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New England Patriots
Training camp is almost underway, and mock trade ideas are being floated to help improve certain teams. Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton published an article detailing a trade that would benefit each team. The New England Patriots were obviously part of the list, and Moton had them adding additional help at the safety position.
The Patriots look to be in a decent place as far as the safety room is concerned. They recently added former Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard in free agency. They also have safety Craig Woodson returning after a solid rookie season. However, depth is always the name of the game in the NFL.
Moton’s idea involves New England adding to that safety depth, and he explained it in his article.
New England lost safety Jaylinn Hawkins to the Baltimore Ravens in free agency. Although the Patriots signed Kevin Byard, they need someone to compete against Craig Woodson for snaps at the position.
In 2025, Woodson seven touchdowns and a 133.9 passer rating in coverage. Stewart is a solid eight-year veteran who can push him for a spot alongside Byard. With a loaded secondary, the Texans won’t demand much for the versatile defensive back.
Patriots Would Get Run-Stopper
Stewart was having a stellar season before a quadriceps injury in Week 10 ended his campaign. All told, he recorded 25 combined tackles, two passes defensed, and a forced fumble over the course of nine games played. The versatile safety started in four of those contests.
Advanced metrics also favored him as well in terms of his dependability. He recorded a 79.5 run-defense grade as noted by Pro Football Focus. He recorded 14 of his solo tackles in run support or open-field scenarios.
If there was one area where he really struggled, it was in terms of coverage. He had a 42.4 PFF coverage grade. The safety allowed seven receptions overall, and opposing quarterbacks had a 102.1 passer rating when targeting him. Pass coverage was certainly where he struggled.
Patriots Run Defense A Source Of Strength
With that being said, Stewart’s abilities as a run defender could help the Patriots defense tremendously. It’s not as if the Patriots run defense unit struggled. They allowed just 101.7 rushing yards per game. This broke down to 4.2 yards per carry over the course of 411 rushing attempts.
Their run defense was able to set some records in the process. They became the first team since 1950 to prevent every opposing running back from reaching 50 yards in the first eight weeks of the season.
If there were some ‘valleys’ in terms of the unit, it came in weeks nine through 16. The unit struggled. Coincidentally, this was around the same time the defensive tackle Milton Williams was out with a high ankle sprain. He suffered the injury during the Thursday night Week 11 contest against the New York Jets. The run defense’s production took a bit of a hit as a result
Stewart would definitely be more of a luxury than a necessity. He could also be viewed as a secondary option for Byard, who is 34 years of age. Either way, the safety position appears to be in good hands. A trade like this would be a low-risk, high-reward deal. The Patriots would not have to give up a lot in order to acquire Stewart, and they would get to play with veteran experience.
This would definitely be a move worth considering for a Patriots defense that is already stout. This is certainly a mock trade that the Patriots should go after if given the opportunity. It makes sense on multiple angles.
Danny Jaillet Danny Jaillet is a sportswriter with more than 15 years experience in the industry. He has been featured on Fox Sports, USA Today, and Yahoo Sports among others. He graduated from Worcester State University with a B.A. in communications and a minor in writing. More about Danny Jaillet
