The New England Patriots' wide receiver depth chart could have a few new players entering the 2024 NFL season.
The draft is loaded with impressive wideout prospects, and the Patriots have two picks in the top 34. The list of free agent wide receivers is strong, too, including guys like Michael Pittman Jr., Tee Higgins, Mike Evans, Calvin Ridley and many others.
One familiar face who hopes to stick around is Kendrick Bourne.
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The 28-year-old veteran is able to become an unrestricted free agent in March, but if it was up to him, he wouldn't be changing teams this offseason.
"I want to come back [to New England]. That is a goal of mine. I love being a Patriot -- it's a great environment for a person like me," Bourne told ESPN's Mike Reiss in a story published Sunday. "Being a Patriot helped me grow into the player I am today. I'm thankful for the organization, but you never know. I've been in free agency before and I didn't know what would happen. And I don't know now."
Bourne credits the Patriots for helping him become a better person since he signed with the franchise as a free agent in 2021. He also sounds optimistic about the team's future.
"In 2021, I had my best year [55 receptions, 800 yards, 5 TDs]. In 2022, I struggled," Bourne told Reiss. "Then last year I was on my way to having my best year and made a lot of changes in my life -- I became a better man, a better football player, being married, just my mindset. The Patriots were a big part of that and I don't ever want to take that for granted," he said.
"These last two years were rebuilding, so I don't want to miss the time when you may be coming back, the good wave. It was rough but you never know where it could go. I feel like something good is coming in that building and I want to be part of it."
Bourne played just eight games for the Patriots in 2023 because he suffered a season-ending ACL tear in a Week 8 loss to the Miami Dolphins. He tallied 37 receptions for 406 yards and four touchdowns. He was on pace to break his previous highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns as a member of the Patriots.
- 2021: 17 GP, 55 Rec, 800 Yards, 5 TD
- 2022: 16 GP, 35 Rec, 434 Yards, 1 TD
- 2023: 8 GP, 37 Rec, 406 Yards, 4 TD
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The Patriots were unable to overcome the loss of Bourne. DeMario Douglas played well as a rookie, but many veteran wideouts -- most notably JuJu Smith-Schuster and DeVante Parker -- underwhelmed for most of the campaign.
Bringing back Bourne makes a lot of sense for the Patriots. When healthy, he is a dependable player. He also wants to be here, which is huge for the Patriots because they're nowhere near the type of destination they used to be. Another factor is he wouldn't be as expensive to sign as many of the other top veteran wide receivers able to hit free agency.
Re-signing Bourne wouldn't be enough to vault the Patriots' wide receiver depth chart into the top half of the league, though. They still need to draft a receiver in the early rounds and/or sign one of the top-five free agents at the position. But getting Bourne back would be a good start to that process.