The New England Patriots held tryouts for several players Monday. Most of them were wide receivers, but the team also had one quarterback in for the tryout.
According to the NFL transaction wire, quarterback Connor Bazelak tried out for the Patriots to begin this week. Wide receivers Chandler Brayboy, Isaiah Hodgins, Bryce Oliver and Tahj Washington joined Bazelak at the tryout.
The signal-caller has spent most of the past year and a half with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Following the tryout, the Patriots signed Brayboy to their practice squad. New England also added linebacker Xavier Holmes to its practice squad Monday. Both signings were also on the NFL transaction wire.
Patriots Work out QB Connor Bazelak
After playing for three FBS programs during his college career, Bazelak joined the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2025. He didn’t make the team after last year’s preseason, but Bazelak returned to Tampa Bay on the practice squad.
The Buccaneers elevated him to their active roster on a couple occasions during the 2025 campaign. Bazelak, though, never appeared in a game.
He spent the entire 2026 offseason with Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers waived him at the NFL’s roster deadline on August 30. The quarterback remains a free agent.
It’s possible the Patriots didn’t have a ton of interest in the signal-caller. Clearly, they wanted to scout some receivers this week. Four wideouts visited New England for the tryouts Monday, and the Patriots signed one of them.
The team needed a quarterback to throw them passes.
Players never know where their next opportunity might come. So getting chosen to be part of a tryout is never a bad thing. It just might take a quarterback injury to Drake Maye, Tommy DeVito or Behren Morton for the Patriots to sign Bazelak.
In college, Bazelak threw for 12,349 yards and 66 touchdowns in 58 career games for Missouri, Indiana and Bowling Green. He spent three seasons at Missouri, one at Indiana and his final two campaigns at Bowling Green.
As a senior, he completed 66.9% of his passes for 3,044 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. Bazelak averaged 7.6 yards per pass.
Patriots Make Practice Squad Additions Before Week 2
The Patriots didn’t add Bazelak to their roster, but they signed Brayboy and Holmes to their practice squad Monday.
Brayboy joined the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent last year. The receiver didn’t make the roster but spent his rookie season on the team’s practice squad. He returned to Jacksonville for 2026 but again didn’t make the team’s roster.
Brayboy is joining his second NFL team with the Patriots. He ran the 40-yard dash at his college pro day in 4.47 seconds.
Holmes is back with the Patriots. The team signed him as an undrafted free agent in May. He spent training camp and the preseason with the squad before getting cut at the roster deadline.
Holmes played college football at Maine.
The Patriots are preparing to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in their home opener during Week 2 on Sunday, September 20. The Steelers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 20-13 in Week 1.
Patriots Showed Interest in Former Buccaneers QB