Tag: Gimme him

Gimme Him: Kyzir White would stabilize Patriots’ inconsistent LB group

Kyzir White would give the Patriots a playmaking veteran linebacker.

The New England Patriots have struggled on the defensive side of the ball this season.

Aside from the secondary, the unit has been inconsistent throughout the year. The linebacker position in particular has been decimated by injuries and on-field struggles. There are a few defensive players that would fit well in New England, but linebacker Kyzir White fits the bill as the “Gimme Him” player of the week.

White has played for the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles in his career, in addition to the Cardinals. The last four seasons have been particularly fruitful for the veteran linebacker. He has recorded at least 90 tackles in each of those seasons, including 110 tackles in 2022 with the Eagles. He currently has 99 tackles this season with the Cardinals.

In addition, he has played in 92 percent of the snaps this season, according to statistics from Pro Football Reference. He’s filling the veteran role for the Cardinals’ defense and still producing at a high level.

New England needs solid veteran play at the linebacker position, and White would give the positional group the bona fide playmaker it lacks at the moment.

That’s not to say the linebacker position is completely void of talent. Christian Elliss and Jahlani Tavai are players who have stepped up in the absence of injured team captain Ja’Whaun Bentley. White would simply give the position an added boost.

His nose for the football and veteran presence would be important for a defensive unit looking to get back to where it was when it ranked top-10 last season.

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Gimme Him: Zaire Franklin would be immediate playmaker for Patriots

Zaire Franklin would make an immediate impact in the Patriots’ linebacker room.

The New England Patriots are set to take on the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, and there’s one particular defensive player the Patriots could utilize on their roster.

That player would be Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin, who is this week’s pick for Gimme Him.

Franklin has 123 tackles with two forced fumbles, a sack and an interception on the season. He has been a consistent playmaker for the Colts with his most recent effort being a 13-tackle performance against the Detroit Lions.

The veteran defender is a tackling machine with 100 combined tackles in each of his last three seasons, including a career-high 179 tackles in 2023. He is also a workhorse playmaker, having played 100 percent of the snaps in two out of the last three seasons.

The Patriots could use his veteran leadership at a linebacker position that is missing team captain Ja’Whaun Bentley, who suffered a season-ending pectoral injury in September. Franklin would offer stability to a Patriots defense that has not been consistent all year.

New England has several holes, and the linebacker position would be a good place to start. Franklin would be that key piece that would not only elevate the position, but he’d elevate the entire defensive unit as a whole.

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Gimme Him: Jordyn Brooks would boost Patriots defense

Jordyn Brooks would be a solid addition to the Patriots defense

The New England Patriots will have a chance to earn their second win in three games when they take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.

Miami has plenty of playmakers that New England could use on both sides of the football, but linebacker Jordyn Brooks is the pick for this week’s Gimme Him.

Brooks has been an unquestioned playmaker on the Dolphins defense this season. He has 85 tackles in total, in addition to a sack and four passes defended. He has shown the ability to fly all over the field and make big plays.

His durability has also been an asset this season. He has played 616 total snaps on defense. That is 100 percent of the defensive snaps on the season, according to statistics from Pro Football Reference. He has also played 45 snaps on special teams.

The Patriots have suffered notable injuries at the linebacker position, such as with team captain Ja’Whaun Bentley. He suffered a torn pectoral muscle in the middle of September.

Sione Takitaki has had several injuries this year as well, including a knee injury that saw him miss five games and a hamstring injury that forced him to miss Week 10. So Brooks’ durability would be a welcome addition.

Brooks is also just 27 years old. He would have the ability to be a stabilizing force on a defensive unit that has a mixture of younger and veteran pieces. His high-level play and athleticism would be welcome and would be a huge lift to the Patriots’ defense.

Not only could he help them in the present, but he could serve as a major building block for the future of the unit.

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Gimme Him: One player the Chiefs would steal from the Panthers

Which Carolina #Panthers player would we pick to add to the Kansas City #Chiefs’ roster for the rest of the regular season?

The Kansas City Chiefs are set to face the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium in Week 11 action on November 24.

This matchup is expected to result in an easy win for the 9-1 Chiefs, who are looking to bounce back after their first regular season loss. The 3-7 Panthers have struggled all season and would need to mount a heroic effort to hand Kansas City its second defeat.

On Chiefs Wire, we are conducting a thought experiment. We’ll call this game of hypotheticals ‘Gimme Him.’

Let’s imagine that the Chiefs could make a trade for any one of Carolina’s most valuable players for nothing in return.

