The Patriots reportedly worked out a veteran defensive back Wednesday at Gillette Stadium.
Amid ongoing struggles from its secondary, New England brought in safety/cornerback Brian Poole, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Poole was signed by the New Orleans Saints during the offseason but was placed on injured reserve in late August and released last week.
He is 29 years old.
Poole signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2016 and spent three seasons in Atlanta before spending the 2019 and 2020 campaigns with the New York Jets. The Florida product peaked in 2019 when he was the ninth-ranked cornerback on Pro Football Focus, working primarily as a slot cornerback.
He played in just nine games last season, but his PFF grades largely were similar to those of the prior season — 11th-ranked corner in football — with a marked improvement in tackling. Poole has seven career interceptions, including two last season in New York.
The Patriots currently feature J.C. Jackson, Jonathan Jones and Jalen Mills as their primary corners on their depth chart. Joejuan Williams was a healthy scratch Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys after being benched the previous week against the Houston Texans.
Corner/safety hybrid Myles Bryant on Tuesday was promoted to the 53-man roster. Rookie corner Shaun Wade, whom New England acquired in a preseason trade with the Baltimore Ravens, has missed extended practice time the last two weeks due to a concussion.
The Patriots will host the Jets on Sunday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
