New England Patriots: 3 biggest disappointments during training camp

The New England Patriots are officially gearing up for their 2022 Week 1 opener against the Miami Dolphins. After a thoroughly surprising 2021 campaign that resulted in New England earning a playoff spot, the Pats are hoping that they will be able to build off of that strong season in 2022.

Expectations are higher than they were last season, so it was strange to see the team labor through an uneven training camp period. There were some big disappointments throughout camp, which was reflected in Bill Belichick’s crafting of the team’s 53-man roster. With training camp now in the rearview mirror, let’s look at the three biggest disappointments from the Pats camp.

New England Patriots disappointment No. 3: Kendrick Bourne’s struggles

Kendrick Bourne was one of the stars of the 2021 season. Whereas some new folks on the offense, such as Jonnu Smith and Nelson Agholor, struggled, Bourne immediately formed a solid rapport with Mac Jones under center. Bourne turned that into the best season of his career, and everyone figured he would play a huge role in the offensed yet again in 2022.

For whatever reason, though, Bourne struggled mightily throughout training camp. He figured to be right alongside Jakobi Meyers and DeVante Parker as Jones’ top targets, but he may have ended up falling behind Agholor after he put together a strong camp himself. Bourne never seemed to get in any sort of rhythm, and it left the Patriots and their fans wondering what happened.

Bourne still figures to play a big role in the offense, but he could quickly get boxed out of a starting role if he continues to struggle. Bourne’s training camp struggles are worrying, but they aren’t the final nail in the coffin, and there’s still time for the talented wideout to turn things around. But it’s clear his 2022 season didn’t get off to a strong start.