Which Panther would make the most impact for Kansas City through the rest of the season?

Carolina’s offense focuses heavily on the ground game, which has given running back Chuba Hubbard an opportunity to make a name for himself as one of the NFL’s most reliable rushers. Hubbard has carried the ball 161 times this season for 818 yards.

While Kansas City already has stellar running backs and the Chiefs are often more inclined to let Patrick Mahomes throw the ball than rely on their run game, having a breakout rusher like Hubbard could be a great asset for Andy Reid’s offense.

When Kansas City visits Carolina this weekend the defense must keep Hubbard’s yardage limited.

Gimme Him: Puka Nacua would give Patriots proven playmaking WR

Puka Nacua would give the Patriots a proven top wide receiver talent

The Los Angeles Rams have explosive players on both sides of the ball, and the New England Patriots will have their work cut out trying to contain them in Sunday’s game.

However, one player in particular who would fit well with the Patriots is All-Pro wide receiver Puka Nacua. He is my pick for this week’s “Gimme Him.”

Nacua is the kind of playmaker that could help the Patriots’ receiving corps get to that next level. That’s obviously assuming he’s healthy. The numbers are a bit down this year for the 23-year-old wideout, but he missed five games with a knee injury.

He is starting to find his groove once again. He had one of his best games of the season on October 24 against the Minnesota Vikings by recording seven catches for 160 yards. In his last outing against the Miami Dolphins, he hauled in nine catches for 98 yards.

The 2023 campaign would be a better assessment of his body of work. He recorded 105 catches for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns on the year. Right out of the gates, he quickly established himself as one of the most dynamic receiving weapons in the NFL.

It wasn’t just the numbers that were impressive, either. It was his efficiency while doing it. He caught 65.6 percent of his passes last season and averaged 9.29 yards per target, per statistics from Pro Football Reference.

Putting him on the Patriots would give rookie quarterback Drake Maye another weapon to throw to on offense. The outlook of the Patriots’ receivers unit is much different than it was a month ago. There’s hope with players like Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte on offense.

Nacua could be an addition that helps ensure future success for the unit. Of course, this is very much a dream scenario. The Patriots are currently stuck building around what they already have.

Their focus now shifts towards slowing down Nacua, Cooper Kupp and every other weapon on the Rams’ offense on Sunday.

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Gimme Him: Rome Odunze would be key building block for Patriots

Rome Odunze would help jumpstart the Patriots offense.

The New England Patriots are set to take on a Chicago Bears team with talent on both sides of the ball on Sunday. Rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze would be my selection for this week’s Gimme Him.

Odunze was drafted out of Washington with the ninth overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft. He has recorded 25 catches for 391 yards and a touchdown on the season. He is coming off his best game so far after racking up five receptions for 104 yards against the Arizona Cardinals.

His track record speaks for itself as a former top option at Washington and one of the best receivers in college football. He recorded over 3,000 yards while with the Huskies, including 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023.

The Patriots have tried to improve their receiving group, with Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker being part of their rookie class. However, the returns have not been good so far.

Polk has struggled with drops this season, while Baker has seen the field in limited action. Meanwhile, Odunze ranks seventh amongst all NFL rookies in receiving yards.

The Patriots have second-year standouts in Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, but there needs to be more depth in the wide receivers room. Odunze is a player capable of providing that as a reliable target for rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

We’ll see how he fares against the Patriots’ secondary on Sunday with star cornerback Christian Gonzalez on the other side.

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Gimme Him: Calvin Ridley would electrify Patriots WR group

Calvin Ridley would be the veteran piece the Patriots need at wide receiver.

The New England Patriots have a chance to win their second straight game when they take on the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Tennessee has several offensive players the Patriots could use with the team currently rebuilding on that side of the ball. This week’s “Gimme Him” player is none other than Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley.

The Patriots were linked to Ridley throughout free agency, but he ultimately chose to sign with the Titans.

His on-field production has been a tremendous asset for the Titans. He has 22 catches for 326 yards and a touchdown on the season. He is coming off an incredible performance against the Detroit Lions where he hauled in 10 catches for 143 yards.

To be fair, the Patriots’ receivers are still young, and there is a chance they could develop into significant contributors with more time. However, the Patriots could use Ridley right now.

He is a big-play wide receiver who would serve as a tremendous offensive weapon for rookie quarterback Drake Maye. Last season, he racked up 76 receptions for 1,016 yards and eight touchdowns with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Ridley turns 30 years old in December, and so far, he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. It’s hard not to feel like he was a missed opportunity for the Patriots. Here’s hoping he doesn’t burn them on Sunday.

