The New England Patriots decided to cut ties with wide receiver Kendrick Bourne after he asked for his release in August. The Patriots felt they had enough depth at the WR position after several offseason additions, but some fans felt like the team made the move prematurely. That seems especially true after Bourne's performance in the San Francisco 49ers' 26-23 overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night.
Bourne reeled in 10 catches for 142 receiving yards (14.2 yards per catch), leading his fellow 49ers in both categories. Those are great numbers, and likely sting for Patriots fans. Especially since
Kendrick Bourne’s Week 5 Outing Proved NE Wrong
Not only was Bourne's Week 5 performance impressive, but it also dwarfed what some of the Patriots' current WRs have done this season. Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, and DeMario Douglas have combined for 14 catches with 85 receiving yards through four games, making some Pats fans wish Bourne was still patrolling Foxborough.
New England felt confident in their WR core and decided to release Bourne after his request, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. They were close to trading him to the Minnesota Vikings, but things fell through. They also asked him to take a pay cut, which he declined as well, leading to his eventually joining the 49ers.
The Pats didn't want to pay much to their receiver room outside of Stefon Diggs, and that's coming back to bite them after one month. Diggs leads the team in catches (19) and receiving yards (213), but has yet to find the end zone. Kayshon Boutte is the next receiver with the most receiving yards (165), but 103 of those yards came in Week 1. Since then, he has registered only 62 receiving yards.
The Patriots need their other WRs on the team to step it up. Bourne was never going to be a focal point of this passing attack, but he's a reliable veteran pass catcher who can step up if needed — at least better than New England's other options have so far. That's what happened on Thursday night, as the 49ers were without Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings, and Ricky Pearsall.
While this isn't what New England wanted or expected, that's the reality of the situation. Every receiver on this team, not named Diggs, hasn't been effective this season, and the team's ceiling will remain limited until someone else in the WR room steps up. Whether that change happens internally or with outside help, something has to give.
Different elements led to Bourne's departure from New England, but his play in Week 5 kind of proved that the Patriots were better off keeping him instead of parting ways.