New England Patriots: The emergence of Kyle Van Noy

It’s been almost three years now since Kyle Van Noy was traded to the Patriots from the Lions, and the partnership remains a match made in heaven.

When the Patriots first brought in Kyle Van Noy, many fans both inside and outside of the New England area may not have known who he was. Nowadays, the Pats defense wouldn’t look the same without the two-time Super Bowl champion lined up in the middle of the defense.

This New England defense is loaded with great and talented players. From Dont’a Hightower to Devin McCourty, most of these guys have been with the team for their entire career. Then there are players like Patrick Chung and Jamie Collins, who are on their second stint with the Patriots and who are still every bit as valuable, if not more so now.

This defense is a group of former first and second round picks, most of which the Patriots drafted and evolved themselves. Kyle Van Noy, by contrast, was drafted in the second round by the Detroit Lions in 2014, and then traded to the Pats in 2016 along with a sixth-round pick for a seventh-round draft pick in return.

Bill Belichick saw the potential in Van Noy, and he knew that “KVN” would fit perfectly in his defensive system and schemes. So far, Van Noy hasn’t disappointed… and Belichick wasn’t wrong in bringing him aboard. During his time here in New England, Van Noy has earned the respect of his coaches, teammates, and fans.

During Week 4 of the season when the Pats took on the Buffalo Bills, Van Noy was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his stand-out performance. Van Noy finished the game with eight tackles, two sacks, three quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles. Van Noy also helped secure the win for the Patriots by hitting Matt Barkley, which forced an interception by Jamie Collins.

Kyle Van Noy is very important to this defensive unit. He’s everything you’d like from a linebacker: versatile, fast, and fearless. He has the speed to match up with a running back on a passing route, but he’s also strong enough to shed the blocks of an offensive lineman. Belichick clearly values what Van Noy brings to his team in terms of this versatility and well-roundedness.

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Through the first six weeks of the season, Van Noy has tallied 15 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three defended passes, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, and a defensive touchdown. He is showing the Patriots exactly what he’s worth – and at the right time. This is a contract year for Van Noy, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

There hasn’t been much chatter as to what the Patriots’ intentions are with Van Noy in terms of his future with the team. We have heard rumors that the Pats can give him a contract extension, which would obviously free up more room on their current cap.

But for Van Noy to maximize his potential earnings, it’s in his own best interest to wait for the season to end; otherwise, this could become another negative Jamie Collins-type situation, like the contract squabble and ultimate trade to Cleveland from a few years back.