The Patriots brought in return specialist Devin Hester today for a tryout, a source tells Courtney Fallon of NFL Network (on Twitter). It’s not immediately clear whether they will sign him, however. 
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Hester, one of the greatest kick returners of all-time, was dropped by the Ravens on Tuesday. Despite his impressive resume, he had a few bad hiccups this year and his decision to not field a punt on Monday night resulted in a safety.
Hester may not be the player that he once was and he can no longer cover up his suspect decision-making with Olympic-level speed. However, the Patriots may still see him as an upgrade over their current options. Some time after Hester’s misstep, Matt Slater fumbled on a kick return and gave the Ravens the ball deep in the Pats’ territory. That quickly led to a Baltimore TD.
Hester was cut loose by Atlanta this offseason and hooked on with Baltimore after healing up from toe surgery. In 2014, he showed that he could still get the job done on the other side of 30. He earned his fourth career Pro Bowl nod as he returned 45 kicks for 1,128 yards and 18 punts for 240 yards.
It’s a little unfair to say that it was Hester’s decision not to field the punt resulted in a safety. It might have contributed, but the playcall on both sides, the men in the trenches, Dixon…they’re all equally to blame.