New England Patriots work out 11 players, some notable
The New England Patriots have one spot left on the 53-man roster, and they could fill it with one of the many players they have recently worked out. Including the five players they tried out earlier this week, the New England Patriots have now worked out a total of 16 players after working out 11 players yesterday, per ESPN Boston’s Field Yates.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick talks with his defense during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports
Although the New England Patriots most likely won’t be adding a quarterback, they did work out three signal-callers, with two of them being recently released Green Bay Packers backups. Graham Harrell, B.J. Coleman, and Southern Mississippi UDFA Austin Davis. Coleman is terrible and doesn’t deserve to have a spot, while Harrell is probably the best of the three right now. None of them are worth placing on the roster, but the Patriots should strongly consider signing Austin Davis to the practice squad. He was a star in college and put in a good training camp, but he couldn’t beat out veteran Kellen Clemens for the St. Louis Rams backup job. Keep an eye on Davis, because he could be the quarterback the Patriots decide to develop on the p-squad.
The biggest name of the players that the Patriots worked out is Jonathan Dwyer, who was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers following the signing of Felix Jones and a display of confidence in Isaac Redman. Dwyer has some talent, but the Steelers believed he didn’t take his job seriously enough. The Patriots don’t need another running back, so don’t expect him to be signed.
Chad Bumphis is the most likely of the 11 players to be signed by the New England Patriots, and he was a relatively surprising cut made by the Miami Dolphins. Although he didn’t put together a consistent enough preseason, the 23-year-old has some upside and is a strong pick for the practice squad.
Two former Carolina Panthers defensive tackles in Andre Neblett and Sione Fua were worked out, and it’s always a red flag when you are working out a former Panthers DT (they drafted Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short in the first two rounds for a reason). Fua has no ability as a pass rusher whatsoever, and his only asset is swallowing up blocks with his massive frame. In short, Fua is terrible, whereas Neblett could potentially provide veteran depth at the DT position. The Patriots also worked out another defensive tackle in Clinton McDonald, who was released by the Seattle Seahwaks and is probably the best of the three (either him or Neblett).
Running backs Damien Berry and Cameron Marshall were also given workouts, and the New England Patriots also tried out former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Josh Bellamy. The five players the Patriots worked out earlier this week were mostly no-names, but former Illinois CB Terry Hawthorne was the 150th pick in the draft. The Steelers surprisingly released him, and he could turn into a quality corner with some development. If he is signed, then the Patriots will have three players on the roster who played corner at Illinois (Justin Green and Tavon Wilson are the current two).