The New England Patriots will have a lot of tough decisions to make as they prepare for and, eventually, enter NFL free agency in March. The most fascinating spot is their secondary, with pending free agents J.C. Jackson and Devin McCourty.
Pro Football Focus published a list on Monday about where they believed the top 50 free agents would end up. Kansas City Chiefs cornerbacks Charvarius Ward came in as the ninth-best corner on the list. PFF believes that in addition to re-signing Jackson, the Patriots will also end up with Ward.
Ward has recorded 10 interceptions in a four-year career with Kansas City. He recorded two last season, matching his career-high from 2019.
Per PFF’s Arjun Meron, Ward would be able to help the Patriots strengthen their depth at secondary.
“Ward has been the Chiefs’ primary boundary corner for the last three years, and he’s played at an average leverage, taking a small step forward this year,” Menon wrote. “His 71.2 PFF grade ranked 21st out of 116 cornerbacks, and he finished with a 69.4 coverage grade as well.
“On top of re-signing J.C. Jackson, the Patriots need additional corners to run Belichick’s man coverage system. Ward has done his best work playing man coverage rather than zone, making this a good fit for both parties.”
The publication has New England having a busy offseason. In addition to resigning Jackson and adding Ward, they also believe the Patriots will land wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster.
With New England needing depth at several positions, this could be another busy offseason for a team looking to take the next step.
