The Patriots must re-sign Kendrick Bourne, who wants to return to New England.
The Patriots have reportedly been in contact with Vaughn. Kendrick Bourne wants to return to the New England Patriots.”I want to come back,” Bourne told ESPN’s Mike Reiss in an article published Sunday. “That’s my goal. I love being a patriot. It’s a very good environment for someone like me.”The Patriots will have to re-sign the veteran wide receiver, who is expected to become a free agent when the league year begins in March.
Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald reported in mid-January that the Patriots had “reached out” to Bourne.Vaughn was a breath of fresh air for the Patriots. He brought an energy that his teammates loved and a passion that even former coach Bill Belichick couldn’t match. As first-year coach Jerod Mayo tries to revitalize Belichick, Bourne could help. But Bourne’s contribution goes beyond energetic dance moves and media jokes.
The seven-year veteran has proven to be a legitimate contributor when given the opportunity. Was he the number one astronaut? may be. However, Bourne’s versatility and skill could make him a worthy addition to the top pick New England could land this offseason. He will likely come through the 2024 NFL Draft along with Marvin Harrison Jr. Leading the prospect pool or a wide group that includes free agents Ty Higgins, Mike Evans and Calvin Ridley.
Vaughn set career highs in receptions (55), yards (800) and touchdowns (5) in his debut season in New England in 2021. He looks to be on pace to break his career high in 2023 in despite a disappointing quarterback situation.
However, he suffered a season-ending torn ACL. Through eight games, Bourne has 37 catches for 406 yards and four touchdowns.Those numbers far exceed Bourne’s production in 2022, when he found himself in then-offensive coordinator Matt Patricia’s box and saw his playing time reduced. At the time, Patricia was probably the best striker. This decision was one of many examples of coaching mistakes that season. Bourne was delighted to move on to Bill O’Brien, who will join the 2023 campaign.”The change is good. I think that’s what we need,” Bourne said of the season.Unfortunately, a torn ACL ended Bourne’s season and O’Brien became a reliable target for Mack Jones. Vaughn’s continued rebuild will be one of the main arguments against renewing his contract. After all, paying a 28-year-old shortstop coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) isn’t the norm for the organization. And there’s probably a good reason for that. Because it proved that it takes time for running backs and receivers to return to their original form after injury.
Bourne said all the right things about his recovery. He told Reiss that he was ahead of his rehabilitation schedule and that he has a physical therapist who lives with him in Portland, Oregon. Vonn said she plans to be ready for the 2024 season opener after suffering the injury in October. 29.It will be interesting to see what Vaughn’s market looks like when he gets injured. New England currently has the third-highest cap hit ($69.9 million) going into the 2024 campaign. Vaughan was seen as a team-friendly deal when he signed ahead of the 2021 campaign. This three-year deal made Bourne the subject of many trade rumors.Bourne was unsigned at the time and is now hoping to get another run in New England. “I feel like something good is going to happen in this building and I want to be a part of it,” Bourne told Reiss.
