Patriots Trade Candidate Gets Honest on Training Camp Battle

The New England Patriots will certainly have a whole lot of difficult decisions to make heading into the 2025 NFL season, and perhaps the toughest of them all will be choosing which wide receivers make the team.

The Patriots currently have 12 receivers competing for six or seven spots, so obviously, a bunch of guys will be either be getting traded or cut.

One of the most notable wide outs on the bubble is veteran Kendrick Bourne, who has been with New England since 2021, but has seen his production decline in recent years, thanks much in part to a torn ACL he suffered back in 2023.

Bourne was asked about the stiff wide receiver competition in training camp, and the always cheerful 30-year-old took an optimistic approach to the situation.

“It’s actually awesome. I think it’s better than it’s ever been, from my experience being here,” Bourne told reporters after practice. "I’m really enjoying it. You love to have the challenge. You love the environment of competition. It really brings the best out of you."

But will Bourne still feel this way if the Pats end up parting ways with him before Week 1?

The Eastern Washington product has long been viewed as a potential trade or cut candidate for the Patriots, but at this point, he may not have much trade value anymore. He caught just 28 passes for 305 yards and a touchdown last season, and he has not totaled 500 yards since his debut campaign in Foxborough. That year, he hauled in 55 receptions for 800 yards and five scores.

Bourne went undrafted and began his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017, where he spent four seasons before making his way to New England. The Pats actually signed Bourne to a three-year extension last offseason, but the Patriots have an out in his deal before the 2025 campaign begins.