedly signing outside linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson. NFL Media's Ian Rapoport was first to report the deal, which is for one year and $5 million.
The 25-year-old Chaisson was originally a first-round pick (20th overall) of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020, but struggled to make much of an impact in his four seasons there.
He found his footing a bit this past season with the Las Vegas Raiders, though, recording career highs in tackles (32), sacks (5) and tackles for loss (7) while playing 15 games (4 starts). PFF gave Chaisson a pass rush grade of 74.7 in 2024, which ranked 26th out of 211 edge players.
Chaisson joins veteran Harold Landry as new additions on the edge for Mike Vrabel's defense. The Patriots also have Anfernee Jennings as an outside linebacker, plus Keion White as their top defensive end. They allowed Deatrich Wise to walk in free agency and sign with the Washington Commanders.
Chaisson does have a prior connection to the Patriots coaching staff; new offensive line coach Doug Marrone was the Jaguars' head coach when that team drafted Chaisson.