University of Buffalo running back James Starks is scheduled for a private workout with the Patriots on Friday. Starks touched on the workout on NFLDraftBible.com.
A bigger back at 6-foot-1, 218 pounds, Starks is projected as a third-day draft choice (rounds 4-7). He attended the NFL combine last month after missing the entire 2009 season with a shoulder injury.
A private workout doesn’t necessarily indicate that a team is interested, but it is part of the pre-draft process of gathering information.
The Patriots have Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Laurence Maroney and BenJarvus Green-Ellis under contract at running back, and it’s widely assumed that Kevin Faulk will return as well. Given the older makeup of the group, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Patriots draft a running back this year and Starks will at least be a name to keep on the radar.