Wide receiver is one of the higher-profile needs the New England Patriots have on their offseason to-do list. While free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft are still weeks away, Bill Belichick's club has hit the ground running and recently took a look at a pass catcher who oozes with New England connections. On Tuesday, the Patriots had free agent wide receiver Slade Bolden in for a visit, according to ESPN. Bolden's agency, Black Label Sports Group, also acknowledged the private workout.
Bolden's Patriots links run rather deep. The 25-year-old is close friends with Mac Jones stemming back to their playing days at Alabama where they were also roommates. Bolden also played under recently hired offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien when he was leading the Crimson Tide's offense.
To put a cherry on top of all that, Bolden noted at the NFL Scouting Combine last year that he emulated his game to the likes of Julian Edelman and was used like Wes Welker in Alabama's offense.
"It was basically kind of how they used me if you need a good third-down play, a good third-down catch, or having that guy that's been able to run an option route or run the catch-tuck-turn type passes," Bolden said last year of how his role in O'Brien's offense at Alabama mimicked Welker's usage in New England. "That's the kind of guy Wes was, catch the ball in the middle of the field, with no traffic. That's kind of how I was used as well."
In his lone season with O'Brien, Bolden hauled in 42 passes for 408 yards and three touchdowns.
Bolden went undrafted last season and temporarily latched on with the Baltimore Ravens, but has yet to play in an NFL game. He was placed on injured reserve last August, eventually waived from IR in mid-October and has been a free agent ever since.
While New England isn't a Slade Bolden addition away from having a top-flight offense, he could prove to be a valuable piece. The Patriots have historically thrived with players of Bolden's skill set working over the middle of the field, and if he already has a rapport with the QB and OC, it makes a lot of sense to see if they could recreate the spark that was there in Tuscaloosa in Foxborough.
