With training camp just days away, the New England Patriots still are looking for ways to improve their roster.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Monday the Patriots have engaged in talks with free-agent cornerback Brandon Flowers, who has yet to find work since being released by the Los Angeles Chargers in March.
Flowers, 31, is entering his 10th NFL season. He spent his first six seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, who selected him in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft, before signing with the Chargers in 2014.
A concussion derailed Flowers’ 2016 campaign, limiting him to six games and relegating him to injured reserve in mid-December. Before that, he never had missed more than five games in a season and had appeared in 13 or more games in each of his first seven years in the league.
The Patriots signed former Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore to a big-money contract this offseason but lost Logan Ryan in free agency, making the slot corner position a question mark for New England entering camp. Eric Rowe, Cyrus Jones, Jonathan Jones and Justin Coleman will be among those battling for spots behind presumptive starters Gilmore and Malcolm Butler.
Flowers, who is listed at 5-foot-9, 187 pounds, often lined up in the slot during his time with the Chargers. The Arizona Cardinals also have shown interest in the veteran defensive back and will host him for a workout Wednesday, per Schefter.
The Patriots have one open spot on their 90-man roster after releasing guard Chase Farris last week. They will hold their first training camp practice Thursday morning on the fields outside Gillette Stadium.
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