The New England Patriots worked out tight ends Zaire Mitchell-Paden and Irv Smith on Monday, according to KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson.
Mitchell-Paden most recently spent time with the Cleveland Browns. He was given a reserve/future contract with the organization in January. He was waived by the team on August 27.
Smith, who was cut by the Kansas City Chiefs in August, played with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023. He caught 18 passes for 115 yards and a touchdown. He began his career with the Minnesota Vikings in 2019. Overall, he has 109 receptions for 973 yards and 10 touchdowns in his four-year career.
New England could use additional tight end depth behind Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper. Henry caught two passes for 18 yards in Sunday’s 16-10 win over the Bengals, while Hooper grabbed two passes for 31 yards.
#Patriots worked out Zaire Mitchell-Paden and Irv Smith
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) September 9, 2024
The Patriots spent a seventh-round draft pick on rookie tight end Jaheim Bell. There’s hope that he can work his way up to being a prominent contributor at some point.
But there’s also nothing wrong with updating their emergency list at a position of importance in offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s run-heavy offense.
