Patriots Trade Rumor Links New England to Star Cornerback

The New England Patriots will be looking to make a few splashes this offseason on both sides of the ball after a disappointing 2023 season. First-year head coach Jerod Mayo will potentially try to find a new starting quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick and add playmakers on the defensive side.

The Patriots already made a couple of moves on defense as they gave safety Kyle Duggar the transition tag on Tuesday and released cornerback JC Jackson last week. New England doesn’t need another cornerback to replace Jackson, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t poking around for another playmaker on the boundary.

USA TODAY’s Tyler Dragan reported on Tuesday that the Patriots and six other teams have expressed interest in Kansas City Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed. 

The Chiefs placed the franchise tag on Sneed last week, allowing him to seek out a trade or to sign a long-term contract with Kansas City by mid-July or the trade deadline.

The 27-year-old Sneed is one of the best cornerbacks in the league and played a huge role in the Chiefs winning their second-straight Super Bowl. The former fourth-round pick recorded 78 combined tackles, 14 pass deflections, five tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and two interceptions.

Sneed also had a 51 completion percentage allowed on targets (career-best), a 56.2 pass rating allowed when targeted, and didn’t allow a single receiving touchdown in 2023. The Patriots have the cap space to give Sneed a massive payday and seven draft picks to use in a potential trade with the Chiefs.

With NFL free agency on the horizon, it will be interesting to see what the Patriots do and if they will put a full-court press on a trade for Sneed.

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