Most Patriots fans would be happy if Tom Brady took every snap this season, but beyond the future Hall of Famer, New England has just one quarterback waiting in the wings. That could explain the recent interest in working out QBs.
The Patriots worked out eight players, including quarterbacks Curtis Painter and Stephen McGee on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com. The other six players included cornerback Chris Carr, safety David Caldwell, defensive end Jeff Charleston, wide receiver Jamel Hamler, wide receiver DeMarco Sampson and defensive end Monte Taylor.
These workouts come roughly a week after the Pats worked out quarterback Mike Kafka, as well as tight ends Michael Hoomanawanui and Kellen Winslow before ultimately opting to sign Hoomanawanui. New England has just two quarterbacks — Brady and backup Ryan Mallett — on its active roster and none on the practice squad, so the desire to see what a few signal callers have in them makes sense.
Painter was thrust into Indianapolis' starting lineup last season as a result of Peyton Manning's injury. He appeared in nine games — starting eight of them — and had six touchdowns and nine interceptions while tossing for 171.2 yards per game.
McGee has appeared in just three regular season games in his career — all with Dallas. He's 46-for-82 with 420 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in his limited action.
Of the non-quarterbacks, Chris Carr is the most notable. Carr is a seven-year veteran who played for Oakland, Tennessee and Baltimore. He was with Minnesota this preseason before the Vikings surprisingly cut the 29-year-old in order to get down to a 53-man roster. Carr has six career interceptions, and spent time on kick and punt returns early on in his career.
Thumbnail photo via Flickr/Jeffrey Beall
