As the New England Patriots prepare for New York Jets in the final game of the season, it’s time for the last Gimmie Him of the year. The Patriots have many areas that need to be filled, and linebacker is definitely one of them. In that regard, Neville Hewitt would be a perfect fit for New England.
Hewitt has recorded 127 tackles on the season, and has gotten them in bunches. Take his outing on December 20 against the Los Angeles Rams. In that contest, he recorded 10 tackles. He has five games of at least 10 tackles this season, and he has recorded at least five tackles in every single game this season. In addition, he also has two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
As it stands right now, New England has been relying on their younger linebackers to make plays and fill the void left by the absences of veterans such as Dont’a Hightower. Now in his sixth season in the NFL, Hewitt would give them a veteran presence that they are missing. Not only that, New England would get a bona fide run-stopper in the process.
New England has allowed the fifth-fewest rushing yards this season as it is with 145.3 yards per game. Adding another layer to that portion of the defense would make them that much tougher to run against.
In addition, Neville is only 27 years old. In addition to his experience, he also is entering the prime of his career. The combination of these two things would be very beneficial for a New England Patriots linebacking group that still has a lot of room to grow. He could help mentor the younger linebackers, while also offering consistent contributions.
For a Patriots team that has always prided itself on defense, the linebacker position would definitely benefit from a player like Hewitt. Although the organization has a strong young core of linebackers, adding a veteran to the mix would definitely help in what has been the start of the rebuilding process for the organization.
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