The 49ers are going to lose a key member of their receiving corps. Kendrick Bourne is headed to the New England Patriots on a three-year deal worth $22.5 million according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
San Francisco signed Bourne out of Eastern Washington in 2017 as an undrafted rookie. He contributed some in his first year with 16 catches for 257 yards in 11 games, but he broke out as a bonafide NFL receiver the following year.
The 49ers struggled with injuries at receiver and it pushed Bourne into a leading role on a banged up San Francisco club that was missing its starting quarterback for most of the year. He posted a team-high 487 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 42 receptions.
From there he carved out a niche as a reliable third-down and red zone option for the 49ers. Of his 79 catches in his final two years with the team, 58 of them went for either a first down or a touchdown, including 23 of 30 in the 2019 season.
For his career, Bourne has hauled in 137 of 218 targets for 1,769 yards and 11 touchdowns. On a weapon-needy team like New England, Bourne should quickly find a role as a go-to possession receiver if pushed into the No. 1 or No. 2 pass-catcher role.