New England Patriots: Kendrick Bourne has gone from darling to doghouse

What in the world is going on with New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne?

In the latest saga of the mysteries of Foxborough, Bourne has suddenly gone from an offensive weapon of impact to a player suddenly rumored as a trade candidate prior to the 2022 NFL season seemingly overnight.  Where did this all come from?

Well perhaps the writing was or is on the wall if you are someone who paid attention to the activities or lack thereof during training camp.  Or maybe it’s just a media driven overreaction.

Whatever it is, Bourne is a player to watch going forward because he is one of the few offensive weapons who established a real connection with Mac Jones on the field.  With 55 receptions for 800 yards and a touchdown in the 2021 season, Bourne’s second season in New England forecast to be even better.

But a quiet training camp low-lighted by a couple of issues during the team’s joint practices with the Carolina Panthers last week led to Bourne’s curious absence on the sidelines during last Friday night’s preseason game against those same Panthers.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick mum on Kendrick Bourne’s mysterious absence

Following the game when asked about Bourne, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told the media that Bourne simply “wasn’t available”.  Anyone who knows Belichick knows there is typically something more behind the lack of words Belichick offers about an important player.

So, what’s the deal? Or is there a deal brewing involving Bourne?

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Patriots Insider Phil Perry pretty much solidified that something deeper is going on between the New England Patriots and Bourne during an appearance on NBC Sports Boston’s Early Edition revealing that teams have called about Bourne.

"“I have spoken to enough people in and around the team to be able to feel confidently that the team likes his contract quite a bit,” Perry said during the broadcast.  “Because if you look at it for a starting caliber receiver, it is very cost-effective.“If you were to trade him, I think teams would covet him, no questions asked.  Does that maybe make him expendable?  Because I know receiver-needy teams have been calling the Patriots about potentially making a deal.”"

Prior to this offseason, the Patriots were one of those receiver-needly teams, but after drafting Tyquan Thornton in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft and trading for DeVante Parker, the Patriots suddenly have some depth at the position, especially with players like Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Tre Nixon taking strides to make the roster.  There is also the re-emergence of Nelson Agholor, who was the receiver involved in trade rumors this offseason.

While Bourne, who is entering the second year of a three-year, $15 million contract, was back on the practice field Monday, there’s an element to this that smells like a contract situation.  This is not from the New England Patriots half, as Perry spelled out that the team is happy with the contract, but perhaps Bourne feels his value has increased.

It also could be that Bourne sees his importance in the offense being decreased with the infusion of Parker in the offense.  Hopefully Belichick will get this figured out without trading Bourne because he is a player made for Mac Jones and this offense.