Just days after allowing 567 yards of total offense -- the most during the Bill Belichick era -- the New England Patriots are scanning the free agent market for some help on the defensive side of the ball. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Patriots are bringing in veteran cornerback Brian Poole for a workout on Wednesday. The 29-year-old was most recently with the Saints after he signed with the club over the summer. New Orleans released Poole earlier this month.
Prior to his brief stint with the Saints, Poole was likely more known by the Patriots during his stints with the Falcons and Jets. He signed with Atlanta as an undrafted free agent back in 2016 and spent three seasons with the organization, including the 2016 season where the Falcons lost to New England in Super Bowl LI. In that game, Poole totaled four tackles.
More recently, Poole has been with the Jets. In 2020, he totaled 44 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups for New York over nine games before going down with an injury.
Poole could be an intriguing addition to a Patriots secondary that could be looking for depth behind J.C. Jackson, Jalen Mills and Jonathan Jones. According to Football Outsiders, the Patriots pass defense ranks 23rd in the NFL in DVOA.