The Patriots stayed busy over the weekend, getting a jump on the start of the tampering period by reportedly locking up another one of their pending free-agent offensive pieces. Adam Schefter reports that the team will retain the services of receiver Kendrick Bourne on a three-year deal, worth up to $33 million.
The move comes on the heels of a Friday report that the team also locked up tight end Hunter Henry on a three-year deal as well.
Bourne was off to a hot start with the Pats in his third season in New England after signing with the team in 2021, easily on pace to break career highs with four touchdowns and 36 catches through eight games before tearing his ACL against the Dolphins in Week 8. That was just two weeks after setting a career-high of 10 catches against the Raiders.
Bourne was an early bright spot for an offense that didn't have many bright spots in 2024. For all the ups and downs of his last two seasons, the seven-year vet stayed consistent with an upbeat attitude. He will certainly be welcomed back into the locker room, especially in conjunction with captain Hunter Henry's re-signing.
Bourne had previously hinted this offseason that he would welcome a return to New England despite a turbulent two seasons for the offense overall. After a down 2022 with just 35 catches total, Bourne bounced back in 2023, showing renewed playmaking ability, while continuing to bring positive energy off the field.
His run-after-catch ability is his bread and butter, but Bourne is an underrated contested catch receiver as well. He could need a bit of time to get back up to full speed after the injury, but his impact off the field will be immediate.
For now, the Patriots receiver depth chart looks nearly identical to 2023's, but these initial moves are only a precursor for what should be an exciting week of activity as the team gets ready to tap the external free agency market.
Even with Bourne and Henry back in the mix and Chukwuma Okorafor added along the line, the Patriots still have a long way to go toward upgrading their offense. These internal moves solidify the depth at some of their biggest positional needs but there should be even bigger moves coming later this week that will only allow the team to build off of what they've already established with Henry and Bourne.
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