NFL Rumors: Bengals Hold Free Agent Visit With Ex-Patriots Defensive Tackle

Might the New England Patriots suffer another loss in their front seven?

Trey Flowers (Detroit Lions) and Malcom Brown (New Orleans Saints) already have skipped town, and the Pats on Friday released Adrian Clayborn.

And now, free-agent defensive tackle Danny Shelton, a rush specialist, reportedly has visited with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Patriots acquired Shelton from the Cleveland Browns last offseason. While Shelton wasn’t a total bust, the fact that he was scratched four times over the course of the season didn’t inspire confidence that the Patriots would be hellbent on bringing him back.

Among those scratches was the AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, though Shelton did return for the Super Bowl, where he made a pair of tackles, including one for a loss.

The Patriots did bolster their defensive line a bit when free agency opened, signing ex-New York Jets defensive tackle Mike Pennel.