Patriots Could Part Ways With Veteran WR

The New England Patriots could ultimately part ways with one of their most disappointing weapons this NFL offseason.

Aug 26, 2022; Paradise, Nevada, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) is tackled by Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Sam Webb (48) in the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots almost surely had the worst group of weapons in the NFL this past season, which makes it even more of a miracle that Drake Maye played as well as he did. It also bodes pretty well for the Patriots' future.

But of course, that's only if New England goes out and puts the necessary pieces around Maye to succeed going forward, because he doesn't have that right now.

Last offseason, the Pats signed wide receiver Kendrick Bourne to a three-year contract extension, hoping he would provide some much-needed veteran stability to the Patriots' receiving corps. This even though that Bourne was coming off of a torn ACL.

Needless to say, the 29-year-old did not make much of an impact in 2024, catching 28 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown in 12 games.

The problem is that Bourne still has two years remaining on his deal and carries cap hits of $7.9 million in 2025 and 2026. That may not sound like a lot, but for a player who isn't producing, it's definitely a waste of money.

That's why Michael Ginnitti of Spotrac has dubbed Bourne the most likely New England player to be released this offseason.

"Bourne’s 2024 got off to a slow start as he recovered from an ACL injury, and he never really found his footing in Drake Maye’s offense," Ginnitti wrote. "That’s not to say that a full offseason can’t change that, but plenty of changes are coming to the offensive weapons this winter, so a bit of a 'clean sweep' could make total sense. The Patriots can free up $5.1M of cap by on from the remaining 2 years, $13M left on Bourne’s deal."

The Pats already have a ton of cap room, yes, but clearing more money never hurts, and the Patriots may have an entirely different looking receiver room next season, anyway.

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