Patriots Could Pluck Versatile DB from AFC East Rival

The New England Patriots could steal this compelling defensive back from their AFC East rivals this NFL offseason.

Dec 22, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets safety Tony Adams (22) celebrates his interception against the Los Angeles Rams during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots may not have the worst defense in the NFL, but that does not mean they can't stand to improve it.

While the Patriots need pass rushers more than anything else on the defensive side of the ball, let's focus on their secondary for now, which has become a rather prominent issue.

Outside of Christian Gonzalez, New England did not have any consistent contributors in its defensive backfield this past season, which could obviously cause major trouble moving forward.

The good news is that the Pats have plenty of money to throw around in the coming months, so they should be able to add a couple of pieces.

In a piece where Christian D'Andrea of USA Today rattled off some under-the-radar free agents hitting the market, he mentioned New York Jets safety Tony Adams and feels that the Patriots could represent a landing spot for him.

"Adams was a starter on a 2023 defense that ranked third in the NFL in expected points added (EPA) allowed," D'Andrea wrote. "He’s got experience at both safety and corner and while there are flaws in his game — awkward angles and missed tackles among them — he’s also just 26 years old and still has room for improvement."

The catch is that Adams is a restricted free agent, so the Jets can actually match any offer. New York is also preparing to open up significant cap room by parting ways with Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams, so it will have the money to keep him.

The question is, would New York really want to retain a very replaceable player in Adams when it has so many other things to address?

Adams finished with 84 tackles, a sack, an interception and six passes defended in 15 games this past season. The Patriots may be able to pry him away from their AFC East rivals on a pretty cheap deal.

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