Patriots Reportedly Host Two Wide Receivers For Workouts

The New England Patriots made a change in their crowded wide receiver room Friday by swapping out one wideout for another.

But could the Patriots be eyeing even more players at the spot to further add to the positional group?

It certainly seems possible after the Patriots worked out wide receivers Shi Smith and Cody Chrest on Friday, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Smith is by far the more accomplished of the two pass-catchers. He spent the last two seasons playing for the Panthers after Carolina selected him in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Smith saw limited action as a rookie but played in all 17 games last season, recording 22 receptions for 296 yards and two touchdowns.

Smith evidently didn’t do enough during training camp and the preseason to warrant a roster spot with the Panthers, who waived him earlier this week. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound South Carolina product had solid performances during the Panthers’ three-game exhibition slate, catching seven passes for 88 yards.

Chrest was an undrafted free agent that was a long shot to make the Green Bay Packers’ roster. He had an unconventional road to Packers training camp after he spent seven seasons playing college football, with a knee injury hampering the majority of those campaigns.

After four seasons with Harvard, Chrest delivered three strong seasons with Sam Houston, earning All-WAC Second Team honors in his final two seasons. Chrest’s best collegiate season came in 2021 when he caught 54 passes for 704 yards and five touchdowns.

It might be difficult for either Smith or Chrest to find their way onto the Patriots with the team already possessing plenty of depth at the receiver spot. New England has JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte on its active roster after placing Tyquan Thornton on injured reserve.

The Patriots also have newly signed T.J. Luther on the practice squad.