When it comes to the nfl’s 30th-ranked offense, there’s certainly a need for improvement, but the new england patriots shouldn’t rush everyone home. The patriots would be wise to keep receiver kendrick bourne on board for a team that already lacks offensive weapons. The free agent-to-be was on target to reach a career year before suffering a season-ending achilles tear in week 8. Bourne finished the 2024 season with the second-highest receiving yards (406) among new england’s wide receivers despite missing nine games on injured reserve.
In 7.5 games, he had 37 tackles and four touchdowns. In back-to-back weeks against buffalo and miami, he made multiple tackles in all eight games and earned pay dirt. In 2023, only tight end hunter henry (6), a free agent, had more touchdown receptions than bourne. Juju smith-schuster, who signed a three-year contract worth $25.5 million last season, only found the end zone once and totaled 260 yards in his first go-round with the patriots. According to spotrac, bourne is coming off a three-year deal that paid him $15 million, and his price may remain reasonable due to his acl tear.
Although sixth-round rookie demario douglas displayed an exciting ability, the patriots’ passing game needs more than the 5-8 slot receiver. Bourne, 28, has both size and experience, which will only benefit the patriots’ 2024 starting quarterback, whoever it is. Although bourne never reached wr1 status, he was a good target with a 73.4 percent catch rate over three seasons. Bourne is expected to return to his 2021 form in 2021 when he set career records in receptions (55) and receiving yards (800). Both numbers came in second place on the team behind jakobi meyers, who has since left for the las vegas raiders.
During his first year as a patriot, bourne averaged 11.4 yards per target. Bourne, who spent his first four nfl seasons with the san francisco 49ers, was a college teammate of los angeles rams receiver cooper kupp at eastern washington. In 2017, he went undrafted.
