Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower could miss the majority of training camp as he recovers from shoulder surgery, and fellow linebacker Jerod Mayo is still recovering from a torn patella tendon suffered in Week 6 of last season.
Though the Patriots don't use all that many middle linebackers -- Hightower and Jamie Collins played the majority of the snaps in the middle last season while the team often opted to use four defensive linemen and five defensive backs -- they could afford to add some depth at that spot.
According to Field Yates and Todd Archer of ESPN, Bill Belichick's club was scheduled to get a closer look at former Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain during a visit to the team's facilities on Monday.
The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder has had a bumpy five-year career. He was drafted out of Alabama by the Raiders in the first round of the 2010 draft, and then walked away from the game in 2013. After one season out of football, he joined the Cowboys and hit the ground running. He played more snaps at linebacker than anyone on the Dallas roster (654) making 81 tackles, one sack and two picks.
McClain is facing a four-game fine for violating the league's substance-abuse policy. He could be suspended for four games if he were to fail another drug test.
Aside from Mayo, Hightower and Collins, the following players on the Patriots roster are listed as linebackers: Deontae Skinner, Darius Fleming, Cameron Gordon, James Morris, Chris White, Jonathan Freeny and Eric Martin.