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Gimme Him: Jamien Sherwood would strengthen Patriots LB group

Jamien Sherwood would be a solid boost to the Patriots’ struggling run defense

The New England Patriots are set to take on the New York Jets on Sunday, as the team looks to pick up their first divisional win of the season.

Several players on the offensive side of the ball have provided a potent offensive attack for the Jets. However, defense is the name of the game for this week’s Gimme Him. Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood would help the Patriots’ defense in a major way.

The 24-year-old defensive standout is one of the younger players on the Jets’ roster. Nevertheless, he has been able to assert himself as a solid rotational piece. He broke into the league in 2021 after playing college football at Auburn.

He has slowly made his way up the linebacker depth chart for the Jets, and it has culminated in a solid season this year. He has recorded 62 total tackles so far this season and filled in admirably as a starter when C.J. Mosley was out.

Sherwood recorded five tackles in the last matchup with New England in September.

New England needs help at the linebacker position with the defense hurting without the presence of Ja’Whaun Bentley. The absence of Bentley has left a hole in the Patriots’ defense, and Sherwood could help fill the void. He would give New England a younger presence on the linebacker unit.

However, his best contribution would be helping to strengthen New England’s run defense. The Patriots currently have the third-worst run defense over the last three games with opponents averaging 185.3 yards per game on the ground against them.

Sherwood would help them plug some holes along the leaky defensive front.

The Patriots need an overhaul on both sides of the ball, but a player like Sherwood would create a potential solution for one of their most glaring weaknesses.

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Gimme Him: Brian Thomas Jr. would load up Patriots WR room

Brian Thomas Jr. would give the Patriots a top receiving weapon

The New England Patriots will take on the Jacksonville Jaguars across the pond in London on Sunday.

The Jaguars have been struggling this season, but there have been a few bright spots on their roster. One of those bright spots has been rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

He is my pick for this week’s Gimme Him.

The LSU product has burst onto the scene as the Jaguars’ leading wideout through the first six games with 25 receptions for 474 yards and three touchdowns. His receiving yards total puts him at ninth-best in the NFL.

One of the best games of the season for him so far came against the Indianapolis Colts on October 6. He caught eight passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.

He is quickly becoming one of the Jaguars’ most dynamic receiving options. The first-round draft pick out of LSU is using his combination of big-play ability and speed to make things happen after the catch. He has averaged over nine yards per catch in each of the games he has played in this year.

The Patriots’ group of wide receivers is taking shape by the week. Coach Jerod Mayo noted that Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte are three of the most reliable receivers on the roster right now. The addition of Thomas would give quarterback Drake Maye another weapon on offense.

One of the best things the organization can do is surround the rookie quarterback with playmakers. Thomas undoubtedly fits into that category, even as a rookie. In addition to just playmaking ability, he would also give the organization depth at the wide receiver spot. Productive depth is not something they have right now. Thomas would be able to fill a void there.

As for now, the Patriots’ secondary will be tasked with guarding him on Sunday, when they go head-to-head with the Jaguars.

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Gimme Him: C.J. Stroud would give Patriots a cornerstone QB

Texans QB C.J. Stroud is this week’s “Gimme Him” player for the Patriots

The New England Patriots are set to face the Houston Texans in Week 6 on Sunday. Houston has a high-powered offense led by quarterback C.J. Stroud, who is this week’s “Gimme Him” pick.

The Patriots will have a quarterback of their own to look forward to with rookie Drake Maye starting under center. Nevertheless, the team isn’t sure what they are getting from Maye. Meanwhile, Stroud has established himself as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL.

He threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and only five interceptions last season. He led the Texans to the playoffs in a year many thought would be a rebuilding season. He is off to another solid start in 2024 with 1,385 passing yards, seven touchdowns and three interceptions through five games.

Stroud has all of the tools to be a successful quarterback in the NFL. His strong arm, as well as his mobility, are two of his biggest assets. The Ohio State product has recorded 68 rushing yards on 14 carries so far this year.

In particular, he has shown he can elevate his game when needed most. He has thrown for 626 yards, four touchdowns and an interception when trailing in games.

The Patriots will start Maye on Sunday, and the jury is out on what he can provide. Stroud is a proven signal-caller and is only getting better. He is someone who can elevate the players around him, as evidenced by his connection with multiple breakout receivers on the Texans’ roster, including Tank Dell and Nico Collins.

Maye could end up being that kind of playmaker for the Patriots as well, but Stroud would give the offense an instant spark.

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