The New England Patriots have been one of the quietest teams in free agency because prices have been through the roof. Bill Belichick and Nick Caserio will continue to try and find players that can both contribute and can sign for a reasonable contract.
Per ESPN's Trey Wingo, the Patriots will be hosting former Rams defensive end Chris Long on Monday for a workout. The Providence Journal's Mark Daniels was the first to report the connection between the two parties.
Long was cut due to his monster contract and because the pass rusher has missed 14 games over the past two seasons. The 2nd overall pick of the 2008 NFL Draft will turn 31 later this month. He hadn't missed a game prior to 2014.
The general belief is that Long will be a situational pass rusher because his run-stuffing ability isn't that great. The New England Patriots have the inside scoop as defensive line coach Brandon Daly served the same role for the Rams from 2009-11, when Long averaged 9 sacks per season.
New England has good depth at defensive end with Chandler Jones, Jabaal Sheard, and Rob Ninkovich as the starting rotation, and with Geneo Grissom, Trey Flowers, and Rufus Johnson as the developmental prospects. Long doesn't really fit into the equation.