According to Mike Reiss over at ESPN Boston, the Patriots brought in veteran guards Antoine Caldwell and Rex Hadlot for a tryout. The team is looking to add one more player, to bring their roster to the 90-man limit.
Caldwell comes to us after spending his first four NFL seasons with the Houston Texans, starting 19 games and appearing in 39 games in all. He's got good size for an interior lineman at 6'3. 315. He is a center by trade, but has seen action at right guard. Caldwell went to school at Alabama, a Nick Saban-run program that has produced many players to Belichick's liking over the past few years (Dont'a Hightower, Brandon Deaderick to name a few)
Hadnot, meanwhile, has spent his seven-year NFL career with a variety of team; playing for the Dolphins (2004-2007), Browns (2008-2009), Cardinals (2010-2011) and the Chargers (2012). He's seen action in 129 games, and has started 96 of them. One thing that Hadnot may have a leg up on Caldwell with, is that he's played center as well as left and right guard.
With 89 players already on the roster, it certainly makes sense for the Patriots to target one of their only needs, depth in the interior offensive line. Since Donald Thomas departed for more playing time with the Colts, the Patriots have been looking for a player to sort of fill the void that he left: A versatile guard who can push Dan Connolly and Ryan Wendell.
With Connolly struggling to stay on the field and losing playing time to Thomas during the past season, I continue to wonder why the Pats won't take a look at veteran guard Brandon Moore, the best guard option left on the open market. He would certainly push Connolly, and would provide tremendous run blocking guard for the Patriots. My only guess is that Moore is strictly a right guard, at this point.
Either way, it looks like the team will likely add a free agent to add depth to the interior offensive line.