Patriots work out 5 free agent players ahead of training camp

On the eve of their veterans reporting to training camp, the New England Patriots brought a group of free agents in for workouts. According to the NFL transactions wire, five players were invited to Gillette Stadium to showcase their talents: wide receivers Derrick Dillon, Terry Godwin, Andrew Jamiel and Cinque Sweeting as well as tight end La’Michael Pettway.

Dillon, 26, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent out of LSU in 2020. He spent the better part of his rookie season on the New York Giants’ practice squad and was released the following summer; Dillon eventually made his way to the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits for whom he caught 28 passes for 386 yards and four touchdowns — one of the better statlines in the league.

Godwin, 25, was drafted 237th overall by the Carolina Panthers in 2019. The Georgia product spent the majority of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, however, and has thus far appeared in three NFL games (all in 2020). He has three touches for 32 yards and a 3-yard run on his résumé.

Jamiel, 25, went undrafted in 2020 after spending his college career at Stonehill College in Eaton, MA. Despite setting several school records, he was forced to start his professional career with the developmental Spring League and the fan-controlled indoor league FCF.

Sweeting, 24, did not hear his name called in this year’s draft after splitting his college career between Seton Hill and Slippery Rock. In 2021, he appeared in 12 games for the Rock, catching 60 passes for 777 yards and eight scores.

Pettway, 25, tried to enter the NFL in 2020 but was neither drafted nor signed as a rookie free agent. The Iowa State product eventually was picked in the 34th round of the USFL Draft in February, and ended up catching 23 passes for 277 yards and two scores for the Michigan Panthers this season.

The Patriots roster currently stands at 84 active players, meaning that they are six spots below the NFL’s 90-man offseason threshold. New England will hold its first practice of training camp on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. ET.