New England Patriots

Bourne tries to recruit Rams star WR Cooper Kupp on social media

Kupp is still a productive player at age 31.

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The New England Patriots desperately need a No. 1 wide receiver, and Kendrick Bourne is doing his best to recruit that kind of talent to Foxboro.

Bourne had a message for 2025 free agent wide receiver Tee Higgins earlier this month, when during a TikTok video, he said, "Aye, Tee Higgins. If you out thereโ€ฆ come to the Pats, bro. It ain't what it seems, bro. It's going to be lit. Drake Maye and Tee Higgins, touchdown. Look how good that sound. Drake Maye, Tee Higgins, touchdown. Look how good that sound."

Bourne was back at it Tuesday, this time with a message for Los Angeles Rams wideout Cooper Kupp. The Patriots wide receiver quote tweeted a post on X that shared Kupp's recent comments to reporters about his future in Los Angeles.

Bourne and Kupp know each other well. They were teammates at Eastern Washington from 2013 through 2016.

Kupp is under contract with the Rams for two more seasons, but he's also 31 years old and has missed 18 games over the last three seasons due to injury. His salary cap hit for 2025 is just under $30 million, which is a lot.

If the Rams traded him before June 1, they would have a dead cap hit of $17.6 million for Kupp in 2025, which would be a savings of around $12.52 million, per Spotrac. If the Rams released him before March 16, they'd save $7.52 million in cap space, and they'd save $5.02 million in cap space if he was released between March 16 and June 1, per Spotrac.

Kupp, when healthy, is still a very productive player. The Patriots found out first hand in Week 11 when the veteran wideout dominated their secondary with six receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-22 Rams win at Gillette Stadium.

If the Patriots are going to make a major wide receiver addition during the offseason, targeting a player younger than Kupp would be ideal. Higgins, for example, is only 26 years old.

But Kupp is a heck of a lot better than any wideout currently on the Patriots depth chart and would instantly upgrade that position. There aren't many wide receivers who are more dependable in important situations than Kupp.

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