Patriots add some needed safety help in free agency

The New England Patriots are addressing a soft spot in their defensive lineup with a new free agent signing.

As reported by the NFL Network's Mike Garafolo on Thursday, the Patriots are signing former Falcons and chargers safety Jaylinn Hawkins. The 26-year-old Hawkins split time between Atlanta and Los Angeles in 2023, heading to the latter as a waiver claim. He totaled 16 games with 14 tackles and one pass breakup.

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Hawkins' usage peaked in 2022, when he played 92% of defensive snaps for the Falcons. He has shown versatility in his career, lining up as both a box safety and free safety, but he's spent the majority of his time in the deep part of the field when playing defense. He became more of a special teams player in 2023, playing 81% for the Falcons and 47% for the Chargers.

Free safety is a spot the Patriots needed to fill on their defense, after the retirement of Devin McCourty left them without a true FS in 2023. Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers are both better suited to playing closer to the line of scrimmage, so Hawkins will have an opportunity to complement them.

The real question for Hawkins is how effective he will be in New England, assuming he gets defensive snaps. He couldn't stick on the Falcons roster and the Chargers ostensibly weren't interested in keeping him around. The Patriots could have made a more impactful, "sure thing" kind of signing at the position if they opted for an accomplished veteran like Justin Simmons.

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But it appears that this will be the Patriots' safety help in free agency. They'll be left hoping a former Falcons castoff can reestablish himself while playing a key role in the secondary. It's also possible that Hawkins is more of a special teams safety at this stage of his career, and would simply provide depth on defense.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Check out all of Matt's content.

The New England Patriots sat out the biggest part of free agency. But that doesn't mean there aren't still good players available on the open market.

Of course, the question is why said players are available. For most of them, it's basically their age. But there remains a number of NFL free agents that would fill immediate needs for the Patriots, in particular, and represent upgrades at their respective spots.

MORE: Patriots will officially need a new left tackle

So, while the train has left the station for the Patriots to add a big name in free agency, they can still improve the team by investing in the second wave. Here are some names to know about for the coming days and weeks...

Once upon a time, Chark looked on his way to becoming a legit No. 1 outside receiver, when he caught 73 passes for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns as a 23-year-old. Five years later, Chark has bounced around the league and looks more like a complementary piece.

But on the Patriots, the 6-foot-3 Chark would immediately become their best outside threat and probably their top red zone target at receiver. Even with a struggling Bryce Young on the Panthers in 2023, he managed five touchdowns on 66 targets, and 15 yards per reception.

Chark wouldn't be the transformative piece the Patriots need among their pass-catchers, but he'd be their best option for a big "X" receiver.

This one is pretty self-explanatory. The Patriots have a sneaky need at outside cornerback, and they're intimately familiar with Gilmore. And according to MassLive's Karen Guregian, Gilmore himself is open to a reunion.

Gilmore may be 33 years old and not the same player he was when he won Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. But can he still be a solid second cornerback and set a great example for a budding star in Christian Gonzalez? Hell yes, he can.

Let's get this band back together.

Leno is a unique player, but historically not an unfamiliar type to the Patriots. He stands at "only" 6-foot-3 and 302 pounds, despite playing left tackle throughout his career for the Washington Commanders.

Remember Matt Light? Isaiah Wynn? That's what Leno might look like as the Pats' newest left tackle. He's made up for a relative lack of size by making great use of his 34-inch arms.

Based on Pro Football Focus grades, Leno can still pass-block with the best of them at 32 years old. The Patriots need a new left tackle after the departure of Trent Brown, and at this stage of free agency, Leno would be good bang for the buck.

The Patriots have already added a linebacker in Sione Takitaki and re-signed both Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings. But they can still stand to improve the overall group, and the 25-year-old Isaiah Simmons would have a chance to deliver great value. Think the Jabrill Peppers signing.

Simmons' talent is legit, and he may simply need a fresh start to maximize his potential. He'd arguably immediately become the Patriots' best coverage guy in the front-seven.

No relation to Isaiah Simmons. But Justin Simmons is still at the top of his game, having come off a second team All-Pro campaign for the Broncos (his third in a row). Simmons was released because he's 30 years old and expensive, so he can expect a pay cut wherever he ends up.

For New England, Simmons would instantly upgrade their secondary as a true deep safety, something they've lacked since Devin McCourty retired. It would be hard to find a better mix of talent, fit, and veteran leadership, than a guy like Justin Simmons.

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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Check out all of Matt's content.

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