Seven free agents stopped by Gillette Stadium to begin the first week of the regular season.
The New England Patriots worked out wide receivers Andrew Armstrong and Jakobie Keeney-James as well as defensive backs Tyron Herring, Doneiko Slaughter, Major Williams, Trey Dean and Malik Dixon-Williams on Tuesday, according to the NFL transaction wire.
Armstrong, 24, signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in May. The 6-foot-4, 210-pound rookie wideout was waived at the league’s 53-man
roster deadline to end August. After beginning his collegiate career at Texas A&M-Commerce, Armstrong went on to amass 134 catches for 1,904 yards and six touchdowns across a pair of campaigns at Arkansas. The reigning first-team All-SEC selection led the conference in receptions, receiving yards and receiving yards per game in 2024.
Keeney-James, 24, was waived by the Detroit Lions during roster cutdowns after arriving as an undrafted rookie in the spring. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound receiver spent five seasons at Eastern Washington before moving on to Massachusetts as a graduate student in 2024. He led the Minutemen with 50 catches for 839 yards and six touchdowns through 12 games last fall.
Herring, 24, joined the Green Bay Packers as a rookie free agent following April’s NFL draft. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound cornerback spent four years at Dartmouth before heading to Delaware in 2023. He went on to serve as a team captain, totaling 72 tackles, four interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery across 23 games with the Blue Hens. Second-team All-CAA honors and an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl arrived as a graduate student.
Slaughter, 23, agreed to terms with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2025. The 6-foot, 190-pound cornerback finished his collegiate run at Arkansas in 2024 following four years at Tennessee. Altogether, he tallied 167 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and two interceptions. From the Volunteers to the Razorbacks, Slaughter appeared in 56 games with 28 starts.
Williams, 24, signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in May after attending rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound defensive back transferred from Virginia and twice earned D2Football.com All-American recognition at Carson-Newman. Dating back to 2022, his tenure there brought 155 tackles and 3.5 sacks along with four interceptions, one forced fumble and two recoveries. Two touchdowns were added on punt returns.
Dean, 25, entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Florida in 2023. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound safety spent his rookie year between the practice squads of the New York Jets and Super Bowl LVIII champion Chiefs. A stint with the Cleveland Browns followed before he joined the DC Defenders in the spring and won the 2025 UFL championship. An interception was notched in the spring’s postseason.
Dixon-Williams, 24, signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted rookie in April and was waived in late August. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound safety played collegiately at UConn dating back to 2019. He finished his 46-game Huskies career with 258 tackles, seven interceptions and a touchdown runback. Two forced fumbles were also forced.
The practice squad currently carries an open spot following the release of rookie defensive tackle Jahvaree Ritzie.
The Las Vegas Raiders visit Foxborough on Sunday. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.
