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The Boston Herald's Doug Kyed named veteran defensive lineman D.J. Reader a potential free agent target for the New England Patriots defensive line.
Pundits have continued to discuss wide receiver as the biggest need for the New England Patriots in the week-plus since the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s hard to ignore the topic with plenty of drama still surrounding a potential A.J. Brown trade. But the Patriots have other remaining positional needs, one of which The Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed argued the team could address with veteran D.J. Reader.
On Tuesday, Kyed listed seven remaining free agents New England could still target to bolster their roster. Along the defensive line interior, Kyed named Reader a candidate to add.
“The Patriots never replaced Khyiris Tonga, who signed with the Chiefs in free agency this offseason. Reader, 31, would give them an experienced defender with a similar body type,” wrote Kyed.
“Currently, the Patriots are counting on young players like Joshua Farmer, Leonard Taylor III and Eric Gregory to back up Milton Williams, Christian Barmore and Cory Durden.
“That could certainly work, but none of those players are as stout as Tonga.”
Reader has started 128 games over his 10-year NFL career. Last season, he had 28 combined tackles and four quarterback hits with the Detroit Lions.
According to Spotrac, Reader has earned $78.96 million playing in the NFL.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers and a variety of other NFL teams. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb