Patriots reportedly turned down trade calls for veteran WR

The Patriots weren’t budging on trade calls for Kendrick Bourne.

The New England Patriots reportedly turned down calls from teams seeking to trade for veteran wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, ahead of Tuesday’s 53-man roster deadline.

New England is not interested in trading the wide receiver, according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.

Bourne is looking for a bounce-back season after recording 35 catches for 434 yards and a touchdown in 2022. He didn’t receive a ton of playing time last season, and his numbers dipped from 2021.

The 2021 season proved to be more fruitful, as he tallied a career-high 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns. He was one of quarterback Mac Jones’ favorite targets, and it looked as though the quarterback and receiver had built a strong rapport.

Bourne could have another big year in the offense with Bill O’Brien leading the charge as the new offensive coordinator. A return to form for Bourne would be huge for an offensive unit looking to take flight in 2023.

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