While the initial rush of free agency is behind us, the NFL Draft does nothing to slow down the rapid pace of roster shakeups in the NFL — especially for a rebuilding team like the New England Patriots.
There are plenty of players on the Pats' roster who survived free agency but are still long shots to make the team's 2025 roster. For a couple of them, the NFL Draft should be the final straw — their replacements will be drafted, and the team will be able to cut ties to free up more space for undrafted free agents or for poaching some players that other teams cut.
And then, of course, there's the potential that veterans get moved for draft picks as the team looks to stay young while maximizing their long-term upside.
That's why Jahlani Tavai and Kendrick Bourne could easily be on the move before the month is up.
Jahlani Tavai and Kendrick Bourne on Patriots Trade Block Heading Into NFL Draft
Both Tavai and Bourne exist in a bit of a grey area that doesn't serve rebuilding teams like the Patriots very well. They're old enough (Bourne is 29 and Tavai will turn 29 in September) that their upside is pretty much known at this point. They're not especially strong contributors. They're not long-time veterans who are crucial for shaping the locker room culture of a young team.
Their appeal is as reasonable veteran depth, which is something far more suited to a contender than to the Patriots. Plus, good teams often seem to believe their coaching staff can get more out of players like this than a struggling team can.
Tavai, especially, could have some other coaches enamored. Teams never seem to forget about pre-draft pedigree (Tavai was a second-round pick back in 2019), and an outstanding 2023 season may still have interest higher than it should be.
For the Patriots, Tavai's 2024 was weak enough (and enough in line with the first few years of his career) that there's not much reason to sit around and hope he can repeat it.
Bourne would only have a chance of netting a late-round pick, but even that is worthwhile at this point. He has struggled to stay healthy of late and has only topped 500 yards once in four seasons as a Patriot (his first, back in 2021).
The Patriots have a serious need for wide receivers, sure, but at this stage in the rebuilding process, a late-round rookie would have a lot more appeal than Bourne would. Is the rookie likely to be as good as Bourne? No. But if we just look at the upside (say, how likely would each be to make a Pro Bowl within the next five years?), it's easy to see why a rookie might be worth the gamble.
People tend to underrate the value of veterans on a rebuilding team, and the Patriots shouldn't just start shipping off everyone who is approaching 30 years old. But Bourne and Tavai are exactly the kind of players that hold more value on the trade market than they do on New England's roster.