A league source has confirmed an earlier report that New England worked out tight end Jake Byrne Monday.
Byrne, 6-4, 260-pounds, signed with the Saints this April as an undrafted free agent. New Orleans waived him before final roster cuts on August 27.
The Patriots have done some TE shuffling in recent weeks. The depth chart got thinner when Kellen Winslow asked for release on September 30. And though recovery time for Aaron Hernandez's ankle sprain isn't supposed to be long, he's not yet back at practice.
Rob Gronkowski was on the injury report last week with some kind of hip trouble. He did play against Buffalo last Sunday, however, and had five catches for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Daniel Fells played a season-high 45 of 77 snaps against the Bills. Your fourth and final tight end on the Patriots roster, Michael Hoomanawanui, was in for just 7.
Visanthe Shiancoe still has four weeks before he can be activated off IR.
New England currently has a maxed-out practice squad with eight players (zero tight ends). It's hard to say where Byrne would fit in.
ESPN Boston's Field Yates had the first report.