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The Patriots work out free agent players throughout the season in order to have an idea of who would fit their needs in the event of an injury or other absence for a player, so reading much more into any visits than due diligence is usually unwise.

In some cases, though, it feels like the Patriots might be taking a proactive approach to solving a potential problem. Wednesday may be one of those days.

Mike Reiss of ESPN.com reports that the team is working out kickers on Wednesday. That comes after a three-week stretch that has seen Stephen Gostkowski miss four extra points and a field goal, which makes it feel more than coincidental that this is the time they’ve picked to see who is available on the open market.

Gostkowski missed six kicks last regular season and he’s only missed more than that over the course of a year once in his career, so a shaky quarter-season isn’t likely to end his long run in New England. Should a rough three weeks extend much longer, however, the question could resurface.