New England Patriots picked as the 'best team fit' for key defensive free agent
Many key free agents are expected to be available this offseason, and the Patriots should be interested in many of them considering all the holes in the roster. However, ESPN picked one key defender as the best fit for the New England Patriots. And that is cornerback D.J. Reed. "Coach Mike Vrabel would be adding […]
Many key free agents are expected to be available this offseason, and the Patriots should be interested in many of them considering all the holes in the roster.
However, ESPN picked one key defender as the best fit for the New England Patriots.
And that is cornerback D.J. Reed.
"Coach Mike Vrabel would be adding a veteran corner in Reed, giving the Patriots another scheme-versatile defender in the secondary opposite Christian Gonzalez. Reed is a highly competitive coverage corner with press-man traits and the transition speed to break on the throw. But he is more of a ball disruptor than playmaker, having 40 pass breakups compared with six interceptions in his career," ESPN's Matt Bowen wrote.
Reed was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He was waived in August 2020 and was immediately claimed off waivers the following day by the Seattle Seahawks. In 2022, he signed a three-year, $33 million contract with the Jets.
Across his seven years in the league, Reed has a total of 414 tackles, two sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, six interceptions, and 50 passes defended. This past season specifically, he had 64 tackles, one sack, and 11 passes defended.
Gonzalez was a shining spot in an otherwise poor season for the Patriots, but it was clear that he couldn't be everywhere at once. Once teams realized that he had locked down the receiver he was tasked with covering, they started to exploit the other Patriots cornerbacks.
But, with Reed and Gonzalez together, opposing team's passing games could struggle which is a solid start to getting the defense back up to the level they were playing at in the past.
