Former Falcons defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman worked out for the Patriots on Wednesday, according to the league’s transaction wire. This marks the first workout of the offseason for the free agent. 
Hageman was arrested on domestic violence charges in 2016 and teams have been keeping their distance from him ever since. Last year, Hageman was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list prior to the start of the season and the Falcons subsequently waived him. After that, he was hit with a six-week suspension by the league, a ban which he fulfilled as a free agent.
The Seahawks expressed interest in Hageman last month, but things didn’t really develop beyond that point. The Pats are the first team to bring him in for an audition this spring.
Hageman was a second-round pick in 2014 after he put together an impressive highlight reel at the University of Minnesota. Before he was let go by the Falcons, team coaches were reportedly enamored with his progress.
The Patriots will have to take a deep look into his situation before getting into business with him, but Hageman could be a low-cost and potentially high reward signing for them. The Patriots have Lawrence Guy, Danny Shelton, and Malcom Brown in their defensive tackle rotation, but Hageman would give them another talented option in the mix.
Hageman appeared in 44 of Atlanta’s 48 regular-season games during his time there with 15 total starts. The majority of his work came in 2015, when he tallied career highs in starts (11), defensive snaps (419) and tackles (27).