Patriots Daily: Eight Free Agents Workout in Foxboro Friday

The New England Patriots did not announce any roster moves on Friday. However, the team did host eight free agents for a workout. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the group consisted of all defensive players, including six defensive backs. Six players were from the 2024 NFL Draft class, with the other two entering the league last year.

The group of players in for workouts was:

Keshawn Banks (DE) San Diego State-Green Bay
Andrew Farmer (LB) Lane-LA Chargers
Miles Battle (CB) Utah-Kansas City
D.J. James (CB) Auburn-Seattle
Keni-H Lovely (CB) Western Michigan-Buffalo
Akeem Dent (S) Florida State-
Kenny Logan (S) Kansas-LA Rams
Mark Perry (S) TCU-Miami

The Patriots had the following free-agents in for workouts: DE Keshawn Banks (SD State), DB Miles Battle (Utah), DB Akeem Dent (FSU), LB Andrew Farmer (Lane), DB D.J. James (Auburn), DB Kenny Logan (Kansas), DB Keni-H Lovely (Western Michigan), DB Mark Perry (Texas Christian).

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 13, 2024

The two non-defensive backs, Banks and Farmer, were eligible for the 2023 NFL Draft but were not drafted. Keshawn Banks spent the 2023 season on the Green Bay Packers practice squad. As a result, he has worked with New England Patriots defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery. His lone NFL game was their playoff game, in which he played on special teams. Andrew Farmer began last season on the Los Angeles Chargers practice squad but was eventually added to the active roster and appeared in eight games.

Rookie Free Agent Defensive Backs

The six rookie free agents are all defensive backs, three cornerbacks, and three safeties. Two players brought in were projected to get picked in my Seven-Round 2024 NFL Mock Draft, Auburn’s D.J. James and Kansas’ Kenny Logan Jr. Although I had a Round 3-to-4 grade on James, he slid to Round 6. The Seahawks selected James No. 192 overall. Logan, projected here to go in Round 7, went undrafted.

James struggled in the preseason but it was still surprising for them to not sign a sixth-round pick back to their practice squad,  The defensive grades in preseason for this group from Pro Football Focus:

73.7 Battle, Chiefs
70.3 Lovely, Bills
68.2 Dent, Chargers
62.9 Perry, Dolphins
54.4 James, Seahawks
DNP Logan, Rams

If New England opts to add any of them to the roster, likely the practice squad, it will be updated here.

Also in today’s Patriots Daily:

Patriots Fact/Trivia of the Day

Post of the Day

Could the Miami Dolphins Turn to Tom Brady at Quarterback – Dolphins QB Tua Taglovailos suffered a concussion in Week 2. His availability for Miami is very much in question. Will the Dolphins roll with Skylar Thompson or possibly try to talk the GOAT out of retirement?

Week 2 Injury Report: Five Patriots, Six Seahawks Listed Friday – New England ruled OG Sidy Sow out for Sunday’s game. Safety Kyle Dugger and three others are questionable. Seattle listed two players out and two key offensive starters as doubtful on their report Friday.

Robert Kraft Belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame – Jerry Jones’ biographer wrote an article for ESPN about New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft campaigning to get into the Hall of Fame. He referred to Jones as “Kraft’s archrival.” It doesn’t deiminish the fact that Kraft belongs in Canton.