Patriots Signing Named One of the Biggest Steals of Free Agency

Free agency has slowed quite considerably since the initial onslaught of moves made during the legal tampering period and kickoff of the new league year.

The New England Patriots stayed active during the opening days of free agency, focusing on upgrading their offensive weapons and trenches on both sides of the ball, while also moving on from some high-priced veterans – replacing several in-house free agents with more proven external options.

While not the most high-profile of free agent periods, the Patriots have elevated certain areas of the team, and still have plenty of room to add more as free agency continues, via trade and the NFL Draft.

The Pats may not have made a big splash, but according to Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport, they made one of the biggest steals in free agency by signing three-time First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler, safety Kevin Byard III, to a one-year deal worth $9 million.

Byard III a Huge Free Agent Steal

"In 10 professional seasons, veteran safety Kevin Byard III has made the Pro Bowl and been named a first-team All-Pro three times—including in 2025," wrote Davenport. "Last year, the 32-year-old logged 93 total tackles and tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions. It marked the second time that Byard has paced the NFL in interceptions, and he has logged more than 100 total tackles four times in 10 professional seasons."

There is no doubt that Byard is a massive bargain pickup for the Patriots as they look to cause more havoc in the backend of their secondary. Getting a player who has led the league twice in interceptions with All-Pro honors for just pennies on the dollar only makes it more of a steal for New England.

Byard will be tasked with taking over the position formerly held by Jaylinn Hawkins, who departed in free agency for the Baltimore Ravens. And while Byard will be bringing his ballhawk abilities with him, Davenport also points out that he isn't perfect.

"Byard isn't a flawless player. His passer rating against last year was nearly 100, and he allowed seven touchdowns in coverage," continued Davenport. "But while the Patriots were excellent against the pass last year (ninth in the NFL), the AFC champions struggled taking the ball away, logging just 10 interceptions. The Patriots needed to add a ballhawk on the back end. Byard has tallied 36 career picks, and getting a veteran defensive leader on a relatively modest one-year deal was an excellent acquisition."

Byard reunites with Mike Vrabel from their time together with the Tennessee Titans for six seasons, and Vrabs should be able to get the most out of the veteran, who is coming off yet another All-Pro season despite being 32 years old.

Getting a consistent turnover machine like Byard will be huge for the Patriots' defense and will be greatly appreciated, as they haven't seen a player with seven or more interceptions since J.C. Jackson did so back in the 2021 season. While Hawkins was solid in his role, Byard offers a significant upgrade in this area with improved range and finishing ability when it comes to coming down with the ball once it is in the air.

Byard is also known for his innate ability to stay on the field, missing hardly any time through his 10-year NFL career. Being able to rely on Byard's durability and leadership as a vet who can help the development of young secondary pieces like Craig Woodson and Christian Gonzalez, it couldn't look any more like a steal.

The Patriots aren't locked into Byard due to the one-year deal, so if Byard's production does, in fact, dip, they won't be on the books for anything drastic. The bottom line is that the Patriots most definitely found a steal by snagging Byard, signing perhaps the league's most productive safety from a season ago for roughly 50-60% of his projected market value.

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