The Patriots had 19 players in for tryouts last week
The Patriots have had 19 players in for tryouts since last Tuesday, according to a league source. The focus appeared to be on five positional spots:
Quarterbacks: Matt Barkley, USC; David Fales, San Jose State; Matt McGloin, Penn State; Thad Lewis, Duke.
Wide receivers: Jordan Payton, UCLA; Gabe Marks and Marquess Wilson, Washington State; Jeremy Ross, Cal.
Tight ends: Ryan O’Malley, Penn; Alex Ellis, Tennessee.
Linebackers: Akeem Ayers, UCLA; Nicholas Grigsby, Pitt; Antwione Williams, Georgia Southern.
Defensive backs: Cody Riggs, Notre Dame; Channing Stribling, Michigan; Jomal Wiltz, Iowa State; Jarell Carter, Trinity International.
They also took a look at a pair of special teamers: long snapper Taybor Pepper of Michigan State and punter Austin Rehkow from Idaho.
Patriots fans will remember Ayers from his stint here in 2014, when he was acquired in midseason from the Tennessee Titans and helped shore up the defense. Ayers appeared in nine games for the Patriots, starting four, as the team captured Super Bowl XLIX. He was cut by the Indianapolis Colts in the preseason this year.
Malcolm Mitchell’s trip to the injured reserve list may be the reason for the club bringing in four wide receivers, although none were signed.
The quarterbacks appear to be the break-glass-in-case-of-emergency type, someone the Patriots would consider bringing in if disaster struck and Tom Brady were injured. All four have NFL experience, and all spent the 2017 preseason with NFL clubs before being released.
The Patriots reportedly tried to sign Fales off the Chicago practice squad in 2014, but the Bears responded by promoting him to the active roster. He spent this preseason with the Miami Dolphins.
A four-year starter at USC, Barkley was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. He signed a two-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers in March, but was released at the end of the preseason.
McGloin spent four seasons on the Oakland Raiders’ roster before signing a one-year deal with the Eagles last March, but he was released at the end of the preseason.
Patriots fans might remember Lewis from his time with the AFC East rival Buffalo Bills, for whom he suited up in 2013. He spent the 2017 preseason with the Baltimore Ravens.
