While the Patriots have yet to make a big splash free agent waters, there is still plenty of work going on in the background at Gillette Stadium. After meeting with free agent running back Sammy Morris over the weekend, the team hosted unrestricted free agent safety Scott McGarrahan on Monday.

The 6-1, 200-pound safety played in 16 games (two starts) as mostly a sub-package defensive back for the Tennessee Titans last season. He finished the year with 27 tackles, one sack and two passes defensed. McGarrahan is also a valuable special teams contributor, as he led the Titans with 24 special teams tackles in 2003.

"It's nice to have teams interested in you," McGarrahan's agent Brett Tessler said of his client. "It's a testament to the season Scott had last year with the Titans."

Tessler also believes that McGarrahan's combination of skills as a hard-working defensive contributor and special teams performer could make him a good fit in New England.

"He is the exact kind of guy that the Patriots have used in the past to win Super Bowls," Tessler said.

McGarrhan was originally drafted by Green Bay in the sixth round of the 1998 NFL draft, finishing his college career at New Mexico as a three-year starter where he totaled 316 tackles, three interceptions and five sacks and earned first-team All-WAC recognition as a senior. In 90 career games over six NFL seasons with the Packers (3), Dolphins (2) and Titans McGarrahan has tallied 42 tackles, 2.5 sacks and four passes defensed, while adding 80 special teams stops.

McGarrahan could fill the role of backup safety and special teams player that Chris Akins held in New England in 2003. Akins signed with the Dolphins as a free agent over the weekend.

McGarrahan moved on to Tampa for a free agent visit with the Buccaneers on Tuesday.

Notes

Free agent offensive linemen Mike Compton signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday. Compton spent the last three seasons in New England, starting all 16 games in 2001 and 2002, but played in just two games in 2003 before ending the year on injured reserve with a broken foot. … According to The Tennessean free agent quarterback Damon Huard arrived in Tennessee on Monday night for a visit with the Titans about the team's open spot as backup quarterback to Steve McNair.