Among this week's tryout group, two free agents stand out as possibilities

The Patriots continue to do their due diligence when it comes to available free agents, as they worked out an intriguing group of players this week. As always, some of these workouts are for informational purposes — Could this guy help us if we needed a depth signing or an addition to the practice squad? — while others can be one of the first steps in eventually signing a deal to join New England’s 53-man roster.



Per a league source, on Monday, the Patriots had long snapper Taybor Pepper (Michigan State) and punter Austin Rehkow (Idaho) in for workouts. On Wednesday, the group of free agents was highlighted by wide receiver Daniel Braverman (Western Michigan), and was rounded out by quarterback Mitch Leidner (Minnesota), wide receiver Tevaun Smith (Iowa), running back Jahad Thomas (Temple) and wide receiver Bryan Walters (Cornell).

Braverman is a name that some may recognize, as he was flagged as a Patriots-type prior to the 2016 draft. The Bears ended up taking the 5-foot-10, 178-pound receiver in the seventh round after catching 212 passes in three seasons in college. He spent the bulk of last season on Chicago’s practice squad, but was on the active roster for three games.

The other player that stands out as a real possibility in this group is Walters, who has been in the league in some form or fashion since 2010. The 6-foot, 195-pounder has been with four different teams in that time, and has played in 47 games as a receiver and punt returner. The 29-year-old had his best year in 2015 when he finished with 32 catches for 368 yards and a touchdown. However, his finest season as a returner came in 2014 with the Seahawks, when he returned 27 punts for 207 yards, a 7.7 average.