WEEI.com has confirmed a report the Patriots worked out Florida State linebacker Derek Nicholson earlier this month. Nicholson, a 6-foot-2, 233-pounder, was the Seminoles leading tackler last season. The North Carolina native is known for his durability, as he started every FSU game the last two years, and statistically, was one of the most consistent defenders on the team, leading the team in tackles the last two seasons. His bloodlines would certainly qualify him for a spot in the National Football League — his father Darrell was a linebacker with the Giants, while his brother A.J. was taken in the fifth round of the 2006 draft by Cincinnati.