Last season, a number of NFL entrance places of work known as the Patriots with commerce curiosity in Kendrick Bourne.
According to The Athletic, these calls continued earlier than the beginning of this season. The Pats declined.
But after Bourne starred in Sunday’s loss at Las Vegas, which dropped the Patriots to 1-5, it’s truthful to wonder if Bill Belichick may change his thoughts.
Bourne, who’s taking part in out the ultimate yr of a team-friendly contract, represents one of many Patriots’ few clear and apparent property. He caught a game-high 10 passes on 11 targets for 89 yards versus the Raiders. On the season, Bourne leads the staff in each classes by a large margin and is tied for the staff lead with two touchdowns.
Through six video games, he’s on tempo for 79 catches, 870 yards and 6 touchdowns, all would-be profession bests. Bourne can play contained in the slot and out of doors the numbers. The Pats have three younger receivers, rookies Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte and 2022 second-round choose Tyquan Thornton, ready behind him. Veterans DeVante Parker and JuJu Smith-Schuster are additionally on the roster.
Losing Bourne would clearly harm an already league-worst offense. But the Patriots are 1-5, with a bevy of issues, together with accidents to their greatest gamers (Matt Judon and Christian Gonzalez), their quarterback play and offensive line. The staff’s playoff aspirations are successfully shot.
With greater than half the common season to go, the Patriots at the moment sit sixth within the 2024 NFL Draft order. They’re slated as 9-point house underdogs versus the Bills this weekend, and are scheduled to journey to Miami on Oct. 29, when they need to be double-digit ‘canines of their final recreation earlier than the commerce deadline.
Meanwhile, after being benched to start out final season, when he set profession lows in most statistical classes and performed 42% of the staff’s offensive snaps, Bourne has efficiently rehabbed his standing in New England.
“Yeah, (Bourne)’s done a good job for us all year, not just yesterday,” Belichick stated Monday morning on WEEI. “Getting open, with the ball in his hands, after the catch. He’s shown some good run skills, and the ball security’s been much better this year.”
The Patriots could be promoting excessive in any commerce. Shipping Bourne out greater than every week earlier than the deadline would additionally enable them to dictate phrases earlier than one other wideout (like Raiders’ slot receiver Hunter Renfrow) will get dealt, and that commerce units the framework for his or her deal. Bourne ought to fetch a strong draft choose that would expedite a doable rebuild.
As for Bourne, he deflected credit score after Sunday’s loss, saying: “It’s not just me. It’s everybody being on the same page. So, I think we’re doing a good job of making plays. We need to make the plays when we need them.”
Whether that’s with the Patriots or one other staff, solely time will inform.
Source: www.bostonherald.com