Patriots Work Out Two D-Tackles, Including Familiar Face

The Patriots are mulling a reunion with old friend Carl Davis.

New England brought Davis, a veteran defensive tackle, in for a tryout Monday, according to a report from ESPN’s Mike Reiss. The Patriots also worked out free agent D-tackle Daviyon Nixon, per Reiss’ report.

Davis is a known commodity for the Patriots’ coaching staff. The 31-year-old spent the last three seasons in New England, appearing in 36 games as a backup nose tackle. Davis’ initial Patriots stint in August ended when he was surprisingly released during final roster cuts.

After his release, Davis wrote in a candid Instagram post that he “got caught slipping” and “wasn’t playing dominant enough.” He said he did not want sympathy from fans.

“This is business,” Davis wrote. “And I ain’t do enough to keep myself in the door.”

Davis wound up signing with the Seahawks’ practice squad in late September. He’s now a free agent again after Seattle released him last week.

Nixon is a third-year pro who played for a former colleague of Bill Belichick (Kirk Ferentz) at Iowa. The 24-year-old spent the 2021 season and most of 2022 with the Carolina Panthers, appearing in 14 games. He had a cup of coffee with Seattle last December and has been out of the league since.

The Patriots’ current defensive line depth chart consists of Davon Godchaux, Lawrence Guy, Christian Barmore, Deatrich Wise, Keion White, Sam Roberts and Jeremiah Pharms, who was promoted from the practice squad over the weekend. They also have Trysten Hill on their practice squad and one open P-squad spot following Pharms’ promotion.

New England, which fell to 2-7 with a loss to Washington in Week 9, is preparing to take on the Indianapolis Colts this Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany.