Five free agents visited Gillette Stadium to begin the week, including a pair in the backfield.

The New England Patriots worked out running backs Demetric Felton and Gary Brightwell on Monday, plus offensive linemen Jack Anderson and Mike Panasiuk along with defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson.

Felton, 26, landed with the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL draft at No. 211 overall. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound UCLA product would overlap with new Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt while in Cleveland. Bringing a background at wide receiver, Felton appeared in 24 games before being waived last August. He tallied 20 rushing yards to go with 20 receptions for 189 yards and two touchdowns. The past PFWA All-Rookie selection added 269 yards on punt returns and 183 yards on kick returns prior to spending 2023 on the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad.

Brightwell, 25, also entered the league in the sixth round of the 2021 class. After playing collegiately at Arizona and going No. 196 overall, the 6-foot-1, 218-pound back went on to appear in 37 games as a member of the New York Giants. Waived with the injury designation in May, Brightwell’s NFL run has included 41 carries for 164 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Out of the backfield, he has caught 11 passes for 92 yards.

Anderson, 25, was chosen by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2021 draft at No. 236 overall. The 6-foot-3, 314-pound former first-team All-Big 12 offensive lineman out of Texas Tech has made subsequent stops with the Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars. He has played in 15 career games, starting three, while seeing 228 snaps on offense and 60 snaps on special teams.

Panasiuk, 26, originally signed with the Las Vegas Raiders an undrafted free agent in 2020. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound former Michigan State defensive lineman would go on spend time on the practice squad and injured reserve of the Carolina Panthers. Later tansitioning to the interior offensive line with the St. Louis Battlehawks, he earned first-team All-UFL honors at center in June.

Johnson, 30, entered the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. The 6-foot-3, 316-pound Iowa Hawkeye has since logged stints with the Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans. A veteran of 86 games, including 25 starts, Johnson has recorded 149 tackles and 7.5 sacks while also having a hand in one forced fumble and two recoveries.

The Patriots move forward with an opening on the 90-man roster after waiving rookie linebacker Jontrey Hunter from the non-football injury list. The club carries an exemption for converted defensive end Jotham Russell, previously of Australian rugby, as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.

Veterans report for training camp on Tuesday. The first practice is scheduled for Wednesday at 11 a.m. ET.