Tag: Kendrick Bourne

Patriots make decision on Kendrick Bourne’s roster status before cut deadline

Patriots make a decision on Kendrick Bourne

The New England Patriots are reportedly placing wide receiver Kendrick Bourne on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list to start the 2024 season, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.

This isn’t surprising considering Bourne has yet to be a full-participant in practice as he continues to work his way back to health from the torn ACL injury he suffered last season.

With this move, the veteran wideout will be ineligible for the first four regular season games for the Patriots.

Before going down with the injury, Bourne was the Patriots’ leading receiver. His numbers were on pace to far surpass his disappointing 2022 season as he racked up 37 receptions for 406 yards and four touchdowns in only eight game appearances.

The Patriots had three notable additions to the receiving corps in the offseason with rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, along with veteran K.J. Osborn.

There’s hope that all three can contribute right out of the gates. DeMario Douglas’ emergence as a top receiver should also give the unit a significant boost early in the season.

However, there’s no doubt that the Patriots are a much better football team when Bourne is on the field. His eventual return will be a great addition to an offense that needs all of the help it can get.

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Last year’s New England Patriots were the worst combination in pro sports: bad and boring. They ranked 30th in total offense, 28th in passing and tied for last in scoring. The result was a complete reset. Gone are long-time head coach Bill Belichick, and former first-round quarterback Mac Jones, who was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a late-round pick.

In their place are new head coach Jerod Mayo, who hired Alex Van Pelt as offensive coordinator, and the quarterback tandem of veteran Jacoby Brissett and No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye. Eliot Wolf took over the de facto GM role from Belichick, and he stated there’ll be “more reliance on playing young players” this season. So, what does that mean for passing game?

Patriots make five roster moves ahead of training camp

The Patriots made five roster moves on Tuesday

It was a busy Tuesday for the New England Patriots with media obligations and multiple roster moves a day before training camp officially opens.

Per ESPN’s Mike Reiss, the Patriots placed running back Antonio Gibson on the active/non-football injury list.

They also placed wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, center Jake Andrews, guard Cole Strange and linebacker Sione Takitaki on the active/physically unable to perform list.

Takitaki is recovering from a knee scope procedure, according to Reiss.

The situation with Gibson is the one to keep an eye on considering the Patriots were already coming into camp thin at the running back position.

They have Rhamondre Stevenson as their No. 1 option, but without Gibson, they are down to Kevin Harris as their top backup.

Will the Patriots keep things as is, or could they go out and sign a veteran player, like Leonard Fournette or Kareem Hunt, on the free agent market?

Given Stevenson’s injury history, it might be a move the Patriots’ front office should consider making.

Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne ruled out for spring practices

Don’t expect to see Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne participating in spring practices

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne is in attendance at voluntary organized team activities, but he has been ruled out for the team’s spring practices, per coach Jerod Mayo.

Bourne is still working his way back from the torn ACL he suffered last season. So it isn’t surprising that he wouldn’t be ready for spring work.

The team is hopeful to get him back on the field by the start of the season considering he was the leading receiver before going down with the injury. In eight game appearances, he had 37 receptions for 406 yards and four touchdowns.

That production came in one of the worst wide receivers rooms in the NFL.

The only offseason additions the Patriots made was signing veteran wideout K.J. Osborn and drafting rookies Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.

So this could be another year where the team is dependent on Bourne’s production, along with Demario Douglas, to be competitive.

WR Kendrick Bourne latest to criticize Patriots docuseries in defense of Bill Belichick

Add Kendrick Bourne to the growing list of players irked by the Patriots new docuseries’ portrayal of Bill Belichick

You can add wide receiver Kendrick Bourne to the growing list of New England Patriots, past and present, that were not a fan of “The Dynasty” docuseries.

Unlike some of the Patriots who have already commented, the wide receiver is a relatively new face to the organization. He joined the team in 2021 as a free agent and immediately made an impact. This past season was cut short by an ACL injury, but he is ready to make an impact once more, as the organization undergoes a major transition.

The wideout got to see first-hand what former Patriots coach Bill Belichick was like behind the scenes. He also got to see the documentary and did not approve of the way it portrayed his former coach, as he told Boston.com’s Khari Thompson.

“I think it’s awful too, honestly. It’s just a lot. It made Bill look bad and I love Bill. I love everything he stood for,” said Bourne. “It was just kind of crazy how it made him look and it seemed like a lot of misunderstanding and confusion that was going on. I enjoyed seeing the history and learning about the history. It’s always dope to learn about history. But, they tried to swing it one way or the other and it didn’t have to be like that.

“I was kind of on the fence about it because I love the history part, but I hate how they made Bill Belichick look. I hate how they tried to make it look divided. I think every team goes through that, but when you’re a dynasty and you win a lot people still try to discredit it.”

The docuseries has caused division amongst the Patriots fan base as well, with some blaming owner Robert Kraft and others still pointing to Belichick.

Whatever the docuseries set out to accomplish, it has certainly gotten the attention of players and fans alike. That being said, the attention hasn’t been the best kind.

Kendrick Bourne explains why Brandon Aiyuk fits in Patriots offense

Kendrick Bourne isn’t giving up on pitching for the Patriots to trade for 49ers WR Brandon Aiyuk

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has been steadfast in his pursuit of former teammate and current San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.

