Patriots Reportedly Showing Interest In Tampa Defensive Lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches
BOSTON (CBS) -- Bill Belichick is reportedly taking his search for more defensive line depth to Tampa Bay. The Patriots may be looking to poach defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches from the Super Bowl champion Buccaneers.
That news comes via Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal, who is reporting that the Patriots have shown interest in the 27-year-old Nunez-Roches. He started 11 games for the Buccaneers last season, racking up 20 tackles and a trio of QB hits for Tampa.
Nunez-Roches, who stands at 6-foot-2 and 307 pounds, could help beef up a Patriots defensive front that was susceptible to the run last season. A former sixth-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2015, Nunez-Roches had 1.5 sacks, four QB hits and 51 combined tackles. He was released by Kansas City in 2018 after three seasons, and served as a backup in Tampa Bay before earning a starting gig last season.
Over his six-year NFL career, Nunez-Roches has 82 combined tackles and eight QB hits over 69 games, including 27 starts.
The Patriots have added a pair of defensive linemen so far this offseason in Davon Godchaux and Henry Anderson, but with Lawrence Guy and Adam Butler set to hit the open market, New England could use some more big bodies to help at the line of scrimmage.