Patriots Named Top Fit for 49ers Star Defender

The New England Patriots have been named a top destination for this San Francisco 49ers star defender in NFL free agency.
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward (7) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Dec. 17, 2023.
San Francisco 49ers cornerback Charvarius Ward (7) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Dec. 17, 2023. / Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
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The New England Patriots have a whole lot of needs to address this offseason, and while most of them are on the offensive side of the ball, the Patriots also clearly need some help defensively.

Luckily, New England is slated to have a wealth of cap space heading into free agency, so the Pats should be able to dip into the top end of the market.

The Patriots may want to consider adding another cornerback to play alongside of Christian Gonzalez, and Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus feels that they represent one of the top destinations for San Francisco 49ers star Charvarius Ward.

"While new Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and defensive coordinator Terrell Williams will assess the roster and decide on a defensive scheme, Vrabel ran Quarters coverage at one of the highest rates in the NFL during his time in Tennessee," Cameron wrote. "Ward ran plenty of Quarters looks in San Francisco, too — at the sixth-highest rate in the NFL."

Ward played in 12 games this past season, finishing with 54 tackles and seven passes defended. He wasn't quite as good as he was in 2023, when he racked up 72 tackles, five interceptions, 23 passes defended and a defensive touchdown, but he remains one of the NFL's top corners.

The 28-year-old went undrafted, but ultimately landed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018. He spent the first four years of his career with the Chiefs, establishing himself as a full-time starter in 2019 and helping Kansas City win a Super Bowl that season.

Ward then went on to sign with the 49ers in March 2022 and proceeded to break out in San Francisco.

The Middle Tennessee State product will surely command top dollar, so we'll see if the Patriots are willing to meet his asking price.

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Matthew Schmidt
MATTHEW SCHMIDT

Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.