New England Patriots work out Chris Carr

The New England Patriots have worked out eight players (per ESPN Boston), with the most significant being cornerback Chris Carr. The 29-year-old veteran has also worked out for the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks after being a surprising cut from the Minnesota Vikings 53-man roster.

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A solid corner with the Baltimore Ravens, Carr is coming off of a disappointing season in Baltimore in 2011. Even so, Carr is a versatile veteran who can cover both the slot and outside, but he is best used as a nickel corner. He also provides some solid value on special teams, so it’s good to see that the Patriots are at least having a look at him even though the Pats already have two capable slot corners in Kyle Arrington and Ras-I Dowling.

Although Chris Carr is not a spectacular player, he is a solid cornerback who is just coming off of a bad season with Baltimore. I still don’t understand why the Vikings cut Carr, but we’ll be getting more information about him as time progresses due to his workout with the Pats. He would either be the third or fourth best corner on the team, depending on your opinion on Dowling. I like our second-year CB, but Carr is better than him right now with Dowling having much more upside than Carr. I could definitely see the Pats giving him a low-cost, one-year deal.

The Chiefs initially lost out on Carr when the Vikes were going after him, so the fact that Scott Pioli is still interested shows that Carr’s cut from the Vikings had more to do with the team than his actual performance. I like him as a solid No. 3 or 4 corner to play a big role in dime packages, as he is certainly an upgrade over Sterling Moore in my mind.

Quarterbacks Curtis Painter and Stephen McGee, safety David Caldwell, defensive end Jeff Charleston, wide receiver DeMarco Sampson, defensive end Monte Taylor, and wide receiver Jamel Hamler also worked out for the Patriots.

I think we should sign up Carr as he is still a solid coverage corner with above-average speed and good veteran savvy, pass on Painter, and give some thought to signing McGee due to his upside.

Notes on the others

Charleston: Practice squad guy, above-average pass rusher with New Orleans. Another former Viking.

Caldwell: Decent run stopper at safety, thrust into significant role with Colts last season, not a guy you want in pass coverage.

Taylor: 6’5″, 258 pound UDFA from Cincinnati, waived by both Philly and Seattle. Not even practice squad material, but it looks like the Pats see something in him.

Sampson: Caught three passes for 36 yards all for first downs playing for our opponent on Sunday.

Hamler: 2011 Eagles practice squad member, released in late August after underwhelming preseason. Can make the practice squad, has upside.

You can follow Joe Soriano on Twitter @SorianoJoe.