NFL Free Agency: New England Patriots sign WR Kendrick Bourne
The New England Patriots added another piece to their wide receiver group by adding Kendrick Bourne on Monday. New England signed Kendrick Bourne to a three-year, $22.5 million contract on Monday. Kendrick Bourne has spent the last four years of his career with the San Francisco 49ers.
During his four years with the 49ers, Kendrick Bourne appeared in 58 games and started 13 games. The New England Patriots spent $48 million on wide receivers on Monday between Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor. Kendrick Bourne was not a stand out wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers but he will have a shot to prove himself with New England in 2021.
Let's take a look at how Kendrick Bourne fits into the New England Patriots offense during the 2021-2022 NFL season.
NFL Free Agency: How does Kendrick Bourne fit into the New England Patriots offense in 2021?
If any other NFL franchise spent five-years and $48 million on Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne they would've been crucified by critics. This shows how desperate the New England Patriots are at the wide receiver position. New England finished the 2020 NFL season ranked 30th in the NFL in passing offense.
The New England Patriots were tied for last in receiving touchdowns in the NFL with the New York Giants. New England Patriots were led by running back Rex Burkhead in receiving touchdowns in 2020. Both the New York Giants and New England Patriots finished the 2020-2021 NFL season with 12 receiving touchdowns.
Kendrick Bourne posted a career high in targets, receptions, and receiving yards during the 2020 NFL season. He has seen a drop in touchdowns, but the 49ers struggled with injuries at quarterback. Bourne caught 66.2% of the passes that were thrown to him during the 2020-2021 NFL season.
Kendrick Bourne's 2020-2021 NFL season Stats
-- Targets: 74
-- Receptions: 49
-- Receiving yards: 667 yards
-- Touchdowns: 2
Kendrick Bourne fits in with a young group of wide receivers for the New England Patriots. The Patriots are going to have a ton of speed at the wide receiver position this season.
Bourne will be the third or fourth option on the depth chart for Cam Newton. The New England Patriots wide receiver group will consist of Julian Edelman, Nelson Agholor, N'Keal Harry, Damiere Byrd, Jakobi Meyers, and now Kendrick Bourne.