Patriots Host Local QB, Four Others For Tryouts After Latest Loss

The New England Patriots hosted a handful of free agents for tryouts Monday, including a quarterback with strong local ties.

Austin Burton, a Newton, Mass., native who played QB at UCLA and Purdue, headlined the group of roster hopefuls, according to the NFL transaction wire. He’s an undrafted rookie who has yet to sign with an NFL team.

Burton backed up current Las Vegas Raiders starter Aiden O’Connell with the Boilermakers last season, appearing in six games with two starts. He completed 64.3% of his passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions.

Before transferring to Purdue as a sixth-year senior, Burton started one game over five seasons at UCLA, where he played for a friend of Bill Belichick in head coach Chip Kelly.

New England fans surely know Burton’s family well. His father, Steve, is a longtime sports anchor for WBZ-TV and a staple on the station’s Patriots coverage.

The Patriots have two quarterbacks on their 53-man roster in Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, plus practice squad QB/receiver Malik Cunningham. They released third-stringer Will Grier on Saturday, and he cleared waivers Monday.

The other four players who tried out for the Patriots on Monday were defensive back Cameron McCutcheon and tight ends La’Michael Pettway, Michael Ezeike and Christian Sims. All four are UDFAs with no regular-season NFL experience.

The Patriots, who lost to the New York Giants on Sunday to fall to 2-9, entered the week with two open spots on their practice squad. They’ll host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.