The New England Patriots entered this offseason desperately needing talent on both sides of the ball after finishing another season with a 4-13 record. Their biggest area of need was on the offensive side, specifically at offensive line and wide receiver, as Drake Maye showcased his franchise quarterback play on a struggling offense.
The Patriots ended up making some big swings early, but not on offense, by signing some of the big-name defensive free agents, including Milton Williams, Carlton Davis III, Harold Landry III, and Robert Spillane. Although they made an emphasis on improving their defense, they still managed to acquire offensive players, signing Stefon Diggs, Mack Hollins, and Morgan Moses.
While they garnered praise from Patriots fans for their additions, they shocked fans by releasing two fan-favorite players, David Andrews and Ja’Whaun Bentley, both of whom were captains and two of the three Patriots that remained from the teams’ last Super Bowl win.
With the draft just a few weeks away and the team still needing to make upgrades at both left tackle and wide receiver, the Patriots could release another fan favorite, Kendrick Bourne, as the Patriots enter a new era.
Kendrick Bourne’s Future Hanging by a Thread
Ever since he signed with the Patriots in 2021, Kendrick Bourne has been adored by Patriots fans for his positive energy and big-time plays. Even though his tenure has been plagued with ups and downs from his first-year success, Matt Patricia running the offense in 2022, and his ACL injury, Bourne has shown nothing but love for the Patriots and their fans, re-signing with the team last offseason.
This love fest could soon come to an end with the Patriots signings of Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins, along with the potential of drafting a wide receiver in the draft. Bourne, who’ll be 30 at the start of next season, is one of the ten players in the Patriots receiver room and the team will be making cuts to it sooner or later.
Bourne, coming back from ACL surgery, wasn’t productive last season, posting 28 catches, 305 yards, and one touchdown in 12 games. Although receivers are better in their second year post-surgery, Bourne wasn’t able to produce for one of the worst offenses in the league last year.
Looking at the current direction of the Patriots, they want to build a team around Drake Maye and develop their young players. Two of their young receivers, Javon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk, were both drafted with the hopes of making big impacts. While they both made very little impact and were hardly on the field, the team may want to give them more snaps to see what they have with them.
When Bourne is healthy he’s easily one of the better receivers on the team, but with depth in this year’s draft for wide receivers, the direction of the team, and their willingness to cut valuable pieces means there’s a possibility he could be next.