Cornerback may not be the top priority for a New England Patriots team that desperately needs to find competent starters at left tackle, wide receiver, and defensive end, but that shouldn’t preclude the franchise from adding a quality starter to pair with 2024 breakout star Christian Gonzalez.
Luckily for Mike Vrabel and Co., they may not have to look far to find a reliable CB2.
After playing out the final year of the three-year, $33 million deal he signed with the New York Jets during the 2022 offseason, veteran D.J. Reed looks poised to land a significant raise once free agency gets underway.
D.J. Reed, @nyjets DB, has 2 consecutive seasons under 60% completions allowed, along with 20 passes defended in that time. #JetUp #NFL #NewYork pic.twitter.com/2ZH7QGEV7g
— Pro Football Hall of Fame Ambassador (@PFHOFAmbassador) January 13, 2025
And don’t be surprised if the team with the most cap space in the NFL is willing to pay up to secure his services.
Pro Football Network pegged the Patriots as the ideal landing spot for Reed, a former fifth-round pick who’s developed into a rock-solid starter.
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
“New England has the cap space to pay Reed as a low-end No. 1 and pair him with their exciting young cornerback, Christian Gonzalez,” PFN wrote. “Putting Reed opposite Gonzalez would give the Patriots an extremely strong pair of outside corners and force teams to pick their poison in terms of who they target. This would be an extremely savvy move to boost a defense that ranked 30th last season.