The New England Patriots apparently are in a nostalgic mood Thursday.
New England is hosting a pair of former Patriots, Jonathan Casillas and Asante Cleveland, on free-agent visits. They also have contacted former Patriots running back Danny Woodhead about a reunion, a source told NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo. The Atlanta Falcons also have shown interest in Woodhead, according to Garafolo.
Woodhead spent 2017 with the Baltimore Ravens. He played eight games as he dealt with a hamstring injury that temporarily placed him on injured reserve. He had 14 carries for 56 yards and caught 33 passes for 200 yards. Because the Ravens cut Woodhead, he wouldn’t count against the Patriots’ 2019 compensatory pick formula.
Woodhead has suffered multiple injuries since he left the Patriots in 2013. He had a broken fibula with the then-San Diego Chargers in 2014 and a torn ACL in 2016. He’s played in 45 of a possible 80 games over the last five seasons.
Woodhead played 45 games with the Patriots from 2010 to 2012. He had 250 carries for 1,199 yards with 10 touchdowns and 92 catches for 982 yards with four touchdowns in that span. In his career, Woodhead has 517 career carries for 2,238 yards with 15 touchdowns and 300 career receptions for 2,698 yards with 17 touchdowns.
The 33-year-old running back first came into the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Chadron State with the New York Jets in 2009.
Woodhead would join Rex Burkhead, James White, Mike Gillislee and Brandon Bolden in the Patriots’ backfield. The Patriots lost running back Dion Lewis in free agency.
