The talent level among the wide receivers for the New England Patriots can certainly be debated. It can be argued that Stefon Diggs is a true No. 1 pass-catcher, or the case could be made that he is a shell of his old self and an average WR2, at best. It can be argued that Kyle Williams will be the best rookie receiver, or that he will eventually show why he was still on the board in the third round.
Also, it could be argued that Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker have shown enough in camp to warrant keeping the second-year pair around, or it could be argued that the “bust” train has already left the station on them.
You can say the Patriots are loaded at receiver. Or you can say the Patriots have mediocre receivers, and a lot of them.
What can’t be argued, though, is that the Patriots have a surplus of wide receivers, and someone is going to have to get the axe when cuts are made in just four weeks. According to the latest projection from MassLive, that someone will be well-liked veteran Kendrick Bourne.
Patriots Deep at WR
In his latest look at the Patriots’ potential 53-man roster, beat writer Mark Daniels says the that upside on Polk and Baker will allow them to keep their spots and cost the much-respected Bourne his job.
Daniels has the four surefire receivers on the roster–Diggs, Williams, signee Mack Hollins and slot man Pop Douglas–and allows for the team to carry seven, which is a hefty number in that room for any NFL team. Kayshon Boutte has been working with the first-teamers, and as things stand, he appears to be a player the Patriots will use in 2025.
Those last three spots get tricky, though.
Kendrick Bourne Odd Man Out?
Here’s what Daniels wrote in naming his cuts (Kendrick Bourne, Efton Chism III, John Jiles, Isaiah Webb):
“The Patriots have too many receivers on this 90-man roster. They might only keep six. In this exercise, Polk and Baker make it due to their potential. Bourne is a great locker room presence and a tough cut, but he’s been mostly working with the second team this summer.”
Bourne suffered a torn ACL in Week 8 of the 2023 season, but came back last year in October and finished the season with 28 catches and 305 yards, in 12 games. He has a $7.7 million cap hit in 2025, but a $2.8 million dead cap hit if he is waived. The Patriots could, too, seek to trade him.
Patriots Will Be Without Bourne at Practice
One thing working in Bourne’s favor is that he has a good connection with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. His best year in the NFL came in the one season they worked together, in 2021, when Bourne made 55 catches for 800 yards and five touchdowns.
It is true that Bourne has been working with the second unit, but that could be an indication that the Patriots know what they have with Bourne and are instead looking closely at players like Boutte and Williams.
Bourne won’t get much of a chance to prove his worth this week, though. As ESPN’s Mike Reiss reports: “Mike Vrabel says WR Kendrick Bourne was rolled up on in the Friday scrimmage and doesn’t expect to see him this week.”
