NFL Rumors: Patriots Hosting Rookie Punter For Free Agent Workout

The New England Patriots have one of the NFL’s top young punters in Jake Bailey. But that didn’t stop them from evaluating another option at the position.

The Patriots are hosting undrafted rookie punter Alex Kinney for a free agent workout, according to a report Tuesday from the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson.

Why would the Patriots work out a punter when they already have a very good one in Bailey, who earned two AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors as a rookie last season? Because depth at every position will be increasingly important in the age of COVID-19, requiring a thorough and up-to-date emergency list.

If Bailey or another Patriots specialist was to test positive for the coronavirus this season, the team would need to be able to quickly replace him. For this reason, it would not be surprising to see more teams carry an extra punter and/or kicker on their practice squads, which will be expanded from 10 players to 16 this season.

Kinney was a four-year starter at Colorado, appearing in 54 games for the Buffaloes and averaging 44.4 yards per punt as a senior in 2019. He was not selected in the 2020 NFL Draft and has yet to sign with a pro team.

The Patriots must trim their roster from 80 players to 53 by 4 p.m. ET on Saturday. Their regular-season opener is set for next Sunday, Sept. 13, against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium.

UPDATE (5 p.m. ET): Kinney isn’t the only specialist the Patriots brought in Tuesday. They also worked out punters Tyler Newsome and Justin Vogel and long snappers Scott Daly and Colton Taylor, per the NFL transaction wire.