He doubled down on his want for Aiyuk to join the New England Patriots in an interview with Boston.com’s Khari Thompson.

“I want [Brandon] Aiyuk. He’s my guy, and I think he’ll fit in,” said Bourne. “Just being a one-on-one receiver at X. He can take a whole half of the field and dominate and create a lot of attention for himself. That’s big in our offense, the X receiver?”

Aiyuk would undoubtedly give New England a top-tier receiver. He is coming off a season that saw him record 76 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns. The price tag will reportedly be steep for him but it would give New England a true top weapon.

Bourne has been trying to recruit Aiyuk on social media over this past month, and he obviously isn’t abandoning those efforts. It remains to be seen if this move will actually come to fruition.

Nevertheless, it would be fun to see the receiver in a Patriots uniform

Kendrick Bourne continuing to recruit Brandon Aiyuk to Patriots

Kendrick Bourne is pulling out all of the stops to recruit Brandon Aiyuk to New England

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne has already tried recruiting San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk to the Patriots. However, Bourne ramped up his recruitment over the weekend.

There was an initial report that Aiyuk requested a trade from the 49ers. However, the wide receiver’s agent shut down the report. There have been rumors surrounding the wide receiver ever since the beginning of this off-season, and he has been linked as a player the Patriots could potentially show interest in, if the 49ers are willing to trade him.

Aiyuk could provide a spark to the Patriots’ passing game. He tallied 75 catches for 1,342 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He would immediately become New England’s top wide receiver, and he would give them that playmaking weapon they have been missing over the years.

In the meantime, Bourne has been hard at work trying his best to recruit the wideout.

It may seem like a bit of a longshot, especially given New England’s offseason strategy and trends to this point. Nevertheless, the draft is coming up. The organization has the draft capital to make something big happen.

Now, it’s up to them to seize the opportunity.

WR Kendrick Bourne praises approach of Patriots’ new front office

Kendrick Bourne had positive reviews of how the Patriots’ new front office is being run

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne had a glowing review of de facto general manager Eliot Wolf in a recent interview. The veteran wide receiver praised Wolf for his fairness and ability to connect with the players.

Bourne has seen it all as a member of the Patriots.

He first came to the organization in 2021 and was an immediate impact player. He tallied 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns in his first season.

In 2023, he was leading the team in receiving yards until a knee injury brought an early end to his year. But after signing a new three-year, $19.5 million extension, he figures to be a major part of the offense once again in 2024.

The wideout spoke with the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan about the differences between Wolf and the previous regime.

“He’s just treating everybody fairly, giving everybody opportunity,” said Bourne, when appearing on the “Pats Interference Football Podcast.” “Bringing guys in, not just because, you know—you drop a pass and you don’t get an opportunity next week. I think he’s going to help and try to understand. They have their own meetings, but I think they’re going to have people get the opportunities they deserve.

“Not having them prove it every single day, every single week. We are going to struggle. Everybody is up and down. One week, you might have a great week. One week, you might not. But I think he’s going to believe in us in a different way than it has been in the past.”

There has been a ton of talk in regards to how this particular Patriots front office will run things differently from Bill Belichick, and how the vibe itself will be different.

It seems as though the players are buying into that sentiment as well.

Rumored Bills free agent target Kendrick Bourne re-signs with Patriots

Rumored #Bills free agent target Kendrick Bourne re-signs with #Patriots:

Kendrick Bourne to the Buffalo Bills is no more.

Bourne was a rumored to be a potential target for the Bills this week as free agency opens in the NFL. However, Bourne has decided to stay put.

According to Patriots Wire, Bourne inked a three-year, $19.5 million deal in New England.

Bourne is coming off of an ACL injury. He recently said to NFL Network he’s expecting to be ready by the 2024 season opener. Bourne also expressed a desire to return to New England in that same interview so it’s not shocking to see him back with the Pats.

Prior to injury, the 28-year-old caught 37 passes for 406 yards and four touchdowns in eight games last season. His best season came in 2021 in New England, where Bourne had 55 catches for 800 yards with five touchdowns.

Before playing in New England, Bourne spent the first four years of his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners signed him as an undrafted rookie following the 2017 NFL draft.

Follow Bills Wire’s free agency tracker for all updates throughout the coming days.

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Kendrick Bourne posts first comments after re-signing with Patriots

Patriots WR Kendrick Bourne is hyped about returning to New England

The New England Patriots agreed to a new deal with wide receiver Kendrick Bourne on Sunday evening, and the wide receiver tweeted his excitement on Sunday night.

Bourne is looking to bounce back this season, after missing much of 2023 with a torn right ACL. He had 37 receptions for 406 yards and four touchdowns in eight games.

New England has now locked up one of their most productive receivers in the process, as they look to rebuild the offense. Bourne is one of the few holdovers from the 2021 free agent class, and now he will look to get back on track with the Patriots.

New England still has a lot of work to do with the legal tampering period starting at noon on Monday, before free agency officially kicks off on Wednesday.

Locking up one of the team’s most dependable and consistent receivers is certainly a good start.