Patriots reportedly work out a group of 10 free agents ahead of season opener

If you’re the New England Patriots, it’s never too late to update your emergency lists.

New England hosted a group of 10 free agents for a workout on Tuesday, including some familiar names to football fans: TE Miller Forristall, QB Devlin Hodges, DB Grayland Arnold, RB Nick Bawden, G Jake Eldrenkamp, C Lamont Gaillard, TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart, DB Joshua Moon, DT Destiny Vaeao and WR Connor Wedington all made appearances in Foxborough, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.

Forristall, 23, is a rookie tight end out of the University of Alabama, where he spent four years as Mac Jones’ teammate. Originally entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans, Forristall was released as part of their cut to a 53-man roster before being signed to their practice squad, and released again two days later. Bonus Fact: Forristall was the quarterback at Cartersville High in Georgia before Trevor Lawrence arrived and beat him out for the job, leading to a switch to tight end.

Hodges, 25, is a third-year quarterback out of Samford University, where he was a four-year starter for the Bulldogs. He entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he would eventually start six games following an injury to Ben Roethlisberger. He spent time with the Los Angeles Rams this past offseason. Bonus Fact: Hodges is an accomplished duck caller, earning him the nickname “Duck” at Samford.

Arnold, 24, is a second-year defensive back out of Baylor University. After going undrafted in the 2020 NFL draft, he was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles, where he played in six games as a rookie. He spent the majority of his time in Philadelphia on the practice squad, which he was released from on Sept. 2. Bonus Fact: In high school, Arnold was named as one of the top-15 basketball players in Texas.

Bawden, 25, is a fullback who spent has spent his entire three-year career with the Detroit Lions. He originally entered the league as a 2018 seventh-round draft pick by the Lions, who were then under the control of current Patriots senior football advisor Matt Patricia. Bonus Fact: Bawden began his collegiate career as a quarterback, starting two games in 2014.

Eldrenkamp, 27, is a four-year NFL veteran who has spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams and Patriots. He originally entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Rams, spending time on their practice squad before moving to Cleveland’s and eventually New England’s. He eventually made his way onto the Colts’ active roster, where he played in two games in 2020. Bonus Fact: Eldrenkamp never officially practiced with the Patriots, he signed a futures contract but was cut before training camp began.

Gaillard, 25, is a center who originally entered the league as the Arizona Cardinals’ sixth-round draft pick out of the University of Georgia. He played in 13 games for the Cardinals in 2020. He was released before spending a month with the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason. Bonus Fact: Gaillard was selected with the draft choice Arizona received for losing Bruce Arians to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Griffin-Stewart, 24, is a second-year tight end out of the University of Pittsburgh, who spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and New York Giants in the 2020 and 2021 offseasons. Bonus Fact: Griffin-Stewart can jump out of a pool without using his hands.

Moon, 25, is a safety who originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia Southern in 2019 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was out of football in 2020 until the Seattle Seahawks signed him to a futures contract before ultimately releasing him in 2021. Bonus Fact: Won the Coca-Cola Golden Helmet Award in 2015 for Academic Excellence.

Vaeao, 27, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2016 with the Philadelphia Eagles. He spent three seasons on the Eagles’ active roster before being released and spending time with the New York Jets and Carolina Panthers in 2018 and 2019, respectively. He has not been on an NFL roster since September 2019. Bonus Fact: Vaeao was on the Eagles team that beat the Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

Wedington, 22, is an undrafted rookie free agent out of Stanford, who briefly spent time with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. Bonus Fact: Wedington was the offensive MVP of the 2017 Polynesian Bowl.

The Patriots do not currently have any open spots on their active roster or practice squad.